Dave
Join the RAF and you will enjoy the best flying training in the world. You will meet fantastic people, make the best mates you will ever have, and experience things you never dreamed of. Then slowly, you will come to realise that you are in an organization that has no direction, and zero leadership. Air Officers only believe in what will get them promoted, and do not believe people on the front-line who tell them that everything is NOT rosy, but that there are MAJOR failings at every level. Dave, why do you think the RAF has a huge retention problem? Why are people leaving in droves for civvy street? The answer is that we are undervalued, under resourced, under equipped and under paid. JPA is an unmitigated disaster for those on ther front line (after 7 refused travel claims, I have told my boss I will sue the RAF in open court if detached again, and I mean it)
Is it worth it, compared to the monotony of a civvy flying job?
Never thought I'd say this, ever, but I'm starting to wonder if the answer is...no. it isn't.
Air Officer's patently don't care, CAS is too busy flying his new toy to care about front line rotary and multi guys, JPA is a loyalty killer, and the corporate mentality is the single most destructive attack ever launched on the RAF - and senior officers support it.
They should be ashamed - but they won't be, as long as their stats look good to the AOC.
Don't join Dave - any other advice wouyld be hypocritical.
PS. I have been in for 19 years, all as a pilot, have 5500hrs and know a little about what I'm talking about,