Quitting before IOT
Good evening everyone,
I realise there is a similar post on this issue, however there doesn't seem to have been anything on this for several years so I am interested to see how circumstances might have changed.
In a few months I am due to start IOT as a pilot. I was in a UAS and have a very good degree. However I have always had doubts about whether the RAF would be right for me, and these have come to the forefront now that training is imminent. I would therefore appreciate an opinion on these issues from those of you who are/have recently been in the RAF as a pilot. I am not asking you to make up my mind for me, rather I would like to check if the assumptions I'm basing my judgements on are correct.
First, I am concerned that I simply wouldn't fit in with my colleagues. The assumption this is based on is that every evening on an isolated base the only activity is drinking in the bar. From my experience, it is frowned upon to want to do one's own thing or not to be involved in this forced group bonding, even if you would want to cultivate friendships with just a few people. This is probably not the right attitude for the military, so I wouldn't get very far. Is this reasonable thinking?
Second, the bases are depressing, isolated and you could end up working in unfavourable parts of the country. This is exacerbated by lack of funding which means facilities are closing or are in a poor state of repair. Fair enough, we are meant to be military and put up with it because we fight on and do what we're told. However, faced with a lifestyle which appears to be a downgrade from university, a graduate in a competitive market is perfectly entitled to reject the military and live/work elsewhere. I therefore don't see how I could put up with this aspect of the lifestyle, unless the flying substantially made up for it. As I only have limited exposure: are the bases really that bad and wouldn't you rather work in a pleasant town/city?
The deciding factor is whether the flying makes it all worth it. But this is also in doubt. I know people who are on 1+ year holds between IOT and EFT. It could take over 5 years to become operational. Even then, you might only fly 15-20 hours a month. The rest of the time I assume you are drowned by the elastic burden of "admin" which fills any free time in the RAF? Could I also ask if any of the flying ever gets mundane - especially for multis as that is the stream I would prefer?
Thank you for reading this post and I apologise for the negative tone. I just want to make sure I'm not being to critical with my perceived disadvantages of joining. I have read a lot of complaints about the RAF going downhill in other posts on this forum, whereas positive posts seem place tenuous emphasis on abstract ideals. I just need to make an informed decision.