Other ways of becoming an RAF/RN pilot?

[bomberbey80]

Hi everyone,

Does anyone know if theres other ways getting around becoming a pilot, unfortunatley i don't have the acceptable qualifications/degree. I have heard of certain ways of going about it but need someone to clear it up for me, i'm currently training to be an aircraft engineer but my ultimate goal is to be a pilot within the military, im also a keen member of the Air Trainin Corps.

Any help woul be greatly appreciated!

[gzornenplatz]

You could always try the hard way, join as an erk, take up gliding in the RAF, become a gliding instructor then apply for aircrew in all available branches.
If you have the talent (and there are some aircrew left in the selection process) they might consider you for pilot training. Nothing's guaranteed and it could take a few years.
It has worked for many.

[ShotOne]

Before you start, be prepared for some unhelpful responses here, many ppruners seem to like pouring cold water on requests like up yours. Main advice, get in there and go for it. Take all the opportunities ATC offers to get airborne, gliding, air experience, whatever. On top of that, get yourself down your local flying club, there's often spare seats going. If you want into the airlines, sadly that requires a hefty financial outlay these days. Military recruitment down to a trickle. Likely someone in ATC can detail the process.

[viz]

If you are only 16 years old then there is plenty of time to get the necessary qualifications. I think the RAF takes people up to at least 24 years, maybe older.. check the latest recruiting info. That gives you 8 years to work hard, learn and qualify, as well as improving your Service knowledge so you are really prepared for selection.

Best of luck.

[bomberbey80]

Thanks guys, i was expecting some negative responses on her to be honest! Im planning on doing my gliding scholarship through cadets after i've finished my engineering course then my PPL to follow on. Stupidly left it too late to decide what i wanted to do when i left school and because of that i didnt focus as much!
But once again thanks for your help.

[switch_on_lofty]

Here are the requirements to join as a pilot in the RN (taken from the RN website):

Qualifications

180 UCAS points (including 2 non-overlapping subject areas with each subject must allocated at least 45 UCAS points) and five GCSEs (A* to C) or Scottish Standard Grades or equivalent, which must include English and Maths.
You’ll also have to pass flying aptitude tests at RAF Cranwell.
You must be aged from 17 to 23 years (under 24 years old when you begin basic training)

180 points is equivalent to a B and a C or 3 Ds at A-Level. Points win prizes!

I recommend cracking on and getting these. If you join up as say an AET with the aim to get a commission and fly, how do you know that you'll pass the aptitudes / AIB? You may end up wasting a few years in a job that you don't really want.

[Sloppy Link]

No qualifications needed to be an AAC pilot as an NCO, just pass the selection - is a gamble though, if unsuccessful then you would have spent 6 years or so as a Private soldier/Junior NCO to ultimately not get what you wanted. If you do go for it, join a Regiment/Corps that gives a trade that you can fall back on and one that gets you promotion fairly quickly. RE, REME, RMP and RA are a good start, avoid Infantry/RAC, promotion is slow and they can be a little tribal when it comes to releasing their sharp soldiers.

[Courtney Mil]

Is there time to earn the quals? You'll always be up against people the have them. Apart from the obvious entry routes, others will probably take a very long time. With no promises.

[Tashengurt]

Unless you're on the upper age limit, go get the quals! A degree isn't essential and two highers a year distance/ nightclasses should be feasible so don't fall into the trap of writing yourself off.
Been there, done that, ended up swabbing out ^^^^his ^^^^ mask!!

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[Pontius]

A lot depends on what educational qualifications you have got. If you haven't got the GCSEs then you can't become an officer, whether direct entry or through the ranks and, therefore, you can't become a pilot in the RN and (I'm pretty sure) in the RAF. As has already been mentioned, the Army are a different kettle of fish.

