Life After RAF
 

Hi,


I am a Aircraft Electrican - with Avionics Training Soon (7 Years Experiance) just in the stage of completing my BTEC and NVQ Level 3 Aerospace Engineering through the RAF, with the ever presence of the Down-Sizing in the future, Are these qualifications going to help me find a job in Civil Airline Engineering, or is it best to attempt another Qualification - if so, What should i aim to complete (i have currently another 3 years left in the RAF)


Thanks

These qualifications are not of any real value. You need to have a B1 or a B2 licence.

Without licences do not expect to earn a great deal of money. You also need type approvals and experience to be really attractive to an employer and multi trade.

If you want to go down that route you must decide where you want to live and tailor you requirements to whats operated in that area.

Unless you want to stay with aircraft you may well be better off gaining household electrical qualifications.

I would say that you would definately be better off financially gaining some other qualification :{

THE ANSWERS YOU HAVE GOTTEN REMIND ME OF THE DATE I GOT MY FAILED RESULT BACK FROM THE CAA AND ALL THE OLDER MEN SAID SEE ITS NOT WORTH IT. WELL I GOT THEM ALL AFTER THAT AND GOT TO PLAY WITH BIG BOYS TOYS FOR OVER 40 YEARS, YES THE MONEY PAYS THE BILLS BUT AS I CHANGED JOBS MANY TIMES BUT NEVER WAS THE MONEY THE FIRST THING ON THE LIST.
STICK IN THERE WITH 3 YEARS TO GO YOU CAN GET THE HELP AND LICENCES YOU WILL NEED.
NEVER GIVE UP.

:D

Perrin's right. There's more to it than money. I left the mob, started off with an unlicensed job and was licensed and supervising in eighteen months. Twenty seven years later I'm still in the aircraft maintenance business and I've done OK. Not rich, not broke but generally satisfied. Aeroplanes tend to be in the blood and if they are, you won't be happy doing anything else regardless of the money.

The BTech will help you withthe basic theory you need to get through the licence exams. Make sure you get hold of RAF Form 6859 and get it filled in. That's the record of experience you'll need for the licence application. The B2 licence information is available here on the CAA's website. Then go off and sit for your B2 ticket and get on with it.

Good Luck. :ok:

Nice one Blacksheep,

Temps

Can't agree enough. Get yourself studying for the B2 licence and don't worry about the gloom and doom merchants.
The industry has changed a lot even in the last 3 years post Sep 11th but the jobs are still there and if you're prepared to graft the rewards are there too.
Too many people on an easy thing before are griping now they have to work for a living.

As for this comment - It's utter rubbish - around 80% of the staff I work with at a large airline don't have B1 or B2 licences.

and no doubt that eighty percent are on peanuts,theres only way to earn anything like decent money and thats to get licensed im afraid

Simple question . Whats more important Carl. Money or job satisfaction. Like Blacksheep said, if its in the blood....!

i think you will find some of these posters who waffle on about moneys not important,fixing aeroplanes is the best job in the world, its in the blood etc etc havent actually been at the sharp end for many years and loved it that much they took the first chance they could to get behind a desk on 9-5! ;) ;) ;)

Ok gents I have a few Q’s along this line that I cant get credible answers for can you help?

1. What is it about the Military aircraft systems training that the CAA don’t like – why if most systems work in the same way (principles are principles what ever) can we not be exempt certain parts of the licensing examinations – We have passed courses and gained cert’s as proof.

2. I am at present doing a BEng at Kingston Uni’ in Aircraft Engineering. It looks as if this course was designed for KLM however other companies and now the armed forces are now doing it – How does this contribute to the licensed engineer or does it give you a licence B1 etc?

3. Can someone in the armed forces do now go through the licence process and hold a licence?

4. And finally (for now) what are the average wages and employment opertunities like licensed AND unlicensed ?

hope you can help - sumps

SORRY FREIKORPS BUT YOU MISSED THE POINT, ME I LEFT THE 9 TO 5 MAN JOB AND FINISHED ON THE LINE DOING THE THINGS ALL GOOD ENG LIKE TO DO PLAY WITH BIG TOYS AND GET THE BUZZ OF A BROKEN A/C WITH PASS WAITING AND THE COMPANY TO KEEP THE RIGHT FRAME OF MIND ABOUT GO OR NOGO. IT IS AS THEY HAVE STATED IN THIS PAGE IN THE BLOOD OR MAYBE NOT!!!

Sumps - CAA are a law unto themselves. Just sit the exams, pay the nice man and a wait for your licence to pop through the post. If you have plenty of experience some serious studying should get you through the B2 without too many headaches. (Apart from the usual dubious CAA multi-choicers).

Not sure about Kingston.

Someone in the armed forces can go through the process and hold a licence. Just a case of sitting the exams. Getting the experience and type courses is the difficult bit.

In our firm , unlicenced techs are on around the high 20's before shift pay.
Licenced engineers (B1, B2) are on about 35 plus shift pay although we don't get licence pay other companies do pay for each type you hold which can easily bump this to over 40k.

Despite what a certain poster on here has said I don't think the best part of 30k is peanuts.

Good luck!

"unlicensed techs" you mean a mechanic dont you?? ,on the high twenties before shift pay ?yeah right, pray tell where this el dorado is located!

LHR - and by unlicenced not B1, B2. They do have A licences.

Sumps -
ukeng is wrong, someone in the armed forces can not hold a licence anymore, unless its a previously gained bcar. You can now take the modular exams for a b1 or b2 but to be granted a licence you will have to show 12 months civil aviation experience.

This is also included in the 5 years you have from passing the first module to gaining a licence.

If you have any more questions about getting a jar licence I will be happy to help. I am just coming to the end, 1 module to go.

By the way I have a jar A licence and 25 years of aircraft engineering including mod apprenticship and I am on low 20k with shift pay!

Sorry for the out of date info about the licence, last RAF block who joined us came about 5 or 6 years ago.
As for wages, it really does depend on who you work for and where you work.
All I was trying to point out was that there are people out there on decent wages who enjoy their work.
FWIW you can earn 30k on the buses round here :eek: but do you really want that job?

So if the licence side is more cash and exams - what is "Tech Serv's"

Will the degree help? - I have 20 years of aircraft exp' (Line, Shopfloor, planning, Diagnostics, supervisor...etc) usual military exposure.

again what rates of pay?

Sumps-

All qualifications help.

You have to decide what area you want to work in and then do the relavent exams.

If you want to be in maintenance then it has to be the licence route.

With a degree design and manufacture is probably more suited.

As for pay, I work for an airline in the midlands. An unlicenced fitter will be on 16 to 18k before shift pay, a licenced engineer 25 to34k depending on approvals.

I think that these are about normal away from the S.E. of england.