Chances of getting accepted as a Military Pilot?

[mike2niner4]

Hey,

What are the chances of getting accepted to become a pilot in the military? Obviously this is a very open question as a lot depends on school grades/qualifications and extra-curricular.

What's the competition like?

Assume you had a good university degree (a subject that was relatively well respected), good school grades before that and were in the university air squadron and had some other extra-curricular things, what are your chances?

Is it VERRRY competitive?

Thanks, i can't seem to find this information around much!

Mike

[VinRouge]

The year I applied, for every 200 people eligible at afco, 1 got to the front line.

The current economic climate will not help you, but give it a go and work your socks off at it; if you have enough grit and determination, you should do ok. You may even find another career in the RAF that fits the bill.

[Tankertrashnav]

Mike - have you read the sticky at the top of the page (OASC Candidates ... etc)? It's only got 183 posts, so it shouldnt take you too long!

TTN

[Tlam999]

Mike,

Firstly, good for you for looking into becoming a military pilot using every avenue available to you, including this site. I sympathise with your inability to find a straight answer on this topic - reminds me of my pre-joining days.

TTN is right to point you to the sticky thread as it covers much of what you're probably after. But rather than pack you off to this thread I'd just like you to take one thing on board - that it's not an odds game.

Vin Rouge's stat about 200 to 1 is certainly not surprising, but it in NO WAY suggests that they were 200 candidates of the same quality. People fail to get to the front line for a whole raft of reasons - academic, personality, aptitutde, medical - but you must also remember that the AFCOs deal with a great deal of people who's sole reason to want to fly is that they've seen that Tom Cruise movie... and this comes across pretty clearly at interview.

The truth is that in VR's intake the odds were not simply 200 to 1. For some (the Top Gun viewers) the chances were 1,000,000 to 1. For others they were nigh-on certain apart from that heart murmur detected at the medical with which they'd lived for years without noticing.

My advice to you is:

Get hold of the medical minima (from any AFCO) and book yourself in for a healthcheck with your GP and an optician - I did. Get on as many acquaints as possible, and even write to your local base's Public Relations Officer to ask for Summer work - I worked with an RAF helicopter unit during my Summers whilst at Uni. Read the pamphlet on what's required of you in the interview process, and try to speak to people who've gone through it recently (so not from this site :E), whether they passed or failed.

And finally, remember it's not an odds game, other than the odds which are specific to you.

Good luck, and don't forget the Fleet Air Arm as an option - I didn't.

[Aerouk]

You can have the best degree in the world but if you don't have the aptitude and the skills required you aren't getting in.

From what I've been told, it's damn hard and they'll drop you easily if you don't meet their high standards.

It's not about the competition, it's if you meet their high standards.

[c130jbloke]

Based on your inability to see the big wannabe thread in capitols at the top of the forum, I would suggest somewhere near zero. :confused:

[Pontius Navigator]

TTN, true, Aero, quite right, C130 harsh.

Mike,

12000 make it to the AFCO, 1200 make it to OASC, 120 make it to pilot training ...............

work it out

[c130jbloke]

I agree PN, but I think your numbers prove my point.

[RumPunch]

Most pilots are good guys and we love em , but if you become a pilot and be an arsey fag then you will not last long. Pilots these days are very good and have much time for engineers, if they dont have time for that then they just letting Crew Management system fail.

[R2112]

purely out of interest, does a CAA Class 1 medical give any indication as to how well you would fare at an RAF/RN Medical? obviously not in all areas but things like the three E´s i.e. ECG, Eyesight and ´Earing :)

[Pontius Navigator]

R2112, yes, it shows you can walk, talk, breathe etc but then it is up to OASC.