While being very keen, achieving gliding and powered qualifications is laudable and will do you a lot of good in the selection procedure (assuming you have the GCSEs), gone are the days of being able to slip in through the back door on the basis of non or pseudo-military qualifications. I'm afraid there are a lot of people out there who do have the educational qualifications AND they have their PPLs etc and the armed services can afford to be extremely picky nowadays.

This is not meant to be a message of discouragement but one of realistic expectations in today's forces, not those of the 1960s. You've got time on your side so go back to school/night school and get the GCSEs if you don't already have them, or else you'll never pass "Go". Definitely keep up your keen approach to the ATC, which is an excellent organisation, and if you can afford to get some flying in, powered or non-powered, then do so....it'll only help in the entire process.

[Timelord]

AND, if you can, get as good a medical check as possible. You may have a medical issue that would stop you being selected for pilot training and it would be better to know BEFORE you put in years of effort. Good luck though.

[mad_jock]

Isn't there a select few from the Royal Marines that after 3 years as a grunt go on to fly?

Mind that's a very hard and painful way of getting to fly in the military.

[teeteringhead]

All good advice above, particularly the medical bit. Bottle-bottom glasses, a history of genuine asthma or too many pies (deep fried Mars bars?) could keep you out (the latter only temporarily!)

Over the last couple of years, potential VR(T) officers have been required to go through OASC, the same as regulars. So young and/or recently commissioned VR(T) on your ATC Sqn (or a nearby one) could give you insight into that particular hurdle to be overcome for an RAF commision (and I imagine the RN is very similar). You have to be commissioned before you get anywhere near an aeroplane as a pilot (in RAF or RN).

Fingers crossed. :ok:

[Pontius Navigator]

The essential RAF requirement is GCSE, or equivalent, at grade B in maths plus all the rest. You also need English as one of the 5.

Also at 18 or 19 you can demonstrate greater potential than a graduate who is more, what you see is what you great.

[matelo99]

The very long winded way of joining the RN as a pilot is to join as a rating, maybe Air Engineering Technician if you're into that sort of stuff, then getting your qualifications from Petty Officer Qualifying Course and then going the Upper Yardsman route. As I say, this is the long winded route but is achieveable. I'm not sure what you get out of the PO Qualifying course these days but it used to be enough to get you to the AIB. You need to start cracking early though as most blokes who join at 18 and go this route are getting close to the upper age limit when they finally get to Dartmouth.

Or if you've got time just do what everyone else suggests and get the required points before joining, surely you'll get something from your training to be an Aircraft Engineer?

Good luck

[radar101]

I take it you are training to be an Aircraft Engineering Technician (not an Engineer - that is a graduate thing)

Surely this course is likely to provide you with a qualification which will be at least equivalent to 5 GCSEs including Maths and English -possibly even A level equivalent.

suggest you check with your training provider/college.

radar101 CEng

[Melchett01]

I would echo earlier advice about getting all the qualifications you can - if you want to be an officer you will need them regardless of whether you join as a direct entrant or come up through the ranks.

However, if you just want to fly, then as Sloppy Link suggests, the AAC might be a way ahead. To be considered you need to be a L/Cpl recommended for promotion to Cpl. Key here is the wording - recommended simply means getting a 'Yes' for promotion one rank up on your annual appraisals as a L/Cpl, it doesn't mean you have to be a Cpl. Getting to L/Cpl is the key bit and there are some cap badges that spit you out of training as substantive L/Cpls so you are already there - Int Corps and REME are the only 2 I can think of off the top of my head. That gives you about 3 years productive service to get that 'Yes' recommendation if you apply straight off.

If you go down that route, I'd still use the time to get some qualifications and remember that you will have to do Flying Grading assuming you pass the OASC aptitudes; and unlike the aptitudes, Grading is a once only thing - fail it and there no second attempt, so AAC could be a bit of a gamble on that front.

