PrivatePile

Hi people. I am attempting to join the great University of London Air Squadron and am off to OASC in November. What can I expect and does anyone have any top tips for passing with flying colours?

A D ENUFF

The best advice i could give is BE YOUSELF. Nobody actually knows what they're looking for. You will either have what the'yre looking for on the day or not.

Sorry if this sounds a bit vague but i know several EXCELLENT people who failed at Cranwell

I also know lots of people who should never have been allowed through the door but are now currently serving.

Good luck for November.

Lucifer

Read the Economist and know what assets the RAF has, and what they are used for. Know about a deployment and why the services are there. Know your age in years and months. Know about what the other trades do - interviewer may not be what you want to be.

Training Risky

To make absolutely certain you are accepted, try one, (or all) of the following:

1. Grow tits and blonde hair (if you are already a girl, get breast implants).

2. Wear a turban (or black yourself up like in Carry on up the Khyber).

3. Tell them you are an ethnic minority.

If all else fails and you can't use any of the PC auto-guaranteed options above, you will have to fall back on your ability and skill.

Good luck.

tacpot

Don't bull****. If you don't know something, say so.

Think about awkward questions you are going to be asked.
"Why do/don't you want to join the Airforce?",
"Why didn't you get five A grades?"
"What do you expect to get out of being a member of the UAS?"
"What are your ambitions?"

Make sure you know what you will say if you are asked if you have a hobby/passion/interest. Expect the interviewer to also be a Philatelist, Ornithologist, Campanologist, or whatever. So don't bull****.



Best of luck.

Barnaby the Bear

I would confirm everything just said. Just be yourself. I like to think that I was an excellent candidate. But sadly I was not offered a commission.
My only real advice would be know your maths. Time,Distance calculations play a large part.
Also do it while you are young. I have now missed the boat due to age and its heart renching.

Also enjoy the mess. But don't be tempted to drink alot. You won't get much sleep on the old beds!!

As long as you have prepared well and you are reasonably fit. It will be down to your personality and the unknown factor.

I can say you will enjoy it. I met some fantastic people.

Good luck!

Dimensional

Top tip: join a decent UAS.

The mother alligator

I'm confused, I am in the middle of the process of joining a UAS, and unless you are going for a bursary, you DO NOT have to pass OASC. You just have to pass the medical and the aptitude tests (if required). You have no interview at Cranwell, only with the CO of the UAS in question. As you are going up in November, it would suggest to me that you are applying to join the RAF(VR), as screening of bursary candidates doesn't start until January. So, brush up on the speed/distance/time stuff, and that is all the preparation that one can do (Of course you will need to prepare for the interview with the CO).
Good luck, TMA

Pontius Navigator

After your age in years and months ice breaker followed by why do you . . .

how would you answer this - what have you done to further your interest in the RAF?

Acceptable answer is: I joined the ATC/CCF and reached the rank of Sgt (or higher).
Alternativly, there were no ATC Sqns or CCF within 15 miles.
Unacceptable there were no . . . within 5 miles.

Get a map and mark where all the RAF Out of Area (OOA) are. Learn them.
Learn the RAF aircraft types. Don't forget the egg beaters.
What do you know about Typhoon and JSF? (Don't know about JSF or tranche 3 of Typhoon? get researching).

BTW You do NOT want to be a navigator. They changed the name and career prospects. Does EFA or JSF have a back-seater?

noisy

Pontius,

If you had never been in the ATC/CCF, how would you rectify the situation? would you go and Join the RAuxAF? Or would your deeply tedious volunteer work at the RAF Museum count as 'furthering your interest'?

Thanks,

Noisy