View Full Version : Life in the RAF
Sierra_Tango69
7th May 2006, 15:13
I was wondering, how the life in the RAF as a pilot compares to regular jobs when it comes to working times. Is there time to have a wife and spend time with her, your family etc? Do you go home to your house in the evenings? Do you get weekends off? Do you work for 2 weeks non-stop and get a week off? How does it work. I know there is a lot of dedication involved, and I don't know if I pull it through, will I still have time for my wife or girlfriend or family?
Cheers.
Who and what are you?
You ask some peculiar questions...
Or is this a tongue-in-cheek stirring post?
Fanois
7th May 2006, 15:48
Perfectly reasonable questions. I hope someone answers them for you!
Join the Fleet Air Arm. You won't have to worry about going home for 8 months of the year!
Sierra_Tango69
7th May 2006, 16:10
Who and what are you?
You ask some peculiar questions...
Or is this a tongue-in-cheek stirring post?
It isn't relevant who or what I am...
the questions I ask regardless if my location if 'middle-east' doesn't matter.
fantaman
7th May 2006, 16:25
It isn't relevant who or what I am...
the questions I ask regardless if my location if 'middle-east' doesn't matter.
I think what FJJP is trying to say is you have asked some strange questions without giving any reasoning as to why you ask them?
Perhaps you should include a reason, some history behind your post? Are you thinking about joining or are you just interested?
Talk Wrench
7th May 2006, 16:28
Troll Alert, Troll Alert ????????
Check out this post on E Goat
http://www.e-goat.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=958.
TW
Sierra_Tango69
7th May 2006, 17:12
Aye that would be myself?
What is your point?
fantaman
7th May 2006, 17:26
Like I said Sierra_Tango69, perhaps put a bit of reasoning or history behind your question!
ratty1
7th May 2006, 17:41
I was wondering, how the life in the middle east compares to regular places when it comes to living conditions. Are you allowed to have a wife and spend time with her, your family etc? Do you own your own home and spend your evenings in the house? Do you get weekends off? Do you work for 2 weeks non-stop and get a week off? How does it work. I know there is a lot of dedication involved, and I don't know if I will ever live there, will I still have time for my wife or girlfriend or family?
Cheers:ok:
fantaman
7th May 2006, 17:43
I was wondering, how the life in the middle east compares to regular places when it comes to living conditions. Are you allowed to have a wife and spend time with her, your family etc? Do you own your own home and spend your evenings in the house? Do you get weekends off? Do you work for 2 weeks non-stop and get a week off? How does it work. I know there is a lot of dedication involved, and I don't know if I will ever live there, will I still have time for my wife or girlfriend or family?
Cheers:ok:
P:mad: sing myself laughing! :} :} :}
Sierra_Tango69
7th May 2006, 17:46
Well I am hoping to join, It's been something on my mind for a very long, and a dream I want to pursue. I am a British Citizen by law aswell by blood, my father is Scottish, however my mother is Norwegian, and I have a dual citizenship, which I know doesn't make any difference.
I do still have a while before the time comes to even apply for the RAF, however I am thinking of it as a path for a future career, and helping to know certain aspects would help me greatly.
Sorry for my abrupt questioning.
I appreciate any help and the time offered to assist me in my questions.
Cheers
ST69
fantaman
7th May 2006, 18:00
That’s better! If you had given those details in your first post you would have got a far better response than you did!
You have to understand that PPrune is littered with the press and journo's looking for the next big scoop so understandably service chaps are wary about giving too much away!
Good Luck!
Aynayda Pizaqvick
7th May 2006, 18:52
People work whatever times they work, Shinies generally 8-5 mon-fri
...Intermingled with 1 hour coffee breaks, extended lunches and trips to the gym. They also normally stack early on friday afternoon, if indeed they actually return to work after 12 on a friday at all! Shinnies are also almost certain to be away on AT, leave or just generally morph into the walls whenever they are needed.
If you want an easy, 9 til 'whenever you feel like it' job that requires virtually no training or particular skill and pays well above any similar civilian job then I can highly recommend joining as a shiny!
6foottanker
7th May 2006, 20:27
Virtually no training, whatever...You must be an adminner then.:hmm:
Try 3 weekends out of 4 out of the country, at least 3 months of the year away, and a whole lot more admin to do 9 til whenever you feel like on every other day of the week you are expected to be in work and deal with the fall out from our new and highly unworkable computer admin system.
Oh, and i only go to the gym once a year, usually march cos i have to....
Pontius Navigator
7th May 2006, 21:09
<<I was wondering, how the life in the RAF as a pilot compares to regular jobs when it comes to working times. Is there time to have a wife and spend time with her, your family etc? Do you go home to your house in the evenings? Do you get weekends off? Do you work for 2 weeks non-stop and get a week off? How does it work. I know there is a lot of dedication involved, and I don't know if I pull it through, will I still have time for my wife or girlfriend or family?>>
As you seem lined up for the Noggie air force it may be easy to set out a comparison.
<<how the life in the RAF as a pilot compares to regular jobs when it comes to working times.>>
The RAF works 24/7 where as the RNoAF tends to work M-F flexitime with overtime on top. In the RAF time off is a bonus and often unplanned. Once after 12 hours on duty I had time to walk around the mother-in-law - literally - and back to work for another 12.
<<Is there time to have a wife and spend time with her, your family etc?>>
See above.
<< Do you go home to your house in the evenings?>>
Quite often you will find yourself at home during the day. You will then be baby sitting whilst the wife does housework or real work as you pretend to get crew rest.
<< Do you get weekends off?>>
Yes, quite often but not every week and quite often not on Saturday or Sunday, unlike the Noggies.
<< Do you work for 2 weeks non-stop and get a week off?>>
Sometimes. Other times you get a two-day weekend rather than a week. See above.
<< How does it work.>>
At Her Majesties pleasure.
<<I know there is a lot of dedication involved,>>
But it is a challenge and can be very rewarding.
<< and I don't know if I pull it through, will I still have time for my wife or girlfriend or family>>
If you don't try then you will never know.
Sierra_Tango69
8th May 2006, 03:09
Thanks for the information!
I do think wether able to join the RNoAF or the RAF, I'd much rather join the RAF. But as far as that is concerned I don't need to worry about that yet.
btw.. What's a shinny?:O
BEagle
8th May 2006, 05:26
'Shiny' = one who works at a desk all day long and probably works 9-5. His trousers thus become shiny through continuous contact with his office chair. Full term is 'shiny-ar$ed chair polisher'.
'Chinny' = Chinook helicopter.
Sierra_Tango69
8th May 2006, 10:45
Cheers. Aye if I was to join myself I would be opting to try out as a pilot.