OASC 'CANDIDATES' and WANNABES, PLEASE READ THIS THREAD FIRST!
AIDU - False... air sickness is not a bar to becoming a pilot (speaking from personal experience, although currently bored sat behind a desk!)
ps thank god for the olympics live on bbc.co.uk! Passes the dull days!
ps thank god for the olympics live on bbc.co.uk! Passes the dull days!
Red On, Green On
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Between the woods and the water
Age: 24
Posts: 6,487
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
Yep, AIDU, they get sent off to Farnborough to play on the magic roundabout. We had a puker who was back-coursed onto mine after he'd been there. Never flew with him, for which I'm very glad, as he was the most appalling driver of cars. He'd drive about 5' from the car in front at any speed 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Tx, USA
Posts: 63
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hey,
Don't let the old twisted cynical folk get you down on this forum....
Keep focussed on what you want, prepare for all the initial tests and work hard when you start your flying training. There's no job I'd rather do more, regardless of all the occasional trite that comes along.
Read the 'sticky', keep at it and good luck to you and anyone else who wants to do the same.
Don't let the old twisted cynical folk get you down on this forum....
Keep focussed on what you want, prepare for all the initial tests and work hard when you start your flying training. There's no job I'd rather do more, regardless of all the occasional trite that comes along.
Read the 'sticky', keep at it and good luck to you and anyone else who wants to do the same.
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: UK
Posts: 310
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
An old grey Fighter Pilot once asked his son 'what do you want to do when you grow up?'
After some thought, the boy replied, 'I want to be a fighter pilot dad!'
To which the shrewd flyer replied, 'You can't do both kid!'
Good Luck to all. Best advice; keep your sense of humour, and don't EVER write on this forum in 'Yoof Speek' or 'Txt'......
Advo
After some thought, the boy replied, 'I want to be a fighter pilot dad!'
To which the shrewd flyer replied, 'You can't do both kid!'
Good Luck to all. Best advice; keep your sense of humour, and don't EVER write on this forum in 'Yoof Speek' or 'Txt'......
Advo
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Scotland
Posts: 367
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If you are really serious you simply must take responsibility for your own research. There are many who contribute to this forum who can give you considerable information, but unless you grab the reins firmly and apply yourself to the task, few will bother to help. Show some initiative and determination and who knows what may happen.
When I applied (because £1,500 pa was twice my City salary and the London Fire Service had turned me down) I had no such help but still made it..... so anything is possible!
When I applied (because £1,500 pa was twice my City salary and the London Fire Service had turned me down) I had no such help but still made it..... so anything is possible!
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: UK
Posts: 786
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I know the OP should have read the 'sticky' first etc etc however it is quite refreshing to see
rather than the more prevelent "Well, at uni I wasn't really sure what to do and someone said try the RAF"
Tony C: There is a great deal of info in the sticky thread at the top of the list, however to summarise how I would approach it:
Know the current RAF aircraft, structure and deployments like the back of your hand.
Have a reasonably in-depth knowledge in to the world's current events particularly any military conflicts and recent developments (If the interview was this week a mention of Russia's Georgian operation would be good).
Ensure that your life is not 'one-dimensional' and have varied interests, particularly in sports, and outdoor events.
Practise 'Brain-Training' type games and increase your capacity for mental arithmatics, hand-eye co-ordination and the ability to calculate in multiples of 60 (for miles per minute calculations - eg 180mph = 3 miles per minute).
Know your age in years and complete months (Not sure if this is still relevent - but it was in 1984 and 1991)
Good luck and don't lose sight of your dream!! (By the way the correct answer at the interview is probably not
but "I would love to fly the Typhoon" !!! 
- but honestly - Dont make stuff up at the interview and be yourself!
LC
This has been a dream ever since i was little but am now 21
Tony C: There is a great deal of info in the sticky thread at the top of the list, however to summarise how I would approach it:
Know the current RAF aircraft, structure and deployments like the back of your hand.
