Want to Join RAF, Seeks help to prepare - Please Read!

[silverjs]

Hello everyone,. .. .I am your typical wannabe military aviator - have wanted to fly since before I was conceived, etc. However, as a Canadian, a fighter career was out of the question when, at 16, my vision was found to be 20/70.. .. .Two things have happened since then : I found out that I could be a Tornado navigator in the RAF (as a Commonwealth citizen), and I have found out my vision has IMPROVED since then. I am 23 now and things are unlikely to change further, but my left eye is 20/20 -1 and my right is 20/25 -2. . .. .ANY chance at all of being pilot with these stats, you think? Probably not.... .. .In any case, here is my question to you guys (and there seems to be quite a few RAF people here) : how can I better prepare myself for selection and streaming? I am following a Royal Marine physical conditioning program (push-ups, situps, chinups, and running and swimming galore). . .. .I would like some help for the OASC but most of all for the subsequent streaming. Are there mental exercises you can recommend, courses to take, whatever? I simply want to put all chances on my side. I am quite strong in math and mental calculation, but want to beef up further. . .. .Anything at all would be very much appreciated, and I thank everyone for your time!

[rob_frost]

Out of interest, what score do you have to get in the bleep test?

[bad livin']

Rob, the score depends on your age but I would aim for your best effort, in everything, at all times. The highest we had to do at IOT was 10.6 (lower if over 25 although that was a couple of years ago)although many people were capable of a lot more. Dartmouth (BRNC) is 9.10 for men regardless of age as I remember. . .. .Best of luck. .BL

[silverjs]

Rob_Frost :. .. .I'm sorry, maybe my mesage wasn't clear enough on this - but I haven't yet gone through OASC. =) In fact, the gist of the message was to seek help to prepare for it. . .. .I'm afraid a lot of the terminology sounds alien too! =) For example - what is IOT? Is there a difference between the "shuttle" and "bleep" tests?. .. .Thanks again to eeryone!

[silverjs]

Rob_Frost :. .. .Disregard previous message of mine - I just found out *I* had actually misread *yours*. . .. .Not a good start for an RAF wannabe... <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="biggrin.gif" />

[Tiger_ Moth]

JSB, I have not got anything to do with the RAF ( poor eyesight), but I know about the shuttle and bleep tests. Basically providing you are not overweight you should not have any problem with the bleep test, especially with the running you are doing. 10.6 as a maximum required is outrageously easy and you should be able to get this given you are doing some training. Last time I did it a few months ago at school I got 10.5 but I NEVER do any training other than weights, certainly not running: nothing that makes me out of breath. If you do running you should be looking for at least 11/12. My brother does running a lot and he got 14.. .. .The bleep test is an endurance test designed to waste you: you run back and forth between cones 20 metres apart and you have to make it before a tape goes bleep. The pace speeds up so that at level 10 you have to go a lot quicker than at level 1, as well as your being worn out.. .. .The shuttle run is a sprinting/ agility test. You have to run up to a cone 20 metres away and back and you do this 3 times in a row. The hard thing about it is to slow down in time to turn around without going right past the cone.. .I don't know if they do this at the RAF but if they do and they only require 10.6 on the bleep test Id guess theyd only want about 20 seconds on this which is not hard.. .. .IOT stands for Initial Officer Training, I think.. .I don't know if you need to be that strong but its good to do pull ups and chin ups anyway

[bad livin']

Do all the PT you can, it will only help you enjoy IOT more...and yes (parts of) it can be fun!As for the chinups, you'll not be asked to do that in any test at any point. I loved Ex "Peacekeeper"...ah those were the days...tryin to take a leak with your helmet on and a rifle swinging from your back as a simulated air raid warning goes off....wearing pretty much the same clothes for 6 or 7 days....ahhh!. .. .Enjoy matey

[Gingerbread Man]

