Starting Pay, is the Web Site correct?

[Throttle Pusher]

Despite seeing her dear old dad mucked about for her entire life, my daughter is considering a career in the RAF as an officer. (I have explained the beer in the Sgt's Mess is better)
I've just been looking through the glossy book she's been sent and was surprised to see for admin or ATC, the first years pay after training quoted as £26350. I stand to be corrected, but isn't that level 7 Flying Officers pay?
Am I missing something? If she were to be successful and make it through selection and subsequent training, wouldn't she start off at level 1? That’s over £12k less than the figure quoted.

[Roland Pulfrew]

TP

I guess it assumes that your daughter is a graduate, in which case she will start on a higher pay band, not sure what band though. You are right otherwise Plt Off on appointment after AFPRB 2007 about £14.5 per year.

[airborne_artist]

http://www.raf.mod.uk/careers/jobs/a...controller.cfm says:

"Pay after training: £26,350"

[Lookatthesky]

http://www.rafcom.co.uk/pay_allowanc...raf_off_06.cfm
Assunmig that she has been through University and will 'graduate' as a Flying Officer, then her pay will be;
Flying Officer On Appt Level 6 £26,371

Hope that helps

[Professor Plum]

Hi,

I've just been accepted, and start IOT in 2 weeks. The letter I have off the RAF says I will be paid as a Pilot Officer for 6 months, then as a Flying Officer thereafter, with 30 months seniority, if It's any help.

I'm a graduate.

[TheHogwartsBEngO]

prof plum: That was the same for me too. Although I took an 8 week re-course at IOT, the 6 month cross-over to Fg Off with 30 months still stood so my last 8 weeks on IOT I was being paid as a Fg Off.

Good luck with IOT

(I did some research and had I not been recoursed, I would have graduated as Plt Off - and be listed under 'Eng Branch: Graduating As Pilot Officer' in the Times - and held that rank for 3 days after graduation. As it happens I graduated as a Fg Off. All because IOT at that time was 3 days short of 6 months long)

[BEagle]

Are they still doing that '6 months as a Plt Off' thing? We had an ex-apprentoid on 14GE who had amassed a shed load of seniority antedates for apprentice time, Flt Cdt time and degree class that one day he was a Plt Off - and the next a Flt Lt.

Not quite as good, though, as the chap who, when he arrived to start IOT, actually outranked his IOT Flt Cdr!

Good luck!!

[TheHogwartsBEngO]

your 'paid rank' at IOT means nothing though. Although a Plt Off/Fg Off you are still only a Student Officer/Officer Cadet and that means you are less than nothing. You may be commissioned at that point, but you can't act upon it until midnight of your graduation day.

a bit of thread creep here...

[sharmine]

Pay on reflection

Thought I would add this as a hark back to the good old days. I have just cleared out the loft and disposed of 40 years worth of aircraft magazines, Aircraft Illustrated, Air Pictorial etc, and had a read through some. It was interesting to see the then adverts 67/68 for join the RAF and fly the new VC10 and also for the Royal Navy to Fly there new Phantom fighter aircraft. Both stated that on graduation as a pilot you too could be earning £2730. WOW how the times have changed.

Sorry, don't answer the question but don't it just make you wish you were back in them days

S

[BEagle]

Can't remember what the salary was in 1974 - about £1800pa as a Plt Off?

But a brand new MGB cost £1300 - and a 3 bed semi in a village Lincoln cost around £12000.....

As an APO at University, I received about £1200pa and flew about 40 hours per year. I understand today's bursers get about £1000pa....and fly about 10 hours per year. I bet they DO wish they were back in them days at times.....

[TheHogwartsBEngO]

and now, a BRAND NEW MG TF is worth, ooooh, about £1300...

[blahdeblah]

As a young pilot officer, i recall having to shine the station commanders thrupenny bits at shower time.

How times change.

[talk_shy_tall_knight]

Once a week (Fri morning) pay parade, entire Sqn in a single file outside OC's office, always alphabetical order (booooo!), march in individually, bang your tabs in, state number rank and name, wait patiently as OC carefully counts out 2 (yes two) one pound notes, pick up notes, make big show of counting them but on no account must you appear sarcastic, transfer notes to left hand, throw one up again whilst simultaniously barking "pay correct sir!", about turn, march out.

If any aspect of the above procedure was not to their liking, a swift trip to the back of the queue was somewhat forcefully suggested.

[sharmine]

similar story

Yep, sounds familiar, only in the Andrew it was fortnightly. I remember my first, 3 crisp new £1 notes. Not bad for two weeks square bashing and I had never had so much money.

S

[Wessex Boy]

Back in '88 when I went through NCA training, we started on £6k, then went to £12k upon completion of Ground school (I rushed out and bought a Seat Ibiza for £6,700, they're not much more now ). Full Sgt Pay was £15k

Upon reaching Shawbury we found that the Pilot Studes, who had been in for about a year longer than us were on about £9k...that caused a bit of upset amongst them...

[philrigger]

'.....counts out 2 (yes two) one pound notes....


I used to dream of 2 pounds a week. Thirty bob was the most I received during my 18 months of training.






'We knew how to whinge but we kept it in the NAAFI bar.'

[airborne_artist]

My pay at BRNC as a Midshipmite was £2,600 in April 78. With flying training pay, a year's seniority, and the election of Mrs T in May 79 it went to £4,500. Some pay rise

[TMJ]

Originally Posted by TheHogwartsBEngO

(I did some research and had I not been recoursed, I would have graduated as Plt Off - and be listed under 'Eng Branch: Graduating As Pilot Officer' in the Times - and held that rank for 3 days after graduation. As it happens I graduated as a Fg Off. All because IOT at that time was 3 days short of 6 months long)

That's exactly what I did, although common sense was applied and my 1s and 5s were ranked at Fg Off from the start. I was a Plt Off for less than a week, all of which I spent on leave...

There was a chap who joined us from SERE who graduated as a Sqn Ldr, he went from calling flt cdrs sir to the reverse in the course of one parade...

[TheHogwartsBEngO]

There was a Sqn Ldr graduating on my Brother-in-law's SERE cse just before my IOT started. He was a prize throbber by all accounts - like demanding his 'Sqn Ldr sized portion' at the graduation luncheon.

[TorqueOfTheDevil]

I was a Plt Off for less than a week, all of which I spent on leave...

I also did my four days' hard graft as a Plt Off, before hard-earned promotion to Fg Off, and still have the 1250 with the lowliest rank more than 9 years later (no point getting a new one - in the original photo I had hair and a tan!)

Was pleased to hear that one of my IOT colleagues, who graduated as Flt Lt after many years in the Army, was able to cause a stink at Halton, doing the Admin Sec course, by calling the Flt Lt instructors 'mate' - apparently they liked to make the Plt Off and Fg Off studes call them Sir, but in his case, there wasn't much they could do!