Tee,
I'm in the RAuxAF, Flight Ops, and have just got back from a fun weekend... and I mean that most sincerely :-)
There's already been some good advice. Here are a few additions:
- many of the RAuxAF squadrons have a primary STO role (Survive To Operate, aka Green **** - that was sh-one-t) - that can also be fun, but it took three years to get Flight Ops training kicked off while we were doing that. At one point, it looked like the light at the end of the tunnel was being switched off, but the weekend I've just spent was entirely blue and in the Tower.
- pay, when applied to family fun, helps, but you have to be prepared to put in twice the minimum (27 days, becomes more like 40-50) to keep up. Make sure the family are on-side.
- the Flight Ops jobs can be in Sqn or Wing Ops (imagine a military office job); or in Air Traffic (assisting Controllers - if there are any Aux controllers, I think they'll be those with previous Regular service in the job).
- there are a considerable number of ex-regulars in the RAuxAF, and the comradeship is definitely an attraction, for all involved.
Lastly, feel free to reply with further questions, either on this thread, or by email [
[email protected]], and I'll try and give (honest!) answers.
[Edited for an expansion of the asterisks!]