NavyDropout
20th Nov 2006, 16:10
Hi All,
I have an odd story that I want your advice on - I'll try and make it as complete as possible, so that it makes sense, but try not to bore too many people!
I always wanted to be a pilot in the RAF as a kid, so at 16 or so I went for interviews and aptitude testing with the RAF for a flying scholarship. I managed to get one of the scholarships and in the summer of '98 I did 20 odd hours of flying including about 8 solo in a civilian school with some ex military instructors - fantastic, the first solo flight was amazing. I passed the course with a 'High average' score, which although it doesn't sounds amazing, in military terms it is OK - slightly better than most.
After completing my A-levels I wanted to take a gap year and work as a ski/snowboard instructor in Canada - the RAF were not keen to sponsor me before this, so during my 1st year at Uni studying Aero Engineering, I decided to try and get sponsorship as a pilot. I had to take the aptitude tests a second time, but thinking that I had passed them the first time (hence they gave me the flying course) I thought there was no issue - I was wrong!
Unfortunately I had not passed them either time (only by a few percent - mainly because of an abysmal number recall score!), and as I had taken them twice, there was no way to take them again. Obviously slightly upset, I thought about my options and decided that I wanted to fly in the military, and as I had passed for Navigator (or WSO – Weapons System Operator now), I would give that a go. I also decided to join the UAS, and see if I could get into flying that way (there were rumour that if you completed the UAS training with a good enough score, they may let you join as a pilot even though you had ‘failed’ the aptitude tests.
So I joined the UAS, but unfortunately, due to the fact that it was miles from Uni, I had no car, was doing a very tough course and my personal admin was pretty rubbish, I did not completed the course, and left the squadron after a year or so – I made loads of good friends there who I am still in contact with, so it was not all wasted time!
Not is all wasted, after leaving Uni I applied to the RAF as a WSO (and engineer), having already done the aptitudes twice, I didn’t have to do them again, and the interview went OK. Unfortunately I had applied at completely the wrong time – the RAF were cutting the number of WSOs – they were no longer needed in rotary wing at all and with the up and coming Typhoon, and a massively over subscribed training schedule they were just not recruiting many WSOs at all. A few weeks later the RAF sent me a letter saying that I had done well at the interview, and was being offered a place in Engineering, but no flying jobs.
So, I decided to apply to the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm as an Observer (More or less the same as a WSO) - I also tried for Pilot as I thought their entry requirements were lower, but that was a myth (they are actually looking for slightly different skill set not a lower standard, I think!). So after an AIB (Admiralty Interview Board) where I basically knew nothing about the RN, but showed I was what they wanted, I was offered a place starting as a trainee Observer at Britannia Royal Naval College in Jan 05.
So basic officer training went well, and the first 2/3rds of the Basic Observers course went well, but unfortunately I ‘choked’ at the end, and failed the course with 2 flights to go. I have been told by various people, pilots, observers, WSOs, and aircrew that the BOC (Basic Observers Course) is the hardest flying course in the armed forces – equally as hard as harrier fast jet training – verified by a qualified harrier pilot who did the BOC course for some odd reason a number of years ago, but this still didn’t really lift my spirit too much!
I failed the course at the start of October this year, at the age of 26 and am currently in the middle of transferring to the Air Engineer Branch of the FAA (a job which I think I may enjoy, and haven’t completed discounted, but I think I would still like to fly).
I am considering trying to get some kind of ‘sponsorship’ (or something along those lines – having read a lot here and other places on the internet I realise this concept doesn’t really exist any more!) to become a civil commercial pilot, as flying has been a big passion of mine for a long time – I’ve not made a decision yet, but wanted to explore all avenues first!
Well, that is my life story, but here are the questions!!! What I really want to know is this:
1) Do the Civil pilot aptitude tests have a lower ‘score requirements’ than the military ones (they are essentially the same tests at Cranwell), ie. I (only just) failed for military pilot, but does that mean I wont pass for civvy pilot?
2) Will my 11 months of RN Observer training be looked upon favourable by the civvy companies – both employers and training companies, or will they see me as a training risk as I failed the course (I did fail the course on the military side of things, stuff that I would never be doing in civvy job, but whether they may see this is relevant, I don’t know!)
Anyways, that is the story of my life so far (sorry to take up so much space, but I may as well explain as much as possible first time round!). Any comments are much appreciated!! Cheers!
