fast-jet, rotary-wing or a multi-engine?

[MacLean1]

Hi everyone am a new member here, I am 16 and am currently working towards joing the RAF as a pilot in the future.

I was wondering if someone with personal experience could inform me what the RAF use as the basis for their decision on whether a candidate should become a fast-jet, rotary-wing or a multi-engine pilot. Once someone has made it through selection what tests are done to determin the aircraft they will fly in day-to-day duties?

Replies are greatly appreciated!

[5 Forward 6 Back]

Try a search on "streaming."

[TurbineTooHot]

Right, here it is matey. In all its terrible glory (abridged).....


1. Interview at Armed Forces Careers Office. This'll determine whether you are suitable to go to...

2. Officers and Aircrew Selection Centre at Cranwell. This is where you are tested and give your preference of branch (job) in the RAF, eg pilot, wso, intelligence, air traffic, fighter control....

3. The tests run in two parts: 1 = Medical, Apptitude and Interview. 2 = Leadership skills.

- The medical will cover measurements (to see if you fit in the aircraft) med history and eye and ear tests.
- The apptitude tests are computer based hand-eye, reasoning, motor and numeric skills tests. These will determine if you are suitable for certain branches (pilot, weapons systems operator, atc or fighter control).
- The interview is another way to see the real you.

Leadership skills are tested if you get through part one. The usual tyres, ropes poles stuff + group discussions and planning exercises etc.

You will be notified of success within a couple of weeks. They run various routes of entry: "Sixth form scholarship" you may wish to look at. Couple of grand when I got it for commitment after 6th form. Older folk can take Direct entry - straight in from 17 1/2. For those uni bound, a bursary is next. All of these will come with either 6, 12 or 16 years commitment.

Once you've got selection out of the way and your happily bound, you will do one of two things. Go straight in or to uni. The fact you are thinking about it now means that you have all options open. Work out which is right for you.

If you go Direct Entry (DE), you will go to Initial Officer Training (IOT) at Cranwell (posts later about that).

The uni route will take you via the University Air Squadron attached to whichever institution you chose.

Here you will do Elementary Flying Training (EFT). 60 hours flying the Tutor, part time spread over your 3 years if you are a student. If you go in DE you will do IOT and then come to one of the UAS to do the 60 hrs as a full time course alongside your uni-based counter parts.

EFT teaches you how to fly. Sounds obvious, but put simply, it is a similar course to civvy PPL initially. You start with the effects of controls and flying level and in turns, move onto circuits (take offf and landing) (sucking eggs yet?). From there you get a bit more military with aeros and gross mishandling (spinning) as you will need to start learning how to OPERATE the aircraft. You will pick up the basics of aeros, instrument flying and navigation and formation flying as well as low level flying. You are scored on each sortie you fly, and drbriefed on said trip. The marking will include individual aspects and you will be given an overall grade on the trip.

If you were DE, you will be STREAMED at the end of this course.

If you were at uni, you would finish uni and EFT and go to IOT and be streamed at the end of IOT. Making sense?

The streaming board receives and looks at reports of you and your fellow aviators on that board. The reports score you on the disiplines mentioned above (taken from the sortie reports) and will give a narrative on you, not only as a pilot but as an officer, which funnily enough is your primary role in the service.

The scoring in the system runs from 6 to 0. 6 is more or less unachieveable in that you have to be better than the instructor to be awarded one. 5 is above average (read exellent A); 4 is high average (good B); 3 is average (the minimum pass mark for tests C); 2 low average; 1 below average; 0 rubbish.

The streaming board will take the scores and write ups from each stude on the board and rank them. Then the numbers required will be announced for each of the three streams Fast Jet (FJ), Rotary Wing(RW) and multi engine (ME). The chief instructors of each school will come along in turn FJ -RW -ME and take the student they want from the list with FJ taking the top lot, then RW and ME following on.

You do have some choice, but this is secondary to your ability and the needs of the service.

You will then be sent off to the school you have been streamed to.
FJ - Basic Fast Jet Training on the Tucano at Linton then Advance on the Hawk at Valley followed by Tac Weapons at Valley then Role disposal to your front line aircraft.
RW - Defence Helicopter Training School on the Squirrel and Griffin at Shawbury, then role disposal
ME - Multi-engine Training School on the King Air at Cranwell then role disposal.

After role disposal you will got to the Operational Conversion Unit OCU for your aircraft type. Here you will learn how to operate this aircraft. Then you will be posted onto a front line squadron and the real work begins.


Right. If you've made it this far through the post, it means you are still interested. Your first step is to get down to an Armed Forces careers office and talk to the recruiting dudes there.

Check the RAF website for locations or search for them on google.

If you want any help or advice reply on this thread or PM and I'll see what I can offer.

Good luck matey,

TTH

[airborne_artist]

Excellent post TTH - how about if up to date reps from FAA and AAC could each do a similar post so that the lads/lasses could get 3 for the price of one (OK, I know that RMs also fly)

[hyd3failure]

For the RN amend as follows:

Delete Cranwell insert BRNC

Delete ME - thats an RAF perk.

Once streamed insert

FJ - Basic Fast Jet Training on the Tucano at Linton then Advance on the Hawk at Valley followed by Tac Weapons at Valley then Role disposal to your front line aircraft. (That will be the GR7)


After "RW - Defence Helicopter Training School on the Squirrel and Griffin at Shawbury" insert , "Then off to Culdrose (Merlin) or Yeovilton (Seaking / Lynx)"

[TurbineTooHot]

Cheers, mate.

