loz from glasgow
15th Jul 2003, 02:55
Hi, let me first introduce myself; I'm a young male wishing to join the R.A.F. as a pilot, but wish to know how possible it really is, whatwith the seemingly great popularity of this career choice... :(
If anyone out there has gone through this procedure and lived to tell the tale, perhaps with advice on how to succeed or an idea of the percentage of people who actually manage to realise their dream or who fail during OASC, please reply with your thoughts - much appreciated! :ok:
Training Risky
15th Jul 2003, 03:32
Hi matey, welcome to Pprune.
A lot of people would just say "do a search"! (And they are half right). There is a LOT of info to be had from this forum if you use the search facility and use key words like: 'training', 'RAF', 'selection', etc (You catch my drift?)
I appreciate it can be confusing at times, knowing who to listen to and where to get your info from. There are many people here who have been and still are RAF pilots. Me? I was a helicopter pilot before I was grounded, so I have been through a lot of training.
Top tips:
Figure out exactly what you want to get out of life! Are you sure you want to be a military pilot? Have you considered the Navy/Army? Do you feel you have what it takes to be an NCO/officer in HM Forces, where the flying is ultimately a function of your real job - to fight (and possibly die doing so). Join the Air Cadets, take a flying lesson at your local club, if you're old enough join the Auxillary Air Force - try lots of things!:ok:
There are many stumbling posts on the way: The initial interview at your local AFCO; the medical, interview, aptitude tests and command tasks at OASC; passing the commissioning course at Cranwell; passing Elementary, Basic, Advanced training, then your OCF/OCU; getting combat ready on your type.
Its a hard game, many fall by the wayside playing, but its well worth the effort!:ok:
I'm not in a position to know how many bods we are taking on these days, but I would hazard a guess that the requirements are, unfortunately, less than they used to be. (If anyone else knows different, please shout up).
After September 11th, all the multi-engine pilots who were on the verge of leaving the RAF suddenly saw what a shambles the civil airlines were in and decided not to leave, therefore creating a surplus of aircrew on the frontline, and a backlog in the training pipeline:{ .
Hope some of this helps. There should be more people adding their views later.
Good Luck.;)