PS. Mods: if this would be better in another forum, please feel free to move it!
I have an odd story that I want your advice on - I'll try and make it as complete as possible, so that it makes sense, but try not to bore too many people!
I always wanted to be a pilot in the RAF as a kid, so at 16 or so I went for interviews and aptitude testing with the RAF for a flying scholarship. I managed to get one of the scholarships and in the summer of '98 I did 20 odd hours of flying including about 8 solo in a civilian school with some ex military instructors - fantastic, the first solo flight was amazing. I passed the course with a 'High average' score, which although it doesn't sounds amazing, in military terms it is OK - slightly better than most.
After completing my A-levels I wanted to take a gap year and work as a ski/snowboard instructor in Canada - the RAF were not keen to sponsor me before this, so during my 1st year at Uni studying Aero Engineering, I decided to try and get sponsorship as a pilot. I had to take the aptitude tests a second time, but thinking that I had passed them the first time (hence they gave me the flying course) I thought there was no issue - I was wrong!
Unfortunately I had not passed them either time (only by a few percent - mainly because of an abysmal number recall score!), and as I had taken them twice, there was no way to take them again. Obviously slightly upset, I thought about my options and decided that I wanted to fly in the military, and as I had passed for Navigator (or WSO – Weapons System Operator now), I would give that a go. I also decided to join the UAS, and see if I could get into flying that way (there were rumour that if you completed the UAS training with a good enough score, they may let you join as a pilot even though you had ‘failed’ the aptitude tests.
So I joined the UAS, but unfortunately, due to the fact that it was miles from Uni, I had no car, was doing a very tough course and my personal admin was pretty rubbish, I did not completed the course, and left the squadron after a year or so – I made loads of good friends there who I am still in contact with, so it was not all wasted time!
Not is all wasted, after leaving Uni I applied to the RAF as a WSO (and engineer), having already done the aptitudes twice, I didn’t have to do them again, and the interview went OK. Unfortunately I had applied at completely the wrong time – the RAF were cutting the number of WSOs – they were no longer needed in rotary wing at all and with the up and coming Typhoon, and a massively over subscribed training schedule they were just not recruiting many WSOs at all. A few weeks later the RAF sent me a letter saying that I had done well at the interview, and was being offered a place in Engineering, but no flying jobs.
So, I decided to apply to the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm as an Observer (More or less the same as a WSO) - I also tried for Pilot as I thought their entry requirements were lower, but that was a myth (they are actually looking for slightly different skill set not a lower standard, I think!). So after an AIB (Admiralty Interview Board) where I basically knew nothing about the RN, but showed I was what they wanted, I was offered a place starting as a trainee Observer at Britannia Royal Naval College in Jan 05.
So basic officer training went well, and the first 2/3rds of the Basic Observers course went well, but unfortunately I ‘choked’ at the end, and failed the course with 2 flights to go. I have been told by various people, pilots, observers, WSOs, and aircrew that the BOC (Basic Observers Course) is the hardest flying course in the armed forces – equally as hard as harrier fast jet training – verified by a qualified harrier pilot who did the BOC course for some odd reason a number of years ago, but this still didn’t really lift my spirit too much!
I failed the course at the start of October this year, at the age of 26 and am currently in the middle of transferring to the Air Engineer Branch of the FAA (a job which I think I may enjoy, and haven’t completed discounted, but I think I would still like to fly).
I am considering trying to get some kind of ‘sponsorship’ (or something along those lines – having read a lot here and other places on the internet I realise this concept doesn’t really exist any more!) to become a civil commercial pilot, as flying has been a big passion of mine for a long time – I’ve not made a decision yet, but wanted to explore all avenues first!
Well, that is my life story, but here are the questions!!! What I really want to know is this:
1) Do the Civil pilot aptitude tests have a lower ‘score requirements’ than the military ones (they are essentially the same tests at Cranwell), ie. I (only just) failed for military pilot, but does that mean I wont pass for civvy pilot?
2) Will my 11 months of RN Observer training be looked upon favourable by the civvy companies – both employers and training companies, or will they see me as a training risk as I failed the course (I did fail the course on the military side of things, stuff that I would never be doing in civvy job, but whether they may see this is relevant, I don’t know!)
Anyways, that is the story of my life so far (sorry to take up so much space, but I may as well explain as much as possible first time round!). Any comments are much appreciated!! Cheers!
PS. Mods: if this would be better in another forum, please feel free to move it!