Oops, should have mentioned I'll be going FAA as I'm 21 now so will be too old for the RAF when I graduate.
I thought that applying for a bursary and Direct Entry was exactly the same process as applying to join straight away, the Navy process being Interview, FATs, AIB. As I said in my previous post, I don't feel ready, particularly for AIB if I were to get there, as I don't have enough demonstrable examples of leadership or organisation. Or if I do have those skills, I haven't the ability to sell them yet at interview, as the whole military environment is new to me so I tend to go a bit introverted. Hopefully UAS or URNU will sort that out.
My main concern was that pilot places will suddenly go to a premium after they do some kind of recruitment drive with the F-35s coming in, and so I'd cut my chances drastically.
Might be worth looking again at the RAF, there has been lots of talk recently of a rules change regarding age-on-entry [to match that of the FAA].
You've got your wires crossed a little. If you have been to university, you would no longer be a Direct Entrant, DE refers to those entering with 'only' A2s and doing so direct from school. Once you've got a degree, with or without bursary, you'd be going Graduate Entry. But yes, the application procedure is the same.
Pilot places, especcially fast jet, are
always at a premium. There are always thousands of applicants for every spot. I've been lead to believe that - for the RAF at least - there are currently 10,000 applicants for every one pilot who finishes the OCU.
Remember, even if you do go Navy, you'd still use a lot of the RAF's pipeline if you manage to make fastjet.