Collosius

Hello everyone,

I've spent the last 2 years of my life going from job to job not enjoying what I've been doing so recently I sat myself down and thought long and hard what to do with my life.

Then it dawned on me why not join the RAF?, I love fighter jets have done since I was a young boy going to Biggin Hill air shows watching the MiG23's performing such great stunts while holding my ears because the noise was incredible.

BUT (there is always a but) I failed poorly at school I never took it seriously always used to mess around but you know how boys are at that age . So I checked the RAF website to see what was needed to become a fighter pilot.

5 GCSE's and 2 A levels... I don't think I even got one C grade in my GCSE's (mostly D's) I'm not a dim person so I phoned my local college to apply to do 5 GCSE courses then progress to do 2 A levels.

Great... missed the starting date this year so I'd have to wait till next September (07) to start the GCSE's, I'm already 18 and the RAF website says the Recruitment age is between 18-23. Do you think it will be possible to attain what I need within 4 years? I'm willing to bend over backwards to join the RAF but if there is no hope I won't even bother to start.

Any response good or bad is good for me just to let me know where I stand, On a side note is there anyway the RAF will let you join without those qualifications needed if they see you are determined and willing to go to hell and back?

Thanks in advance

Collosius

airborne_artist

You could do the GCSEs in two years and the As in two, applying before you get your A2 results, perhaps. The RN allows you another 2 years:

Aircrew Officer (Pilot and Observer)
Age on entry 17–26
Nationality British or British/dual citizenship
Qualifications At least 140 UCAS points and 5 GCSEs (A*-C)/ 5 Scottish Standard Grades (1-3)/ equivalent, including English and maths

johnfairr

This is the strangest "wannabee" I've ever seen. There is hardly a spelling or grammatical error, the guy uses words well, yet admits to being less than diligent at school and getting duff grades. Joined Prune in Jan 2006 and yet this is his first post. Curiouser and curiouser . . . .

jf

Tourist

Just what I thought.
A bite methinks

Safety_Helmut

It's 23 years since I did my GCEs, and I can still remember each subject and grade ?
Walking and talking at the same time should you get you in as a supplier or mover, if you can only manage one at a time, there's always the RAF Police

S_H

Collosius

Sorry to sound strange but I normally only browse and don't give my 2 pence worth due to the fact I know I'm not as bright as you men/women when it comes to Aircraft. Besides getting bad grades at school doesn't mean I have to have bad grammar does it?.


So if I'm reading this correctly I still have a chance to join and be able to pilot a fighter jet? Or does this mean I won't be able to fly single seated aircraft?

Edited: Thanks Airborne Artist for the positive feedback mate.

airborne_artist

The RN will be getting the Joint Strike Fighter, the Harrier replacement (as will the RAF) in about 2012. That dovetails in quite well for you, if you have the aptitude to be streamed single seat.

Collosius

Thanks mike for the imput, just to double check its doable from September 2007? I'll be 19 then.

Only reason why I ask is because I've been told two different recruitment ages (18-23 and 17-26)

johnfairr

Collosius,

You can't be who you say you are, you've used the apostrophe properly! As a previous poster has said, if it's only a couple of years since you took your GCSEs and you've already forgotten the grades, you'll have a hell of a job remembering the pre-take-off checks after a few months!

I sense a troll

ex-ranker

hi all,


Im totally new to the site, and would like some advice reference applying for a commission/SNCO aircrew.

Ive done over 9 year enlisted service as an Airframes technician on Tornado.

Ive got 8 GCSE's at C and above (including maths, english, science)an ONC in Aeronautical Engineering and a HNC in mechanical Engineering.

Ill be 27 at my next brithday (april 2007)

Would I be too old to apply for commissioned aircrew branches?

Im highly motivated to leave the ranks as I know there is more challenging and rewarding careers in the commissioned/ aircrew branches, I realise I may have missed the oppurtunity for pilot as I may be too old now?

Could anyone recommend any alternative branches? - hopefully aircrew specific/WSO/AEop? (really not keen on Engineering officer)

thanks in anticipation!


ex-ranker

Collosius

I disagree, I don't know about "pre-take-off checks" but I'm sure when you are taught I'm guessing it gets drilled into your head till it becomes natural. Not like grades you're not proud of.

You can call me a troll if you want, I can't change you're mind but now I have something in life to aim for.

Edited*

A2QFI

"5 GCSE's and 2 A levels... I don't think I even got one C grade in my GCSE's (mostly D's)"

Should be GCSEs and Ds - a bit of double bluffing going on perhaps? Troll alert continues!

