The RAF is indeed a double edged sword . Here goes .
ON THE MINUS
1)You are in the military. Sounds a very silly thing to say but I think it`s something people fob off and don`t really think about. If there`s a war , you will go . People will be out to do their level best to kill you. Regardless of where you are in your life , your commitment is the same ie Young 21 yr old "mad for it" or 28 yr , just married , baby on it`s way . Think about it hard if it`s what you want.
2) You will find yourself "messed" around. It`s part of the job. 6 mths ago I was 6000 miles from where I am now and didn`t think I would be . You will live most of the early part of your life with kit across the UK , moving every 6 - 8 mths on courses. You may think you are off to X and then a week before get told your off to Y. Hard to set roots / keep relationships going.
3) The military way of life is different to what you`ll know . Hard to explain and it`s different for everyone. Some people just click into the whole social/work thing , others feel completely out of the loop. Things like ATC and UAS give you a good insight to "life"
ON THE PLUS
1) The flying you do is awesome. At a young age you are given a lot of responsibility ie Take that Tucano/Hawk and land it at an airfield , solo . Nothing gets the heart racing more than taking a Hawk low level through the Welsh countyside !
2) You will be part of a ready made group of mates you will keep in touch with for the rest of your time.
3) Whilst living on base in the Officers Mess can get tiresome , it`s great to come home , have your meals made for you , your room cleaned and a bar with all your mates walking distance away.
3) "Living in" usually means high disposable income . Cue the Z3`s and snazzy watches.
4) Chicks dig it (esp Foreign ones
As for the pay , I beleive you`ll start off on 18k or so , depending on education level. By 24 you should be on around 30 k (inc Fly pay )