AAC question.

[Power Up]

Hi guys and girls.

I was wondering if any of you flying soldiers may be able to help.
I am a civvy, 26yr old CPL(H) holder, with not a great deal of work going on at the moment, I was wondering if it is possible to join straight in as NCO aircrew, or do all AAC NCO pilots have to enter service, then apply when got the first stripes?
Unfortunately I fall just short of the UCAS points for Officer entry, and they do not make an allowance for the commercial licence, or that it is a professional qualification.

Any help appreciated, thanks.

[airborne_artist]

There is no direct entry for AAC NCO pilots, and you have to have serve about four years as a soldier before you can apply. You'd be better off upping your UCAS points and going for the officer route, but you still need to do very well at RMAS to get an AAC slot.

CPL(H) is no more than a conversation piece and won't get you any UCAS points dispensation, AFAIK.

Have you spoken to:

SO2 Recruiting
HQ DAAvn
Middle Wallop
Stockbridge
Hants
SO20 8DY

Tel: [phone]

[Power Up]

Thanks airborne, i spoke to a helpful captain who passed me to an aclo office, who informed me of the ucas tariff. I can understand it is not easy to enter DE, and there are no guarantees, i admire the AAC guys. With age limit approaching, will have to see what can do to get the foot in the door.

[Mister-T]

i admire the AAC guys

Your only human!

[mightynimbus]

Back in the days of puttees over flying boots and and when lynx was a mk1, IIRC, I had to do 2 years before switching to powder puff blue. I suppose AGAI's could have changed by now, who knows, centurion was rank not a tank back then

[diginagain]

Originally Posted by mightynimbus

I had to do 2 years before switching

Given the diversity of cap-badges, it gave the Corps an opportunity to select those who could bring something relevant to the party, as well as maintaining an 'opt-out' for those who couldn't/wouldn't cope with the finest anti-submarine helicopter ever operated by the Army.

[mightynimbus]

Not sure Lynx was finest anything except a compromise, should have had the UH1's when we had the chance, .............but thats another thread?

[Two's in]

Not sure Lynx was finest anything except a compromise

...there was no faster way to cover a dispersal in gallons of OX-7 than to park a Lynx there, surely that was an accolade to its engineering excellence?

[Tourist]

mighty Nimbus
Are you seriously suggesting that you would take a Huey over a Lynx?
Have you flown one? Lovely 'Nam noise and all that, but it's a bit like saying you'd take an F4 over a Typhoon, ie silly

[SlickHueyDriver]

Depends what u want to do with it...
Anti Tanking the Lynx wins hands down
Trooping & general op support...I'd rate the Huey... having operated both.

Rumour had it that we could have had a Huey & a Cobra for the price of a Lynx at the time... No contest!

UH-1H ...God's own vehicle.

[mightynimbus]

Lynx over UH1

Yup, flown UH1 - nice red one someway south of ascension! also blackhawk, cobra, stumbly, wocca, BO105, wesseye etc, etc.Lynx was a fine example of hope over common sense, and a requirement to keep the UK helicopter builders in work. As a gun ship, Lynx/Tow was better than Scout/SS11 but that was not difficult. As other poster said, we could have had a UH1 and Cobra for price of a Lynx and ended up with a VERY good utility helicopter and a VERY good attack helicopter (both proven) instead of one that was at best mediocre at both (and waaay too complicated for its time).Do we not remember having the Lynx fleet grounded while Westlands figure out a way to attach a bicycle pump to the angle gearbox to see if it was leaking? One amongst many.Don't get me wrong, the Lynx was great fun but please take off the rose tinteds and recognise it for what it was/is - a noisy, oily, mostly broken political statement designed not as best for purpose but to keep the then SecDef (MP for Yeovil IIRC) namely Heseltine out of trouble.(got my nomex suit on, flame away!)