JSB,. .I have recently been to OASC and they sent me quite a bit of information beforehand regarding fitness tests and alike. They refer to it as a shuttle run and a bleep test and I didn't know there was a difference, but the way they describe it sounds like a bleep test (I didn't get this far because I was to tall for pilot! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Frown]" src="frown.gif" /> ). The scores required are adjusted according to age. To get through part one of OASC, you need a 'below average' or above grade. For 17 to 24 yr olds, a below average grade is 8.8. Average is 9.10, good is 10.2 and excellent is 10.6. On the first day of IOT (which does stand for Initial Officer Training) you need an 'average' grade and after 8 weeks at IOT you ned an 'excellent' grade. It sounds like you are doing the right sort of preparation, so this should not be a problem for you at all. You will be awarded extra points at OASC if you are very fit.. .. .The fitness is just one part of selection. Your first day will be Aptitude Tests followed by a thorough medical. The aptitude tests are quite heavy going. They last about 5 hours and you get a 5 minute break every hour more or less. They test everything from hand-eye coordination to vigilance, digital recall, instrument interpretation, multi-tasking abilities, maths, verbal reasoning, spacial awareness, orientation, table reading, and many more. If you have a good understanding of maths, which you mentioned, that should be useful to you. Practice questions involving speed, time and distance. . .The hardest questions I found were ones like: "if aircraft A heads towards a base at 150mph from 300 miles away, and aircraft B takes off from the base and flies towards A at 200mph, how far from the base do they meet?" You don't have a calculator, but you do get paper to write on <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="biggrin.gif" /> . . .. .All the tests are done on computers and nearly all have multiple choice answers. If you have good hand-eye coordination then you probably have nothing to worry about for the pilot related tests. I play computer games and flight sims all the time so that probably helped me out a bit. If you do have a flight sim, trying to fly in formation wih another aircraft may improve your coordination further, but be aware, on one of the tests you have elevator and rudders but no aileron controls, so don't be dependent on ailerons.. .. .I'm afraid I don't know a lot about eyesight restrictions, as my field of worry was height <img border="0" title="" alt="[Roll Eyes]" src="rolleyes.gif" /> . If you are going for pilot then the maximum age is 23, so I don't know if you will be over this by OASC or not <img border="0" title="" alt="[Confused]" src="confused.gif" /> . The max age for WSO (Weapons Systems Operator or Navigator) is 25. . .. .For he interview you will need a sound knowledge of the RAF. They will ask you about:. .. .Current Deployments; what the RAF is doing now, what its main roles are, and what bases does it have.. .Aircraft; What does the RAF have, what are the roles of specific aircraft, where are the OCUs, what future aircraft are coming.. .Current Affairs; what has happened in the last year in Britain, what has happened in the last year in the world.. .. .You must be relaxed and show that this is what you've always wanted (which seems to be the case anyway).. .. .If you want to know anymore about it, feel free to e-mail me. I am no expert <img border="0" title="" alt="[Embarrassed]" src="redface.gif" /> , i'm just going on what the RAF has given me, which is probably the most accurate information. . .I hope eyesight and age turn out not to be a problem for you and that you get on fine.. .I wish you all the best and GOOD LUCK!. .. .(P.S. Are you still living in Canada, and if so, are you joining the RCAF or the RAF? Just a query). .. .Ginger.. . . . <small>[ 22 March 2002, 19:19: Message edited by: Gingerbread Man ]</small>

[silverjs]

Hello everyone,. .. .Many thanks for the numerous replies. I am now much better prepared (or I have the right material to be, anyhow), thanks to you.. .. .Incidentally - Gingerbread Man, what is your e-mail? I would like to contact you but am not aware of the procedures to obtain a user's e-mail through this board. I tried your profile, to no avail..... .. .Have a good one, everybody!

[silverjs]

Hello everyone,. .. .Many thanks for the numerous replies. I am now much better prepared (or I have the right material to be, anyhow), thanks to you.. .. .Incidentally - Gingerbread Man, what is your e-mail? I would like to contact you but am not aware of the procedures to obtain a user's e-mail through this board. I tried your profile, to no avail..... .. .Have a good one, everybody!

[Gingerbread Man]

JSB,. .At the top of the post there should be some little icons, one of which looks like a letter. I think if you click on one of these it gives you an email address or allows you to send a message. I have changed my profile as I just realised the thing that lets people see your email address was turned off.. .Cheers <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="smile.gif" /> . Ginger.. . . . <small>[ 23 March 2002, 12:12: Message edited by: Gingerbread Man ]</small>

[franksnbeans]

Hi all.. .I passed the apptitude tests + hand eye foot coordination tests for RAAF pilot, but I failed the medical on eyesight.. .. .The RAF tests sound identical the the RAAFs tests. I found the things that I'm learning as I progress through my flying training are very similar to some questions on the tests.. .. .I recently got some glider time (awesome experience) and found that extremely close to the hand eye foot coord. test.. .. .JSBV. .The eyesight for RAAF pilot is 6/12 unaided. (max -1.00 D and -0.5 astigmatism). Maybe you might qualify for the RAAF.

[silverjs]

Hello,. .. .What is RAAF? What does it stand for? What does it do? Do they fly fast jets? =). .. .And most importantly - how does one apply there? Do they accept COmmonwealth citizens?. .. .Thanks!

[Tiger_ Moth]

RAAF = Royal Australian Air Force. They do have jets, I read somewhere they have F-18s. I presume you have to be a Commonwealth citizen to join. Im quite surprised they let you in without perfect eyesight but its still too tight for me.

[JWH]

RAAF flying F-18's and F-111's AFAIK. Use PC-9 as a basic trainer.

[cloudybeer]

In addition to Gingerbread Man's post - all good info - when you get to OASC if you don't know the answer to the question don't try and blag it, just say that you don't know. Although it might not seem like it at times, honesty and integrity are still valued, occasionally, but particularly at OASC! It's also the best excuse you're going to get to play loads of computer games "to prepare"!!:)

[Gingerbread Man]

JWH, do I know you from somewhere? That information given by someone who is well versed in aircraft but not in correct grammar sounds very familiar. ;) :D