Originally Posted by
stichedup
Hey everyone.
First time posting here, I've recently completed my assessment day as a RAAF pilot, and have failed the estimation maths test. The recruiter was a great bloke and mentioned that I was close and scored well enough in the other tests but unfortunately would not be able to progress for another 12 months.
Feels like I've had my guts ripped out, I don't want to give up on my dreams but I guess this is a bit of a wakeup call. I'll be 23 this time next year, and will be getting pretty old by the time I completed IMPS.
I'm lost, has anyone here been in my situation and still gotten through the selection process after failing? Will this act as a strike against my name when I get to OSB? Any advice on any other RAAF or military careers would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks.
BordZ Give your recruiting officer a call, they will put you in contact with a serving RAAF pilot at your closest base who would be happy to show you around. This is my experience.
Don't stress about your age mate. I applied when I was 17 after wanting to be a fighter pilot since I was 6, I advised that my high school OP was 23 and promptly told this wasn't a career for me as my file was closed in front of my crushed acne ridden face. I then tried to join as an Avtech hoping to move across to pilot internally. They offered me a position in the Navy, however, I decided to come back a little more competitive. I went away, redid grade 11 and 12 at TAFE as well as an external physics course which bumped that 23 up to a 6 equivalent. From there I started uni and completed a Bachelor of Aviation. On the side, I joined Crimestoppers, the SES and completed a number of leadership roles at uni. I have also completed my commercial pilot licence and multi-engine command instrument rating as part of the course too.
I reapplied, started the YOU session from scratch and was deemed competitive. I received a call to attend the FSP, however, my medical hadn't cleared. Apparently I have a condition known as mild Thrombocytopaenia, essentially a low platelet count. The normal range is 150 - 400, my results were 148. I was told I could not join any service in any role because of this. Many many emails, phone calls, verbal and written 'no's', specialist visits to oncologists, and even a bone marrow test later, I finally was approved to join. As ecstatic as I was, they quickly informed me my YOU session had lapsed and I would need to start the entire process for a third and final allowed time.
I completed the whole process yet again and have had to wait nearly another year since then while they have worked out this transition from FSP to ASP. I turn 30 in August, though I will be doing the ASP next week. While it's been a long road, persistence does pay off.
My cousin was in the RAAF for 23 years, he was a fighter combat instructor at 2OCU, he had seen 28-year-olds come through there.
Good luck with it, just remember that if it is really what you want, you'll get there.