Transferring from Army to RAF Flight Crew

[noahzark]

I am currently a serving British Army Officer with aspirations for a career in aviation. My options are to either leave the Army and pursue a civilian aviation career or remain in the military and transfer to the RAF. My preferred option is to remain in the military as the financial side of life is taken care but more importantly, I enjoy military life.

Does anyone on this forum have experience/know of anyone who has transferred into the RAF to train as flight crew? What is the way ahead and who should i speak to? If I was succesful in transferring, what type of training and time scales would i be looking at?

Grateful for anyone's advice.

[wg13_dummy]

I take it there are reasons why you havent mentioned AAC?

[airborne_artist]

Your first problem is your age - RAF limit is 24.

[Bertie Thruster]

I Don't know if you can still do it now, but I started flying training in the Army aged 28 and commissioned into the RAF as a pilot 4 years later.

Might be a bit different for you, as you already hold a commission.

Also; " Wanting to fly is a negative attitude for an Army officer, don't you know" (That's what they said to me at RCB!)

Good luck!

[DB6]

An Army WO at JEFTS transferred to the RAF a couple of years back (Flt Lt) but he was already aircrew so I don't know if that helps. PM if it does.
One of the chaps I fly with now and then (airline) is an ex-Army officer who left a couple of years back and retrained. He loves it.

[Spit the Dog]

Ex- Army Air Corps WO now flying VC10 Tankers, he would be easy to track down and advise. Still wears his Army Wings as well. 'You can take a man out of the ranks, .....etc '

[diginagain]

Ex- Army Air Corps WO now flying VC10 Tankers, he would be easy to track down and advise. Still wears his Army Wings as well. 'You can take a man out of the ranks, .....etc '

You'll have BEagle spitting feathers with that bit of info.

Plus AJ transferred as a SSgt QHI, I believe.

[afghanhound]

Your best bet is to apply for the AAC and do the flying aptidude tests. No point in even thinking about transfering to RAF if you dont score well. If you successfully pass then you options are clearer-either go flying with the AAC or ask to transfer. If you dont pass the aptidude tests and still want to fly, providing you have a reasonable score, commercial aviation is still possible. Use the Army Extended Learning Credits towards your ground school for ATPL using distant learning over the next 9 months and then leave. Whilst you may enjoy the military life now -will you do so in 5 years when statistically you will be married with kids and in a staff job?

BTW what regt are you currently in?

[Quickstop]

Generally, if you are considering transfer from one aviation service to another you would be well placed to have something to offer them. Quite a few Army pilots transferred to the RAF but I think most of them were well qualified QHI's so the boys in blue got a good deal from the transfer. All they had to do was teach them how to grow a handlebar moustache and live in hotels. Having said that, I understand many of these high calibre aviators didnt do much blue suit QHI'ing once they had transferred so it is worth doing a bit of homework before deciding what to do.

[airborne_artist]

Your plan B could be to make sure your UK postings are close to an RAF (or Army) flying club (see a recent thread) - hours are up to 50% cheaper than at a civilian club.

[foldingwings]

Noahzark,

If you have a good reason for not flying with the Army, and it is plausible and not career embarrassing, then the RAF might take you on despite your age, but only if you have the aptitude and the qualities required as assessed by OASC at Cranwell. You need to pick up the phone and speak to the careers advice people at OASC who will be only too happy to give you the official answer to your query rather than the speculative responses here. Whilst 24 might limit somebody who is stepping in from Civvy Street, it will only take the 8-week (might be 12 now) SERE course to indoctrinate you from Army to RAF (convert your commission) thereby reducing your age pipeline equivalent to someone who is already in OT. In other words, you are only just over the max age but are already commissioned.

Pick up the phone on Monday and ask the question. If you cannot find the number in the great world of the MOD (cr@p) Telephone System, PM me and I will see what I have in my office (currently at home).

FW

[serf]

24 is the age limit, so that the super efficient RAF training system can have you on line before you reach 30!

more time spent 'holding' than training.