Military AircrewA forum for the professionals who fly the non-civilian hardware, and the backroom boys and girls without whom nothing would leave the ground. Army, Navy and Airforces of the World, all equally welcome here.
Essex, being in the RAF you will be aware that there is a force development centre at your station. Why not pop along and speak to the training officer or whatever they call themselves these days rather than relying on out of date or inaccurate information from this chat forum.
Firstly Merry Christmas to you and I wish you a happy new year 2013!
I am posting to enquire whether anyone is in the know when Pilot recruitment will be starting again for the RAF...? Few of us are on the edge of out sits whilst also holding down alternative career paths.
Reaper has a mission crew of two. A Pilot and a Sensor operator. Like you I've seen pictures of WSOp's operating the Reaper UAV but I'm not sure if the WSOp Pilots the aircraft or if this is done only by a Two-winged (brevet) Pilot/WSO.
Flysurfbeach, there will be some pilot IOT entries in FY13/14 but they will be taken up by university bursars who have been waiting their turn. I would get something temporary for a year or two if I were you.
DSAT Man Many Thanks for your response- Currently have a very good job in the aerospace engineering world, but would like to move on!
I'm currently also in the process of applying to the Army lookingpotentially at Air Corps however unfortunately the AAC do not sponsor :-(
Anyone any knowledge of the truth of an officers career in the AAC becausepersonally I'd like to keep flying if I'm successful in getting there in thefirst place :-/
Anyone any knowledge of the truth of an officers career in the AAC because personally I'd like to keep flying if I'm successful in getting there in thefirst place :-/
Having recently finished a tour in JHC HQ, you couldn't move without bumping into a grumpy AAC officer pilot staring longingly out of the windows as yet another AH or Bell flew over on the way back to Middle Wallop. If you want to fly and do nothing but fly, your options are RAF as a pilot or AAC as an NCO pilot.
If you commission into the AAC as a pilot (beware, they now commission as ground branch officers too), you might do 2-3 tours as a pilot whilst you're a junior officer, but once you hit senior captain it's pretty much staff jobs from then on to make you promotable in the first instance. You might get lucky and get command of an independent flt as a captain or a sqn as a major or if very lucky a regt as a lt col, but your only option, depending on how numbers etc pan out, could be to decide to step off the treadmill and stay as a captain - but even then flying jobs are not guaranteed.
Melchett is spot on but we have had quite a few AAC pilots come over to us once they start flying a desk and get disgruntled. They only required an OASC interview followed by a 'kit and post' if successful.
Im an aspiring RAF pilot. My eyesight (although being very strong) is currently corrected, so am in the process of sorting that out.
But what is the actual process of becoming a pilot? Ive done a lot of research but I can't seem to find out some parts:
> How do you know which aircraft youre going to fly? Do you pick or are you told?
> Are the demands different for each aircraft?
See I'd love to be a tanker pilot, such as a C-17 or Hercules. Do you get to 'choose'?
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Lincolnshire
Age: 70
Posts: 9,427
Maverick, how old are you?
Yes the demands for each role are different. The more demanding role is seen as fast-jet with applicants usually assessed for that role. Once in flying training your initial aptitude will be more accurately assessed and you may join different streams one of which may well be to a ground branch.
I headed down to my local AFCO a week ago and enquired about aircrew jobs in the RN, preferably pilot. At no point did he mention that they weren't recruiting, infact he was fairly forward and immediately began talking about the process, medicals and AIB etc. Just out of interest, how valuable would a degree be? I'm in the middle of my a-levels at the moment and fairly confident that I will reach the 180 UCAS points required, but will other candidates with a degree (perhaps not the underwater basket weavers ) have an greater chance of getting through?
Degree to be a Pilot, relatively unimportant. It shows an aptitude to learning - and of learning under your own steam, but not crucial. Degree to be an Officer - more important. Independence, maturity [sometimes....] exposure to more of the world, etc, all valuable and help you be a better candidate and better Officer.
) have an greater chance of getting through?