Healy9

I wish you every luck in the world for you to become who you want to be. But by the sounds of you this might just be a phase as you suddenly want to join the RAF and solely want to be a fighter pilot. The aims you are going for take years and require a lot of determination so try not to be too naive. Have a look at some trades in the RAF that mighten need grades because you need to be sure your going too last a good 4 years to even be considered for an Officer in the Royal Air Force and remember there are kids waiting years already for this, so you really need to be determined.

Good Luck

JAG3

Can't remember your grades and your considering a role in which you need to beat off thousands just to be considered. Get a grip

Tourist

Christ!
I knew the RAF was a bit....well.......funny,
but I didn't realise you had to beat anyone off to get in!!

FFP

Behave guys.

Why would someone "troll" about joining while asking the kind of questions he has ? I see nothing contentious in his post. The whole "I don't think I even got a C" sounds more like a general comment as opposed to a statement of his actual grades.

Any wannabe reading this forum will get the impresssion that the RAF is full of pretentious, ISS ridden, pompus people with nothing better than being cynical and who they'd rather not work with.

Either help the poor lad out or don't post. No one wants to know how many spelling mistakes you've spotted or how hard it was in your day. Or why you are interpreting a post to make someone out to be a troll.

Collosius,

You would need to resit your GCSE's. The better the results you can get, the higher up the pile your application form will be. I'd suggest then taking 3 A levels at college. Not sure if the requirements to take specific subjects exists, but try taking subjects you'll enjoy and will be good at.

Use the next few years to build your CV. Charity work, anything adventurous, PPL lessons, youth groups will all look good. Maybe link them together i.e Trekking in S America raising money for a charity.

To fly is the ultimate ambition for some. The bottom rung of the ladder sees lads nearly half your age lying in muddy fields attaching cables to gliders in the hope of some flights at the end of the day, or scrimping and saving whilst being a dogsbody on an airfield for the odd 30 mins in a Cessna. There are some very motivated people out there, you just need to convince the RAF and the £5 million they have sitting there ready to invest in you that you are the one that deserves it the most. Academic prowess is not the be all and end all. Resolve to fix it with tutoring if necessary, accept it as a weakness, show how you've overcome it before moving on to the 101 reasons why you should be sat in that JSF cockpit next decade.

Good luck !

will fly for food 06

Just be honest and try your best. The minimum grades required by the RAF are just to prove to them you have a brain that can take on new skills. Once you start your flying training it won't matter whether you got an A or a C. Best of luck, your welcome to have my slot as im leaving.

cynicalint

Talk to your nearest RAF Careers Office (AFCO); ask them what other qualifications would be considered equivalent to 5 GCSEs and 2 A levels- such as HND etc and what they would accept - then you could embark on a three year course in a subject such as engineering for example, or a subject that interests you, and use that as the entry qualification and still be only 21/22 years old and well within the age limit. At worst you can re-sit your GCSEs and go for the A levels you need. You are under no obligation by visiting the AFCO and don't be put off by the Recruiter as they may try to encourage you to apply for a ground trade that they are currently short of and tell you that you can always re-muster (this did happen to me but I still applied to fly and succeeded) The age range for in-service pilot application is 26 and you can get educated to the right level by the service but that is a very hard route to follow and to be considered only as a last resort. In addition, consider joining a local ATC Squadron as a civilian instructor to start with while you are studying; this will give you a good insight into service life through visits to stations - and a chance to fly! Look at the attached link for more advice on the application process at OASC and how best to prepare.

http://www.oascprep.co.uk/oasc_introduction.html

Best of luck in trying - if you are determined enough, and good enough, you will succeed!

lancs

Collosius,

Your timings are worst case scenario. You've already completed the two year GCSE courses. Therefore, if you pay for the exams yourself, you can go to the nearest examination centre and apply to resit at the next opportunity - there are at least two per year.

Hit the books on your own now, apply for the exams next June and you could very well start A-levels in September 2007.

Or, as you've already done the courses once, ask whether you could attach to the current second year for revision help with a view to re-sits next year. If they don't like that, ask whether you can join there current year one - you can't be that far behind... either way, you'll be at least a year ahead of your earlier calculations.

(Coming from someone who lost two years by pratting around before completing A-levels properly - it was only having my application to join the RN as an apprentice artificer rejected that forced me to go back and try again; result A, A, B followed by a degree at Durham)

beanoxxx

There is no way the air force will bend the minimum entry grades for somebody even if they percieve them to be a good egg. Having screwed up your initial attempts during school will not however preclude you from joining. Far from it. IF you can show during OASC (selection) that you realised you made a few mistakes and then had the balls to pull your finger out and work hard at a goal with an ambition in mind, then your previous bad form will in some ways be irrelevant.
You're still young, you've got time to get your act together, gain the required grades and hopefully get selected.

Incidentally, be under no illusions of quite how difficult flying is. Its not a case of turning up diddly up and slipping the surly bonds of earth. You work like a dog in the air. Its worth it though.