RN pilot or CTC route?

[carlortega]

hello everyone!
At the minute i have just passed my RN pilot aptitude test (witha very high mark) and was previously considering a career in the royal navy as a pilot.
However i have been reading the PPrune forum and heard about CTC. I read into their website and it all looks good and so applyied online (no harm in keeping options open) they have now offered me an aptitude test date (which i have to pay for :yuk:)

my question is if there is any advice on both routes, as i have read about the holding pool for CTC and it doesnt sound that great!

Any experience on the matter, and people in the same situation would be a great help for me making my decision!

also sorry if this is a repeat thread :)
Carl.

[fantom]

Don't turn down an offer to be trained by the Military, young man.

(Even if it's the Navy).

[carlortega]

thanks for the speedy reply, it was very insightful.
I am at the upper age limit for RN pilot, so i think i will give that my full attention now, and if i fail can always go for CTC.
The bonus of the navy option is that i get a good salary while i train (which compared to my minimum wage is a dream come true!) with very fast promotion and pay increase scales.

airbus pilot though is pretty cool.....(and u usually dont get shot at)

hmmmm decisions!!!!:confused:

one more question; is the general consensus that when you get through the CTC training u automatically get put into a pool of other candidates?
and is that pool first come first serve (i.e. not based on ability)

cheers guys

[carlortega]

thanks for your help mm
and i will probably take u up on the offer of advice on the aib!
regards
carl

[wobble2plank]

Easy, go Navy, take the training, enjoy the lifestyle, fun flying, great people etc. Then, when you get married and want to settle down..... go to the airlines.

Very, very, very difficult to do it the other way round :eek:

Good luck

[fantom]

One more thing: stop writing in silly text-speak. Learn how to punctuate a sentence.

It may appear old-fashioned but, believe me, it's important.

[5150]

I'm with wobble on this.

There's plenty of time to get fat and dumb behind a computer - after all, that's where most of the retirees from the forces end up.

If you're in it for the cash, go civvy. If you want to enjoy your flying, have age on your side and want a few war stories for long cruises, go military. . . then civvy!

:ok:

[junglie-driver]

Total agreement with Wobble. I've recently left the Fleet Air Arm after 12 years of awesome flying. Military flying has been extremely challenging and rewarding. Now 33 years old and married with a few stories to tell, I'm off to the airlines for a second career. Happy. Wouldn't change a thing. JD

[CABUS]

Hello Chaps,
Personally I think it depends on the kind of flying you want to do, I have friends that have flown in the Forces and loved every min but get very frustrated when the leave to find that they have to be F/O for 7 years to get a long haul command. (That is an average of my friends anyway)

You have two fantastic options, personally I prefer the Airline route to Mil but that is becuase I am from a family of commercial pilots and not for the money as some might say! If you cant decide why not do them both and get free hrs, good experience and good fun flying in the Navy first. I would be carefull though, when I did the IR there was a guy who flew the sea king and as it was rotor time and Navy he had to complete the full ATPL upon leaving unlike some guys from RAF that just have to do a conversion. I dont know if that stands with fixed wing flying.

Best of luck either way it will be great fun!

[p111lot]

Only a fool would choose paying a million quid to become an airline pilot over joining the military.

[fade to grey]

Personally I'd rather fly a boeing than a helicopter - however if the still had shars that would be different....

[carlortega]

"One more thing: stop writing in silly text-speak. Learn how to punctuate a sentence.

It may appear old-fashioned but, believe me, it's important."

a bit pedantic i think?
i save my queens english for the queen, and i do know how to punctuate, i just chose not to. I do appreciate your opinions on the thread, but not criticism on my typing!

Thanks everyone for your comments and opinions, they're very useful!
:ok:

[Vortex Thing]

If you seriously think that there is a comparison to being an officer in HM Forces and anything in civilian aviation then you should reread the job spec. Yes both jobs involve being an aviation professional but the jobs then that is about the only similarity.

If you want to be an officer in HM Forces and would also like to fly then the military is the way forward.

If you just want to be a pilot then save yourself from a lot of running up and down hills and getting shot at and go to CTC for a life in airlines directly.

If you join the forces it is about almost everything except the flying, its about the team, the squadron, the operation and your flying (unless you go RAF Multi) will be down in the weeds on night vision goggles over some hell hole on a map on dark and dirty nights.

Ignore the rubbish above about it being difficult to convert and having to pay for everything. Even if you leave with very few hours you will be streaks ahead in the money stakes the only problem is it will have cost you 8-16(service dependant) years of your life.

So if you want the maximum salary asap then CTC is for you. If you want to serve and do something that you will never get the chance to do again then serve but do not kid yourself that it is all parties in black tie or mess kit. When you have done your 3rd tour in 4 years, lost yet another girlfriend/wife/husband/boyfriend because you are never around you will start to wonder if its time to leave and join the starched white shirt brigade.

PM me if you wish but to be honest the choice is actually very easy. If you are in any way unsure as to which option is best then you will be unlikely to survive or want to survive the military route.

VT

[carlortega]

thanks for the honesty VT, i do want a career, but my worries were if i started down the CTC route, it's not guaranteed that i'd get a job. I've put my CTC app on hold and have my aib in feb, so i'm going to see how that plays out then whilst im waiting for a commision i might see how i fare at the CTC.
Carl

[5150]

You're guaranteed nothing in either case. . . .

[TACHO]

here here 5150!

"One more thing: stop writing in silly text-speak. Learn how to punctuate a sentence.

It may appear old-fashioned but, believe me, it's important."

a bit pedantic i think?
i save my queens english for the queen,

from someone who's just given you advice, I think thats rather cheeky young man. and if I am honest, Fantom is right, you're asking about being a professional pilot yet writing messages in a style more suitable to vicky pollard. N E Way Bk 2 the point.....

The aptitude test isnt the only stage in the CTC application process. From what I remember of the day, there are another 3 stages after that. Granted, the number selected is a lot greater than that of the military selection boards, however it is by no means a 'given'. When I applied about 2% of those beginning the application got through at CTC. not so sure whether that is still the case since they have increased thier output substantially.

What I would tend to do is go for both, when, and only when, you have acceptance letters in your hands from both the Navy and CTC, should you start thinking about binning one for the other. Chickens, hatched and all that other good stuff.

Good luck anyway, I know one of them is a bloody hard slog!

Tacho

[flyhiguy28]

Carl,

Speaking from personal experience i'd go Navy.

I flew for 3 1/2 years and loved every second of it (until I was chopped!). I almost made it and got my wings but fell at the last hurdle. Nothing is guaranteed and now i'm on the outside trying to do the same as you.

I don't regret joining the Navy and am bloody glad I did it! I've got 400 hours in the bag all for free and it will look great on my CV when I do eventually get my ATPL!

Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions.

Good luck!

flyhiguy

[carlortega]

Failed my AIB. :( asked to come back next year though so not all bad.
I failed mainly because of lack of leadership experience, and probably beacause i bottled it a bit on the final day on the PLTs and Interview. Have re-opened my CTC application, but am gutted about the navy.

I am planning to do more leadership experience things, such as volunteering for the ATC and organise some more charity events, and I've also put myself on a leadership and management course through work. Hopefully i will get another shot at AIB as i believe that the navy life is the one i want!

Any advice on other things to do that would help my application appreciated, or if you want my opinion on the aib just post or pm me.

C.