Have a reasonably in-depth knowledge in to the world's current events particularly any military conflicts and recent developments (If the interview was this week a mention of Russia's Georgian operation would be good).
Ensure that your life is not 'one-dimensional' and have varied interests, particularly in sports, and outdoor events.
Practise 'Brain-Training' type games and increase your capacity for mental arithmatics, hand-eye co-ordination and the ability to calculate in multiples of 60 (for miles per minute calculations - eg 180mph = 3 miles per minute).
Know your age in years and complete months (Not sure if this is still relevent - but it was in 1984 and 1991)
Good luck and don't lose sight of your dream!! (By the way the correct answer at the interview is probably not
i always had a love for the Tornado
- but honestly - Dont make stuff up at the interview and be yourself!LC
On a serious note, adding to LC's comment, when I went through they were more interested if you knew about things that had happened over the past year to 6 months, rather than the last fortnight, as the interviewers figured it showed more than an ability to read the paper on the train to grantham!
Lafyr Cokov - "What is your age in years and months?" has been dead and buried for a long time now (at least 7 years)! However the rest of your message to Tony C was pretty well on the money.
Tony - Essentially, what they (OASC) are trying to find out is what you have to offer that makes you a better choice than the guy next to you. So as well as the results of the aptitude tests and your performance in the selection tests, they look at what you have already done in your life to show such good things as initiative, determination, motivation etc etc etc. So when you read the 'sticky' at the top, think along those lines - you will see that some of the wanabees show little evidence of any of these things. Can You??
Tony - Essentially, what they (OASC) are trying to find out is what you have to offer that makes you a better choice than the guy next to you. So as well as the results of the aptitude tests and your performance in the selection tests, they look at what you have already done in your life to show such good things as initiative, determination, motivation etc etc etc. So when you read the 'sticky' at the top, think along those lines - you will see that some of the wanabees show little evidence of any of these things. Can You??
Red On, Green On
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Between the woods and the water
Age: 24
Posts: 6,487
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
Officer selection boards, are, amongst other things, looking for people with initiative who can face new and unexpected challenges with confidence. They will therefore be interested in people who have evidence of getting out and pushing themselves into challenging situations.
The classic is the Duke of Edinburgh award, which at Gold level is hard work, but there are plenty of other ways of showing the board that you are made of the right stuff.
They are also keen on people who have mixed with lots of different ages/ability groups, perhaps by volunteering, for example.
The classic is the Duke of Edinburgh award, which at Gold level is hard work, but there are plenty of other ways of showing the board that you are made of the right stuff.
They are also keen on people who have mixed with lots of different ages/ability groups, perhaps by volunteering, for example.
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Norn Iron
Posts: 52
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
140 vs 180 UCAS
I'm not sure if the RAF has maintained 140 UCAS points as an entry requirement. The Army/RN currently requires 180 plus Maths/English GCSE Grade C. The bar has been raised... and about time too.
Even if you have an MSc/PHd from Oxbridge (but with less than the 180 UCAS pts) you would still be asked to go away and acquire 180... There are no academic waivers allowed. As to do so would create a dangerous legal precedent.
However... standards always have been a little lower in the ....
Even if you have an MSc/PHd from Oxbridge (but with less than the 180 UCAS pts) you would still be asked to go away and acquire 180... There are no academic waivers allowed. As to do so would create a dangerous legal precedent.
However... standards always have been a little lower in the ....
Some might say that shows the lack of flexibility and willingness to recognise other qualifications on the part of the army...
but then they always did say flexibility was the key to AIR power.....
(and gymnastics!)
but then they always did say flexibility was the key to AIR power.....
(and gymnastics!)
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Ensure that your life is not 'one-dimensional' and have varied interests, particularly in sports, and outdoor events
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Wilts
Posts: 76
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Nav/WSO trg
Need some info.
Son going to OASC and he is after some current info on Nav/WSO training i.e where/for how long/fg in what etc etc.
Please PM, or open court, with any good gen.