Reitterating what A-A said, if any of our FAA and AAC brothers and sisters could post similar, then those folk who are interested in getting involved can have the up to date gen, rather than the official website version, which is 2 years out of date, and the lazy shinys have not updated.

Come on in dudes, the water is fine.

Turbine.

TypingTooHot.

Hyd,

Are RN sticking with Barkston, or are we head away from joint again, back to seperate EFT schools?

Heard rumours the army were pulling back to Wallop.

Turbs.

[5 Forward 6 Back]

6 is more or less unachieveable in that you have to be better than the instructor to be awarded one.

CFS tell me the definition is something along the lines of "nothing more could be expected from (this aspect within) a student sortie."

So you don't have to be perfect, or better than your instructor, just as good as it could possibly be expected that you can be with your experience.

[hyd3failure]

Yeah, I heard that as well. Maybe it should be renamed RNAS Barkston Heath.

[TurbineTooHot]

5 up 6 back.

Know the definition mate. Seen v.rarely. Dished out to aviation gods and stick ninjas only. Something to aim for. Green eye cos I haven't had one yet......

Just trying to put it in leymans terms.


Hyd,
Why the hell not. Though wouldn't a move down to the south west somewhere be preferable?


Regards

TTH

[airborne_artist]

TTH

FAA hasn't got anywhere suitable in the SW, I suspect, as Culdrose and Yeovilton have enough to contend with, without tyros in plastic planks.

Daedalus/Lee-on-Solent would be fairly good, but who owns it now?

In the old days RN EFTS was in Yorkshire, variously at Linton, Leeming/Topcliffe etc., and a grand time we had. The ladies at Ripon College were certainly glad to see a sailor, and the brewers didn't grumble.

[hyd3failure]

You would think so wouldn't ya. Althought thats far too sensible AND it would save money. But can the RAF afford to lose another Airfield? Or could Barkston become a sacrificial Lamb.

[hyd3failure]

Culdrose would certainly have the space.....What operates out of Culdrose? 1 Seaking, a few Jetstream, 6 Merlin and a few Hawk. Yeovilton would also have the room with the SHAR community going they are leaving 2 empty hangars and a full squadron office block.

Lee still belongs to the RN. (I think)

[oldbeefer]

In an attempt to save money and get the stoods through training more quickly, the AAC are going to carry out a trial. Their students will no longer do the Tutor bit, but will spend some time in a Squirrel at MWp - mainly in the back. The aim seems to be to learn airmanship by osmosis! 'twill be interesting to see the standard when they start at Sy.

[TurbineTooHot]

I take it that they are thinking that the handling skills are so different that all the little blighters need is time in the air.

Methinks that time at the stick actually dealing with situations is the only way to promote a'm'ship.

I watch for the results with interest.

They tried something similar at Linton a few years back. Only a couple from the original ten made it all the way if I recall. We'll see.....

Cheers Beefer

Turbine

[Pilgrim101]

"´´´´´I am 16 and am currently working towards joing the RAF as a pilot in the future´´´´´´´.

Good Luck ! I take it you've started the handlebar moustache, and the excessive drinking and womanising bit already then ? :E

Have you started any particular flying course or activity yet ? I'd be interested to know if there are any views out there on whether the the youngster should go to a flying school and learn bad habits :E :8 which the RAF will have to kick out of him or is the keenness to fly and the basic skill an asset at OASC ?

[Tourist]

Hyd 3
Have come to the conclusion that, like crossbow, in fact suspiciously like crosbow, you are not really who you pretend to be.
You ask what operates out of Culdrose, then name a extremely erroneous number of A/C
Any Wafu would know different to what you spout.

Many Merlin Sqns - 40? A/c (albeit not flying a lot at the moment)
849 (HQ and 2 Flights) Seaking
771 Seaking (9 A/c)
Fradu- Lots of Hawks
750 9 Jetstream

Reasonably busy place I would contend

[airborne_artist]

Pilgrim

The question arose on this board not long ago. The most believable opinion was that gliding (stickn'rudder skills) coupled with some OLQ development, eg sport and/or Duke of E'burgh was a good basis for OASC.

Luckily some good person in the RAF thought much the same and founded the Air Cadets, who "supply" about 50% of the RAF's total intake.

Light single skills were not thought to be significantly advantageous, and the cost certainly makes it prohibitive for a 16/17 y/o to pursue.

From what I've seen of people who joined with me ex-ATC, and my own daughter now in the ATC, it seems a fine organisation that does a great deal for its members at remarkably little cost to the them, or the RAF.

[joe2812]

I joined my local ATC sqn when I hit 13... after 2 years gave it up. Why?

Never flew, rarely shot, never got offered any camps, DofE, etc etc.

In 2 years my memories are thus:

ATC Marksman
2 x Rememberance Sunday Parades in town centre
Weeding new building's parade ground.

No exaggeration but with GCSEs coming up no way was I staying. All that on offer from the org, but unit couldnt get it's @rse in gear. OC was ex-Navy, what did I expect?!

Saying that though, get yourself a good Squadron and you'll definately be one up on those who haven't joined up!

[ex-knuck]

If you have the opportunity go for fighters, doing a max perf t/o and climbing at 70-80 degrees nose up at M0.9 & reaching 36,000 in about 2 mins from brakes release is one of the many things you will remember when flying self loading baggage in years to come, it a very tough course. I remember an old instructor of mine told me that trash haulers brag about the destinations they fly to and fighter pilots brag about their flying. You are only young once go for it.

[hyd3failure]

Sorry...Forgot about the Bags...many apologies redrats...

As for the rest...40 Merlin..are you havin a giraffe? 6/8 Merlin if your'e lucky.