Advice on joining the RAF as pilot
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Advice on joining the RAF as pilot
On Thursday the GCSE's come out. I have several options of sixth forms to go to. Assuming that i pass them, i have a problem. At one sixth form i have applied to do Physics, ICT, Business studies and English. At the other which is a well known grammer school i have applied to do History instead of physics because the entry requires you to do maths and have got an A or A*at GCSE (Which i haven't). I know the RAF say any A - levels will do, but what do you think i should choose to do? Are they telling the truth about any A - levels?
Thanks in advance for any answers
Thanks in advance for any answers
Join Date: May 2000
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Quick bit of advice - whatever flying job you are going for, do what you are good at. Nobody on this board can possibly know the strengths and weaknesses of the schools/colleges you have selected for sixth form, and your best option can only ever be to do that which you are both happy doing and are good at. A-Levels are required grade C and above, so a D in something you didn't really want to do is pretty useless for you.
I don't really follow what you mean by you having to do History instead of Physics because Maths is required.
Any A-Level means just that unless you are studying Barbie Doll Cosmetics.
I don't really follow what you mean by you having to do History instead of Physics because Maths is required.
Any A-Level means just that unless you are studying Barbie Doll Cosmetics.
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Grades and all that....
Here's the gen. You need two A - levels grade A - E. There are no particular requirements for a certain subject, and they treat the educational requirements as merely a key to the door.
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Advice re Joinign as a Pilot
Dear" Undisputed"
My advice for what its worth (about £4000 if I were a KPMG Mgt Consultant rather than a blue-suiter!) is as follows:
Step 1: set your sights lower than the top-gun twaddle ... it's at NAS Mirimar, San Diego (sp?) in California, and RAF Pilots don't usually get invited. ...assuming that your "handle" does indicate a desire to fly for HMG, that is.
Step 2: do science and engineering related stuff at A-level and ditch the History bit unless it is really your special-thing ......engineering is always a good fall-back!
Step 3: get RAF to pay you to go to college and do engineering ... dead dull and quite hard work ... but a good alt branch option as and when you duff up the flying trg bit (u are aware of the failure rate aren't you?)
Step 4: do offr training by just being you and no trying to out-arsehole the other arseholes (the best bit of advice any of us can give you cos it will always apply!).
Step 5: fly aeroplanes and have a ball
Step 6: if Step 5 fails you can become and engineer offr and wear the RAC-like uniform all day and have loads of highly skilled, highly motivated, non-deviant techies to play with ... it's a hoot!
best of luck what ever your future holds, and if you do get to fly, don't be too dissapointed if you don't get EFA or other FJ, there are some jolly nice blokes out there doing good jobs in "buses" and "flying-mission-systems" galore! its all good fun and quite rewarding (except financially of course ... read the small print!)
and avoid F3s like the plague if they are still about when and if you join, flying them seems to have turned decent F4 mates into anally-retentive-aggressive-underachievers and the new boys know no better (any comments from the wider audience? .. . . . light hearted of course!)
Regards
Iggy
My advice for what its worth (about £4000 if I were a KPMG Mgt Consultant rather than a blue-suiter!) is as follows:
Step 1: set your sights lower than the top-gun twaddle ... it's at NAS Mirimar, San Diego (sp?) in California, and RAF Pilots don't usually get invited. ...assuming that your "handle" does indicate a desire to fly for HMG, that is.
Step 2: do science and engineering related stuff at A-level and ditch the History bit unless it is really your special-thing ......engineering is always a good fall-back!
Step 3: get RAF to pay you to go to college and do engineering ... dead dull and quite hard work ... but a good alt branch option as and when you duff up the flying trg bit (u are aware of the failure rate aren't you?)
Step 4: do offr training by just being you and no trying to out-arsehole the other arseholes (the best bit of advice any of us can give you cos it will always apply!).
Step 5: fly aeroplanes and have a ball
Step 6: if Step 5 fails you can become and engineer offr and wear the RAC-like uniform all day and have loads of highly skilled, highly motivated, non-deviant techies to play with ... it's a hoot!
best of luck what ever your future holds, and if you do get to fly, don't be too dissapointed if you don't get EFA or other FJ, there are some jolly nice blokes out there doing good jobs in "buses" and "flying-mission-systems" galore! its all good fun and quite rewarding (except financially of course ... read the small print!)
and avoid F3s like the plague if they are still about when and if you join, flying them seems to have turned decent F4 mates into anally-retentive-aggressive-underachievers and the new boys know no better (any comments from the wider audience? .. . . . light hearted of course!)