Son going to OASC and he is after some current info on Nav/WSO training i.e where/for how long/fg in what etc etc.
Please PM, or open court, with any good gen.
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: firmly on dry land
Age: 80
Posts: 1,541
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Ring 55 Sqn. Horse's mouth springs to mind:Leading the Way...
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Merseyside
Age: 40
Posts: 76
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Does anyone know what the current waiting time between passing AFCO and going to OASC?
I passed my interview last Monday at the AFCO and am just waiting for my letter. I've heard mentioned that it might be in the region of 4 months?
I passed my interview last Monday at the AFCO and am just waiting for my letter. I've heard mentioned that it might be in the region of 4 months?
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: firmly on dry land
Age: 80
Posts: 1,541
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The waiting time at this time of the year will certainly be longer than in quieter months. Remember you have all the university graduates, A-level school leavers and the main holiday period; these all overload the system which is also running at lower capacity.
For what it's worth, for others next year etc, I applied before I sat my A-levels and had my OASC interview in June before school had even ended. I was given a provisional acceptance and a subsequent entry date of October, in other words about 4 months from applying to entry. There was an entry every month. With 3 entries per year you may expect up to an additional 4 months.
That was some time ago but in terms of recruitment and training the system would be running at similar timing now; in those days there was no AFCO stage.
Think carefully what you will do between AFCO and OASC as this will certainly be interview fodder. Plan for a period post OASC too, this should be a long term plan for obvious reasons.
For what it's worth, for others next year etc, I applied before I sat my A-levels and had my OASC interview in June before school had even ended. I was given a provisional acceptance and a subsequent entry date of October, in other words about 4 months from applying to entry. There was an entry every month. With 3 entries per year you may expect up to an additional 4 months.
That was some time ago but in terms of recruitment and training the system would be running at similar timing now; in those days there was no AFCO stage.
Think carefully what you will do between AFCO and OASC as this will certainly be interview fodder. Plan for a period post OASC too, this should be a long term plan for obvious reasons.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
FT, my thought's too, I agree with Simon. However there is another possibility with your sports:
These all suggest a personal fitness regime which is good, but if you became a team organiser, ie in management for athletics or organisation of the events.
For instance one of my cpls won the 'Sportsman of the Year' award for coarse fishing. Not only because he won a number of cups, which he did, but because in the space of two years from starting the sport he became the east of England area secretary too.
Maggot strangling was indeed a solitary sport but he rose above that and showed initiative, team work and leadership.
whitewater and slalom kayaking, running and downhill/cross country mountain biking,
For instance one of my cpls won the 'Sportsman of the Year' award for coarse fishing. Not only because he won a number of cups, which he did, but because in the space of two years from starting the sport he became the east of England area secretary too.
Maggot strangling was indeed a solitary sport but he rose above that and showed initiative, team work and leadership.
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Merseyside
Age: 40
Posts: 76
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I agree that having team sports would look very good on the old CV.
However, I have completed in two man slalom (K2) and can also suggest from experience that paddling moving rivers with instructors and other members of your club really does involve team work. Examples are rescue situations & movement down the river - you should always have a leader and a "tail end charlie" and you all have a responsibility to get each other down the river safely.
Maybe moving water kayakingmight not be seen as team work because we are not competing against anyone but ourself and the water, and its not seen in the truest sense of team sport as say, football, but still, the spirit is certainly there.
Thank you for your comments on my activities.
Has anyone else recently passed their AFCO interview and have been given a date for OASC?
However, I have completed in two man slalom (K2) and can also suggest from experience that paddling moving rivers with instructors and other members of your club really does involve team work. Examples are rescue situations & movement down the river - you should always have a leader and a "tail end charlie" and you all have a responsibility to get each other down the river safely.
Maybe moving water kayakingmight not be seen as team work because we are not competing against anyone but ourself and the water, and its not seen in the truest sense of team sport as say, football, but still, the spirit is certainly there.
Thank you for your comments on my activities.
Has anyone else recently passed their AFCO interview and have been given a date for OASC?