Navy career

[acs901]

My son is 17 and has been planning for years to join the Navy with a view to pilot training. Hes building his CV and his qualifications and has some flight experience (solo glider). He is under no illusions that this is easy, but having heard today's cuts announcements he's worried that his plans are on the scrapheap. Can anyone advise what his recruitment prospects are? Is it significantly different today vs last week?

--
Dave

[TorqueOfTheDevil]

Difficult to say with any certainty at this early stage, but the obvious change resulting from today's announcement is that he's very unlikely to end up as a Navy FJ pilot. Plenty of helicopter slots will need to be filled though...If his heart is set on FJ flying he'll need to consider the RAF instead.

[Pontius Navigator]

acs901, as you are in Bournemouth and as I have now retired from light blue, may I suggests he looks at the white fleet?

I have had extensive experience of the white fleet and think they are the bees knees.

I have sailed with several cruise lines but P&O takes the biscuit every time, and the pay is better.

[Lima Juliet]

ACS 901

Get your son to University for 3-4 years, join the University Air Sqn and then "test the water" again in 2015. Maybe even try for sponsorship or a bursary?

LJ

[orgASMic]

"Can anyone advise what his recruitment prospects are?"

Your local AFCO will tell him if the RN are even recruiting for aircrew at the moment, what the uptake might be and what roles are open.

Give it until the New Year (at 17 , I am guessing he is doing A levels - tell him to get the best results he can) and the dust may have settled to the extent that they will know when the pipeline opens again.

Tell him to go in for a chat, leave his details and they should get in touch when they can start him on the treadmill.

In the meantime, I wish him the best of luck and cannot commend highly enough the experience of a military career.

[acs901]

Thanks for the advise everyone. He's very young but of course he doesn't realise that. He's booked to speak to the careers office next week. Hopefully it will work out for him.

[Albert Driver]

Get your son to University for 3-4 years, join the University Air Sqn and then "test the water" again in 2015. Maybe even try for sponsorship or a bursary?

Absolutely right!

In four years time the outlook could be completely different. However painful the cuts, they will restore confidence in the UK and the economy may well pick up quite quickly. Bad news for today, good news for tomorrow, and your son.