10 months to go!!!!

[spannersatcx]

I was thinking on the ramp rather than base maintenance, been a long time since I was in a hangar good point.

Check your pm's

[jaadu]

good on you Appoo, dont let any -ve remarks put you off, industry is full of MR AVIATIONS.

[Alber Ratman]

The industry is full of ex RAF, FAA and REME types.. So you are not alone. You have taken the right track as far as getting the modules out of the way. I don't know what you have worked on. If its Timmys etc, get any experience of tasks you have done writtern down in ATA format per aircraft and get your EngO to produce a covering letter for it. While its not strictly going to replicate what you require for CAA tasks, it ain't not going to help either.

I made the jump with the modules last year. as a connie at first at a nearby MRO, but now am a permie at another MRO (contracting ain't the best option with what could be the worst summer coming up IMHO). Yes I have to be away from the family and drive a lot (the worst case situation I found myself in the mob, but common place in civvy street too), but I'm getting the jobs to get the ticket.. Good luck.

[Tyre kicker]

I think you have got the right attitude & are being pro active, you could always think about putting yourself on a type course........

[Alber Ratman]

If you can get in somewhere as a connie, you would have to be under LTD status anyway. If you do that via an umbrella company, they will have liability insurance cover for you. What is more important is to have a CAP 716 compliance Human Factors certificate and SFAR 88 level 1, more likely 2 certificates as well. No MRO will employ you without at least the first, propably the second and in all cases from the begining of the next finanical year, the third also (I believe)..

[itsresidualmate]

Appoo, get your B1 and you'll be fine. You'll find on most of line stations ex forces LAEs are in the majority. For every story I've heard about an ex-RAF bloke bragging about the RAF, I'll match it with a supposed civvie expert who hasn't a clue! (lost count of the number of times I had to explain to a BA 'technician' how a maintenance manual works). On the whole you'll find little difference in outlook or ability between a civvie LAE and an ex-forces LAE.

[Alber Ratman]

Appoo needs to be employed first to get his B1.

This is the reason he started ths thread. remember there are a lot of college boys floating about with a full hand of B1 module certs. No experience mind.. Appoo is fighting this lot, however as the bloke who interviewed me said.. "The college boys all know how the can is designed, you know how to open it!"

Please mate, ensure that any CVs have the relevent stuff on it, forget IMLC and TMT2 etc.. irrelevent. Quailifications.. Mention your modules first, then anything else applicable to aircraft maintenance. People don't want to know you were at Lossie etc, however they will want to know what aircraft, what systems and what you actually have done in the lines of line/base work and sheetie stuff etc.

Best of luck..

The nuts and bolts ain't different (apart from that horrible Tonka sh*te) and civvy aircraft don't have tailplanes and tail fins, its horz and vert stabs (thanks Mr Boeing!)

[Appoo]

Thanks guys for the postive advice. Very much appreciated. I will be cold calling and posting out CV's etc after Christmas when my last batch of courses are done.

The advice on the CV has already been applied. Bullsh*t quals from the RAF mean nothing so have left all of those out and concentrated on aircraft experience, etc only.

Have got my old blue book filled in, stamped and signed for all aircraft types but haven't added AMM references as they would be meaningless in the CAA world so have left it quite general and broke it down into systems and the work carried out.

Thanks again and any more advice or contacts would be welcome.

[tonkaplonka]

Go for it Appoo!! I left the RAF 18 months ago and gained my B1.3 in June. I too posted on another forum and was met by the same scaremongers, saying civvy street will be a big shock, in at the deep end etc etc.
All in all the transition for me was fairly smooth, but I went from my last 4 years on helicopters in the mob to a large North Sea helicopter operator with a similar type.
The senior LAEs in my place know I haven't had my licence long and have all been extremly helpful with regards to paperwork and schedules.
One thing though, it is kind of like starting at the bottom again, but this is to be expected.
Good luck!!

[FHA]

Blimey, haven't posted for ages!
I felt compelled to pitch in, what with some of the anti-services
stuff being spouted here.
Keep your head down Appoo and get stuck in: you'll be fine, absolutely fine.
I can only speak from the viewpoint of being on the line but I've found that a lot of ex-forces guys gravitate this direction. I'd probably describe the job as being the SAC, Chief, Jengo, storeman and data clerk all rolled into one.
Some say that the other side of this reccession will reveal a real lack of qualified aircraft maintainers (and pilots). So if a properly trained guy wants to get into the industry then I say good, because there's quite a few wannabees out there who haven't been filtered through a proper, aircraft, training regime.
Best of luck!

[EGT Redline]

I don't think anybody who has taken the time to post on here is scaremongering or stating that people are going to find things difficult. What you have seen are typical responses to a post by a soon to be ex-forces guy who came across as somebody who thought the world owed him a favour because he had done 22 years in the RAF. He has since posted several times and it is now obvious that this isn't the case and the guy has readily accepted the fact that he will have to start all over again. Whether you like it or not, there are plenty of civvies around who take a big dislike to us military guys and this is usually down to bad experiences. Unfortunately they tend to tar us all with the same brush.

My advice to anybody coming out of the forces would be to keep quiet, knuckle down and just get on with it. Civvies just aren't interested in what you did in a previous life so don't waste your time telling them what you once were or how it used to be done. If you are switched on and know your stuff it won't take you very long to get up to speed and people will recognise your ability and reward you accordingly. Promotion to certifying positions can be realistically achieved with 18 months of leaving the forces for those who have left with all the examination modules under their belts. The ability to adapt and a good attitude are paramount, if you can accept that then you'll do just fine.

[Appoo]

Going from service to civvy sounds similar to moving from one aircraft type to another. Start at the bottom, gain experience, work with the guys and learn quickly.

Never been a problem for me in the past and am now really looking forward to getting stuck in. Roll on August!

Last course booked in March then all I need is experience and hopefully a job.

Having re-read my initial post it may have come across in a negative way. This was not my intention and I hope subsequent posts have put that right. I enjoy 'spannering' on aircraft and getting stuck in. If I didn't I'd stay in the mob, leave as a warrant officer and live off a good pension.