RAF to Civvy Street

[Gordinho]

Hi Folks,

My best mate is getting rather disillusioned with life as an engineering officer in the RAF (he's a hands on type of guy and that sort of thing seems to be frowned upon for officers).

Where's a good place for him to get a civvy license (is it JAR66? The equivalent of US A&P?). I know a lot of old colleagues who went through a college in Perth. Is it still there?

Thanks for the Help

Gordi

[laurieg]

Hi,

If you mate is looking for another way of getting into the civie side he could try DARA St.Athan.

The old boy network seems to be working well there. They are the only ones who get decent jobs:{

[Gordinho]

I think he's pretty sick of the old boy network too, but thanks for the tip-off.

Anyone know more about the engineering school in Perth?

[ragspanner]

AST at Perth run short JAR 66 modular courses . I assume your mate as an Engo has a degree or HNC, this may give him some exemptions. Try the CAA website for more info on JAR 66, if you give the people at Perth a call they are generally very helpfull.
CSE at Kidlington near Oxford used to run short courses for the various sections under the BCAR licencing system also Southall college ?.
Good Luck.

[Lear_doctor]

I would suggest your mate look at

http://www.airmech.co.uk.

This aircraft engineer site has loads of JAA and CAA licence info including training organisation location and information


I would also respectfully suggest he think really really long and hard about his future career. Aviation maintenance is a shrinking industry.

I believe aircraft generally have fewer faults per flying hour and require much less scheduled maintenance than years gone by. Advances in material science and reliability programs have had a 'positive' effect on the amount of maintenance an aircraft needs per flying hour.

At facilities around the country (and I assume the world) staffing level's have been reduced, with many facilities closing altogether over the last 10 years. Nothing I can see suggests this trend is likely to be reversed.

He may also like to consider that if he progresses well in his studies and gains the JAA qualifications and type rating's he seeks, he may well get 'promoted' to a position of management. This will of course result in him dealing principally with the inordinate amount of paperwork the job now generates, which would defeat the whole 'hands on' point wouldn't it?

Just some thought's from someone who already holds a licence and has been around a few years. I'm not suggesting he does not join the civilian 'wing' of the industry, I'm merely 'respectfully' suggesting some caution.


Regards


The Doc

[Gordinho]

All helps, thanks guys. Speaking as someone who just got out of the industry I think he has a lot to lose by leaving the RAF but then again I didn't just spend the summer in a war zone.:ok:

[Blacksheep]

I'd seriously advise him to stay in until the first legitimate exit point. As an Engineering Officer he'll be Degree/HNC and will be recognized as a 'Professional' when he leaves. The RAF may well frown on their officers being hands-on, but in civil air transport 'hands-on' is also not well regarded for those in the higher grades. If your friend is clever enough to be an EngO, I doubt if he would be any more satisfied with a lower grade job in the airlines than he is with being forced to keep his hands clean in the Royal Air Farce.

Those with a higher education background who wish to be hands-on are better off going into the design and manufacturing or flight testing side of the industry. Your friend would thus be better off studying French and working towards his EurIng. Or else chatting up Ghengis the Engineer for a job - he's pretty hands-on in the flight testing business. Either way, Airbus or Cranfield will like him better if he doesn't PVR.

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Through difficulties to the cinema