[Basil]

I left school at 15.
By the time I wanted to join the RAF for pilot training I was a 22yo marine engineer but did not have the 5 'O'-levels required at the time.
I asked the RAF whether, if I obtained the necessary qualifications, they'd interview me. They said : No promises - get them and reapply.
I asked the Principal of the technical college at which I'd studied as an apprentice if they would present me for the 'O'-level exams when they came around BUT without attending classes - I'd do all my study at night and weekends so that I could work (for IBM on quality control). I could hardly believe it when he agreed.
It all worked out.

As others have said, I wouldn't join in the ranks hoping to be selected; that just adds another level to get through. I'd counsel getting the qualifications; don't forget that, even if you don't make selection, they are still there for other applications.

Have you had a medical examination to check that your bits are OK for military flying? Eyesight can be a stopper.

Plus point: It was 1965. Thank you, John and Nikita, for failing to play nicely together :)

p.s. Re what others have said: Can you apply for AAC NCO pilot training selection directly as a civilian. Someone mentioned RA as useful trade training. What? Royal Artillery? OK, I've met some civilians the RA could usefully apply themselves to :E

Best of luck!

[Herod]

At your age I was at school in Australia, but wanted to join the RAF. They wouldn't accept the Oz qualifications I was studying for, so I home/school self-studied (the school were most helpful) to take GCE. I sat the exams with a candidate number of 001; the only person in WA taking them. I failed on two of the five required, but a couple of months at college on returning to UK saw them away. I joined the RAF some two weeks before my 18th birthday, and was awarded wings at 19 1/2. You're young enough to get the qualifications, so get your head into the books. Night school/day release, whatever is available these days. Keep an eye on civil flying too, in case the military is out. Good luck.

[Sloppy Link]

Basil - Royal Artillery are the Service lead for UAV. To apply for pilot training as an NCO, you have to be an NCO. There is no direct access unlike the RAF with direct entry SNCO.

Meltchett - RMP is another.

[Basil]

Sloppy Link, Thanks for the clarification.

Edit: Whilst a teenage apprentice fitter/turner I was a TA REME Craftsman gunfitter attached to an RA 25pdr regiment. ISTR I was given the 'How to Fix 25pdrs' book and left to get on with it.

[Jono664]

I joined the AAC direct entrant, as an air trooper,and in some cases you are eligible to apply for aircrew selection at this early stage, as a kind of perk because your already in the corps.i took my time,spent 4 years on the ground putting bombs and bullets onto AH,which was great fun.dont forget,you can also fly as an aircrewman on lynx,islander and b212 aircraft before applying for the pilots course,this is a great step to going front seat as it were.i unfortunately failed on med grounds,but thoroughly enjoyed my service,and is certainly a more than viable option.all the best!!

[jayteeto]

I didn't have the qualifications and got through as a serving airman. In those days there were MANY more training slots available. Even then, although I didn't have the O Levels, they required some sort of equivalent educational qualifications. My Avionics training involved a lot of maths, this was seen as acceptable.
Now the negative bit.......... Although I agree that you should always TRY to achieve your dreams, please be realistic. Even if you are the modern day 'Chuck Yeager', you are up against some highly qualified, sharp candidates in the selection process. The recruiters will be looking to you to stand out from the crowd in other ways. ATC membership is almost expected these days, so what will help????
Sport/Charity+Community Work/GOOD DEPTH of current affairs knowledge/Fitness Level/Appearance and more.
Have you considered other flying trades?? Non commissioned aircrew often get pilot crossovers when they are slightly over the age limits.
Be flexible, you don't have to be a pilot to enjoy the lifestyle........

[HAS59]

Hi,
I was once that young keen air cadet. Keep on trying to get the qualifications that you need.Even if you fail the aircrew medical (I did - faulty hearing) keep on looking around for alternative career paths.
Rear crew do a lot of very interesting jobs that you will probably be unaware of. The service has a lot to offer - it is a way of life that I thoroughly enjoyed for 40 odd years (some of them very odd!)


Spend your time in the cadets getting around the air force and do not be afraid to ask any serviceman for advice.


Good luck!