parabellum

There was a time when the medical for aircrew, be it Army, Navy or Air Force was the same, you had to be A1, G1, Z1 which means Air=anywhere, Ground=anywhere, Zone = anywhere. I've heard of people being downgraded after they have been In a while but never accepted at less than 100% - sorry, not very helpful is it? 'Phone the Army recruiting office, that is what I would do.

Pontius Navigator

Craig, it does not look good and I would be surprised if you get as far as the medics.

The AAC is not a desk bound job. You get to go all the grunting bits before you get near flying. All the services require you to be able to walk, run, stand etc. Your operation means you are not 100% fit. We may be short of trained manpower but the right numbers of recruits are coming forward - more or less.

Cattivo

Craig

If I were you I would definitely push down all avenues. I have had a lot of experience in the last couple of years of differing medical standards between the three services although they should really be the same (for pilot anyway). One case recently saw the RAF turn down a candidate due to a childhood affliction affecting his mobility (such as yours) but he is now at Sandhurst. So keep trying mate.

airborne_artist

Matt - my guess is that the RAF want the UCAS points from A2 (full A-level), and not from AS-levels, but you need this in writing.

Try another tack - you have passed the Police's Sergeants' exam, so you are now in NATO-speak an OF-1, which means that your rank is equivalent to a Flying Officer. See if that cuts - it might. ISTR that it earns seniority once in the armed forces.

My suggestion would be to start the ball rolling with either or both the RN and AAC.

Edit - anyone who makes substantive Police Sgt aged 21 is doing very well - with those skills and drive you'll do well. Keep pushing.

mattb999

Airborne,

Thanks for the words of advice and the supportive post! Due to this issue eating away at me I decided just to go for it and make a trip to the local AFCO. Spoke with a friendly Sgt and went through everything with him.

He has booked me into a P2 presentation and given me some extra forms to fill in to get the application moving. This is really positive but here comes the time to make an impression because I know on paper I am academically weak against most candidates but strong in other areas.

They accepted my AS levels as UCAS points and also they were more than willing to get the ball rolling as quickly as possible due to the age issue!

Passing the Sgt exam, doing the boards and then the assessment was really tough but I got through it and I am hoping to do the same with this procedure...!

Again, thanks for the support, and I will keep you updated

Matt

p.s. I hadn't read your post prior to going to the AFCO but I think this could work in the future. I will start making some enquiries...(said in a policemans tone)

Wader2

MattB999, I am told there is a trade off AS to A levels but that it might be 2.5=1 which would leave you short of an AS.

Nothing ventured nothing lost.

As for being a Sgt, no credits but a nice to have. Your experience should tell in interview and hangar exercise. I also knew two PC that became aircrew and both reach wg cdr.

Craigeedee

Thanks guys.

I'll give it another go, with the AAC.

University first though i think

Irish Tempest

Try an appeal... a percentage of decisions get overturned.

Did you fail at the Medical post AIB or did CAMB fail you on the Medical proforma prior to AIB?

Please PM me if you wish to discuss your Med issue in confidence.

Regards,

IT

ElSupremo

Wow, I've just read on the RN website that they only take 10 fast jet pilots per year! That's harder than becoming a Premiership footballer!

Given that they only take such a small figure how on earth do they decide who to take on? Must you be a super-solder with 4 degrees and immense physical fitness??!!

airborne_artist

They take an average of two from each EFT course, based on their aptitude and skills, so you've no idea if you'll go RW or FJ until you have been in for about 18-20 months. My EFT was the second to stream a guy straight through to FJ, an air engineering officer who they hoped would make it as a Harrier ETP, but he got chopped very late. Ended up as an ETP on RW.

The next (third guy overall) was CG, who was very late in, aged 25 when he got to BRNC, and already a qualified barrister. Very bright, and lasted the course. Now a grande fromage at BAeS.

ElSupremo

Hurrah, there's hope for me yet! If a barrister can make it then maybe I can too - after all, we will have both done very similar things academically (i.e. law degree and legal practice course/bar vocational course etc).

Given that only 10 people make FJ each year, how many applicants are turned away? How much of an impossible task is it to become a FJ pilot? I know they look at your aptitude but do they also look favourably on graduates (or even graduates with post-graduate qualifications)?

Apologies for the further questions, I'm just after a realistic idea of how much of a shot I've got at making FJ.

Thanks.

Mr C Hinecap

Realistically, you are only competing with yourself - nobody else. There won't be anyone else in your interview. You can't make anyone else look better without looking good yourself (followership). You can't make anyone else look bad without showing yourself to be a twunt (twuntishness).

If YOU have the potential, then YOU make it. If you are put off because some chaps who appear to be splendid are going for it, then you haven't got the cohones. I thought I'd picked out exactly who they were looking for amongst my peers when I went through OASC . I was quite wrong in many cases. MTFU, apply and see how good YOU are.

Then again - you always wanted to be an airline pilot - that must be way more competitive these days

Pontius Navigator

ES, 10 per year do not make fast jet. They get streamed fast jet but be assured they don't all make it.

The chances will be similar to the RAF - 100:1 make pilot and perhaps 2:1 make fast jet. Given the RN has more choppers than jets the odds will not be as good.

We joke about Harrier pilots but not without cause are they the best.

And graduate? You need all the personal skills that Mr H alluded too. This is perhaps seen to be even more important in the RN as they will be living cheek by jowl (no jokes please) with you for months at a time in a foot locker. Once they decide you might be a good officer then the aptitude skills come to the fore.

Once you make it you will perhaps be just one in a couple of hundred that applied and one in a million of those that didn't.

airborne_artist

It's a bit like women. Even if the girl is gorgeous, if she's an easy sh@g then where's the glory?

If you have the ability and want it enough you'll make it. Even if you have the ability, not wanting it enough will ensure you'll fail/duck out.

Fairplatt

hello everyone, i'm going up to cranwell for my OASC on the 12th, this sunday. i'm pretty worried but i've read up on as much as i can. i've practiced my maths and so on and have been reading the papers.
but im still feeling rather negative. is there anything els anyone can reccommend?




P.s if anyone else is going up to cranwell on the same date that would be cool

airborne_artist

There's some pretty good OASC info. on studentroom.co.uk

create_it83

My only advice for OASC at this stage would just to be yourself. Don't try and be someone else. Don't try and pretend to be what you think they want to see. The Boarding Officers just want to see the real you, and can see straight through anyone putting on an act.

Get to know the others in your group. Socialise in the evenings with your syndicate. That'll help you when it comes to the group exercises, and chances are you'll spend a lot of time sitting around talking to them if you get through to the end.

Pontius Navigator

Good advice from Create. Don't go overboard on Sunday night and don't get led astray. Don't get hyper on Coca Cola either - yes, it happens. You may have an OASC staffer in the mess in the evening.

Unless you make a real impression on them there is nothing to fear from this but if something is said or suggested, like get an early night, take the hint.

Remember you are NOT in competition with the other applicants. You are in competition for one of perhaps dozens of jobs. The whole issue revolves round team work as much as it is about you.

Relax, enjoy it as much as you can. It will be an experience that you will remember for the rest of your life.

sarah2001

hi guys...just a quick one. im looking at applying for the RAF as a pilot and being a little bit vertically challenged (5 foot 2) im a little worried. ...am i too short??

many thanks

Pontius Navigator

Sarah, it depends where you are short. The only answer is whether you meet the anthropomorphic dimensions. An important one, often overlooked, is your weight. If you are of normal proportions for your height then you may be too light for a parachute. If you are the right weight for a parachute you may have other problems.

PM me if you wish.