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Secret Squire,

I passed all the aircrew aptitude tests (some of which 100% apparently) but that was 4 years ago and things may have changed. Anyway, I was applying for a different branch and I think most young people these days with decent hand / eye coordination should do well at these. They are supposed to be unique so you can't practise but if you're good at computer games or already have some flying experience you shouldn't have anything to worry about.

After all, my wife passed too and she's not aircew either.

Good luck,
KF

Fly Navy, Sail Army

I took the tests at Cranwell in June this year, although it was for RN pilot/observer as opposed to the RAF, not sure of the difference...?

Anyway, much of the are for what it says on the tin: aptitude, so there is plenty of it you can't buff up on beforehand. I would say practise hand-foot coordination plenty (I had some hours in gliders, made it easier), and otherwise just be able to crack off plenty of speed distance time and wuick math calculations. If you know up to your 12 times table by heart you should sail through!

If you want some practise I found these online, which seem similar in hindsight to the 'difficult' side of the maths:

http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/psychotests.htm

I passed by the way, pilot and observer, although I failed ATC Good luck!

Secret Squire

Many thanks for all your replies - very useful tips etc etc!

Just one quick question - I currently have a PPL + IMC, and about 150 hours, presumably they take this into consideration when scoring your aptitude tests, but just how much better would they expect you to be? I'm not for a moment suggesting that hiding the fact would be in any way sensible, but just curious as to how they view it.

Anyhow, main thing I've got to worry is my maths - learning the times tables again is a little crazy - never thought I'd need that when I was 8!

And I'll be sure to swot up on tyre pressures for all those spotty yoofs I'll need to impress in the bar, cheers for the tip Impress!

SS

airborne_artist

I'm not sure that the system has any facility to take prior flying experience into account. I went to the forerunner of OASC with no flying experience in 77, and passed for RAF FlySchol, and then went a year later, 42 hours to the good, and passed for RN (P). No-one ever asked how many hours I had, and even then, so what? The aptitude tests do not involve a sim ride, or anything like it. They are rather more abstract.

Durka_Durka

Walk into the house, big brown envelope on the floor 'On Her Majestys Service'....Oh ****. Buts its ok, pending further medical im goin to IOT as a pilot candidate. WEYHEY

helidriver

Well Done Fella ,

Best Wishes for your future career, however, until you've got those 'leg spreaders' on your chest you're not qualified and the real selection is about to begin.

helidriver

airborne_artist

How do to tell the prospective pilots at IOT from the rest?


Don't worry, they'll tell you soon enough...





Hat, coat, taxi for Mr AA

QFIhawkman

Well done Durka. Bear in mind though (there's always a cloudy lining on the silver where I'm concerned) that the hardest is yet to come.

Give it your all at OASC (nearly said Biggin Hill there!) but it's not always in your power. That medical has chopped many a candidate at the next hurdle, and in the interviews it just doesn't happen for many. I'm sure you're preparing well though.

All the same, good luck for the next stage. And the next. And the next!

Durka_Durka

Yeah i know im in for the hardest time ever at Cranwell, 30wks... jees. But hey i havent come all this way to bottle it now lol.

Thanks for the comments chaps, heres hopin i will be sound at my medical

JAG3

Well done mate

JAG3

BTW are you DE or graduate.

buoy15

Yes Squire
If you ever aspire to be a military, or any other pilot, you will need to know your tyre pressures, so you can calculate your aqua-planing speed when you land on a contaminated runway.
That way, you can impress your crew on a successful landing, rather than those spotty yoofs in the bar
I will even help you with your maths
Aqua-planing speed = 9 x the square root of the tyre pressure
Eg. tyre pressure = 180 PSI - sq root about 13.4 - x 9 = 120.6 kts at threshhold
Skill is to hit the runway positively to get the main wheels spinning to avoid aqua-plane, get the nosewheel down and taxi home
Then talk to the yoofs in the bar

Tombstone

Durka,

very well done mate.

The feedback coming out of IOT since the course was rewritten seem very positive. Having spoken to a holding officer at my unit, the course seems to have improved considerably.

Forget about flying training for now & just grin and bear it through term 1. Terms 2 & 3 sound like fun & will hold you in good stead from what I'm hearing.

Good luck & don't forget to take plenty of shoe boxes!

Training Risky

I thought it had gone up to 33 weeks!

TMJ

3 x 10 wk terms with a wk's leave between terms 1&2 and 2&3; 30 wks of cse time, 32 wks from start to finish. 33 weeks is probably someone thinking 3x(10+1).

TurbineTooHot

Congrats mate, keep up the good work.

Remember the part II med is a confirmatory check that you haven't bullsh ted on your first stage med and related forms.... enjoy the beer in the bar and don't worry.

Also, ignore the piece of advice that was given to me and many others before I went to IOT: To be the grey man. They recruited YOU, so be yourself. Unless you're a complete clusterf k, it's always better to be known.

Enjoy, maybe see you in the future.

Turbine

airborne_artist

But be known for the right reasons! Keep your SOH on hand at all times - loss of SOH will cost you. A good SOH will be noticed by the DS, and they'll mark you up.

Make sure you are sensibly fit, and don't be afraid to volunteer for sports teams etc.

Don't be afraid to tell your group/syndicate that they need to pull together - you won't get through on your own. No harm in showing a bit of leadership early on, so long as you don't get up peoples' noses.

Whatever you do, don't bullsh!t.

FAAjon

Well done mate!

MooseJaw

Congratulations! Don't be phazed by any doom merchants and drippers. Most of us who have been through it - whatever the vintage - have more good tales for the Bar than bad ones.

Go for it hard, never ever break with your assigned Team (however many Dorks it has!) and don't forget to look for the humour in everything - there will be plenty of opportunities and plan on being the source at least a few times along the way!

Have Fun - and good luck,

MooseJaw

proper_brevet

Well done mate. Work hard