A few Points:
Firstly Santiago15, Quote "VERY SELECTIVE". If they are very selective then why not put the effort in to keep those that they have selected?
Secondly Teetering Head: Let me clear this up, at the most basic of levels joining the RAF is career as is joining another branch of the armed forces or a company. All require levels of commitment and attainment.
Whilst free flying is great for a teenager how many years of the scholarship would i be teenager? 3! So i would not have left university till i was 22 and then 12 years commitment again not too appealing.
Actually i think that the RAF have missed alot in my case, given my aptitude etc, and the hundreds like me and yes i did have somehting better do I was awarded a shcolarship from a leading missile manufacture (MBDA,
http://www.mbdacareers.co.uk/young.asp and click on engineering scholarship) which is why i declined the RAF scholarship.