Recruitment and selection for RN Officer
Kommando,
As a non-grad with 8 years in I can tell you that it will hinder you not one jot if you never went to Harrow/Eton etc. RN officer core is far more classless than I imagine it once was.
As for being a pilot/observer you're asking the wrong guy - but I would say that landing a Lynx on the back end of a Type 42, at night in **** weather is probably one of the most difficult, but probably fulfilling things, you could do with your time. Landing a SHAR at night on the deck of a CVS, minus NVG of course, is just silly. Naturally, only a pilot would enjoy that sort of lunacy.
It's not for everyone - and the white paper rumour mill is depressing enough - but our uniform kicks ass compared to the crabs and, more importantly, we take the bar with us wherever we go.