Regards
Iggy
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Iggy - Just a quick point
1 - Mirimar is no longer the home of Topgun. Its an AV8 place full of marines now i think. Although Cal would still be a preferable posting to some places I can think of.
Topgun guy - No tips on A - levels, however, aim for jets mate. The RAF dont recruit truckies or rotary mates no matter what they think. Always aim high!
Plus jets rock the world!!!
1 - Mirimar is no longer the home of Topgun. Its an AV8 place full of marines now i think. Although Cal would still be a preferable posting to some places I can think of.
Topgun guy - No tips on A - levels, however, aim for jets mate. The RAF dont recruit truckies or rotary mates no matter what they think. Always aim high!
Plus jets rock the world!!!
Last edited by Fox_4; 20th Aug 2002 at 14:42.
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.......for two years at vast expense to the tax payer, then retire to fly a desk for the rest of your career or jump ship and join the professional aviators in light blue!
Yeah great advice thom!
Yeah great advice thom!
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Better to do subjects you are good at rather than one you will hate and fail or do poorly at.
You may find physics / science will help with some of the academics but I know of people who have studied history or languages and managed to cope with the academics so don't get hung up about it.
Personal opinion - don't join the hairy arm corps - they may be getting the Apache but the RAF has far sexier weapons platforms - harrier, jag, tornado.
Duck for incoming flack.
GB
You may find physics / science will help with some of the academics but I know of people who have studied history or languages and managed to cope with the academics so don't get hung up about it.
Personal opinion - don't join the hairy arm corps - they may be getting the Apache but the RAF has far sexier weapons platforms - harrier, jag, tornado.
Duck for incoming flack.
GB
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When you look at some of the degrees chap and chapesses take you will see that the RAF does noes really care what the subject is just as long as you pass. I am sure the same is true of A levels, so do what you are good at. Fortunately I got in before you needed A levels 
Tonks
Tonks
Not so, Tonks. I have it on excellent authority that you have an 'A' - level in ATC liaison - of the Malvinas kind!!
Aren't UAS Summer Camps a blast.....??
Aren't UAS Summer Camps a blast.....??
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Fox-4 and his FJs
Dear "Undisputed"
All adivice is good advice and I am sure Foxy is more up to speed than I on most things, including Top-Gun stuff ... I don't even have agun, let alone atop-one, I mostly sign other people's travel claims and occaisionally make bad engineering decisions which are covered up by some supportive SNCOs that I know ... however ...
Whereas Foxy has a point about aiming hi, just bear in mind all the other stuff that is out there! Foxy and his FJ mates might think that they are "Sex-on-a-Stick", but you have to remember that we all get to go to sunny climes and woo the chicks, and in anything that has a crew of >2 there is room to more than just think about sex when you shouldn't be!
And Thom's got a point about Apache ... it IS "Sex-on-a-Stick!", and the Dutch (I think they were Cloggies) SNCOs that brought the one I saw to the Waddo airshow the other week didn't appear to have a care in the world ... especially not any of the officer bollocks that RAF pilots have to put up with ... "Undisputed", go the whole hog ... join the Dutch Army as a sgt-pilot and fly a gun-ship!
Plop-On!
Iggy
All adivice is good advice and I am sure Foxy is more up to speed than I on most things, including Top-Gun stuff ... I don't even have agun, let alone atop-one, I mostly sign other people's travel claims and occaisionally make bad engineering decisions which are covered up by some supportive SNCOs that I know ... however ...
Whereas Foxy has a point about aiming hi, just bear in mind all the other stuff that is out there! Foxy and his FJ mates might think that they are "Sex-on-a-Stick", but you have to remember that we all get to go to sunny climes and woo the chicks, and in anything that has a crew of >2 there is room to more than just think about sex when you shouldn't be!
And Thom's got a point about Apache ... it IS "Sex-on-a-Stick!", and the Dutch (I think they were Cloggies) SNCOs that brought the one I saw to the Waddo airshow the other week didn't appear to have a care in the world ... especially not any of the officer bollocks that RAF pilots have to put up with ... "Undisputed", go the whole hog ... join the Dutch Army as a sgt-pilot and fly a gun-ship!
Plop-On!
Iggy
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Thom,
Oh yes, every day for the last two and half years!!
Topgundude,
If you want to be a Pilot and an Officer the light blue is for you. If you're happy to give the Officer bit the shunt, then be a grunt!
Oh yes, every day for the last two and half years!!
Topgundude,
If you want to be a Pilot and an Officer the light blue is for you. If you're happy to give the Officer bit the shunt, then be a grunt!
