Streaming Choice held against you?
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Streaming Choice held against you?
Is it true that if during the various selection interviews for Pilot (in the RAF) you state you wish to fly anything other than fast jet, it is held against you?
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Not sure what you mean by held against you. Certainly they would probably look more favourably upon someone with an open mind than one who was for example, rotary or bust. Bear in mind that the way that the system is geared, everyone starts as a potential FJ mate and are only diverted from that on the basis of aptitude. Regardless of whether you consider this to be fair or appropriate, it is the system that you would be trained under and they are less likely to select you if you are already rebelling against it. Just go and say that while you are keen to fly FJ you would be very happy were you to go the ME or RW route. Once you are in training there is nothing to stop you from expressing a non-FJ preference, just be aware that they may still send you FJ regardless.
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It is certainly true that the preference you state during training for either FJ, RW, or ME is totally ignored by the streaming board.
In my case, I had good IF and formation skills, poor low-level nav skills, so put helicopters as my last choice of 3... Guess what I was streamed!!!
So, just remember it is all very nice saying what you want, but it's bums-on-seats that the board is interested in.
In my case, I had good IF and formation skills, poor low-level nav skills, so put helicopters as my last choice of 3... Guess what I was streamed!!!
So, just remember it is all very nice saying what you want, but it's bums-on-seats that the board is interested in.
Streaming boards further down the line don't tend to take too much notice of preferences until you get to the role disposal stage, and even then it is still only a preference. As has been said it is bums on seats that is the over-riding factor and nothing you do or say is likely to change this. As for preferences at initial interview, anything other than FJ is likely to lead to some fairly probing questions, in which case you had better have a cast iron reason for that particular preference. Notwithstanding the fact that RW pilots are generally better looking, more co-ordinated with a more highly developed sense of humour than their FJ and ME counterparts, it is probably best to say that your first preference is for FJ.
Some years ago, when the RAF had actually stopped ME training (the Pigs were dead and the Wetdreams were grounded after CFS had a double hush), it certainly was 'FJ or bust'. You had to have got as far as a FJ OCU to stand a chance of getting restreamed to ME if you were binned from your OCU.
I was at Brawdy at the time as a student on 234. One day, fairly early in the course, one of the staff came in and said "Of course, if anyone's finding it hard going, you can always volunteer for helicopters..." He said it as a joke, but 2 people took him at his word, went to see the Boss and asked for a transfer. Their bags were packed and they were off the stn in less than a week. Not to rotary training though, but to the Aircrew Reselection Board at Biggin Hill. We never heard what became of them after that......
I was at Brawdy at the time as a student on 234. One day, fairly early in the course, one of the staff came in and said "Of course, if anyone's finding it hard going, you can always volunteer for helicopters..." He said it as a joke, but 2 people took him at his word, went to see the Boss and asked for a transfer. Their bags were packed and they were off the stn in less than a week. Not to rotary training though, but to the Aircrew Reselection Board at Biggin Hill. We never heard what became of them after that......
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Oops
Thanks for all the replies, they have been really good but I was looking for information on this at the selection stages (i.e. OASC) rather than at streaming level. Sorry, my fault really.
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Last edited by Another St Ivian; 30th Jun 2004 at 13:17.
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I think detgnome and myself answered your question. They are looking for people who want to be FJ pilots. So tell them what they want to hear. IMHO to do anything else is to demonstrate a lack of effective intelligence. 
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In response to Training Risky
You dont sound particularly impressed with your streaming boards decision. It is certainly true that the RAF wants bums on seats but it the bums with the right aptitude that they want. Notice how i said right aptitude, not level of aptitude. They look at suitability for role and part of that is your choice although not a lot of it. Unless you are abopve average for everything at the moment, it is particulaly difficult to get FJ, Rightly or wrongly.
I just hope you didnt rock up at Shawbury winging about the boards decision. I bet you have done ok though.
You dont sound particularly impressed with your streaming boards decision. It is certainly true that the RAF wants bums on seats but it the bums with the right aptitude that they want. Notice how i said right aptitude, not level of aptitude. They look at suitability for role and part of that is your choice although not a lot of it. Unless you are abopve average for everything at the moment, it is particulaly difficult to get FJ, Rightly or wrongly.
I just hope you didnt rock up at Shawbury winging about the boards decision. I bet you have done ok though.
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"..........RW pilots are generally better looking, more co-ordinated with a more highly developed sense of humour than their FJ and ME counterparts"
DetGnome, last time I looked you were only three feet tall and filled with expanding foam!
As for streaming tell them what they want to hear, it's a game of hoop jumping - go through enough hoops and your in!
DetGnome, last time I looked you were only three feet tall and filled with expanding foam!
As for streaming tell them what they want to hear, it's a game of hoop jumping - go through enough hoops and your in!
Wow this is an old thread!
Bpster, my point was that I was not completely suitable for RW, and I knew it... its just a shame that the streaming board didn't.
I went on to get chopped on the last sortie of a RW OCF - and subsequently missed out on the ME gravy-train that every other chopped RW pilot jumped on to!
(I was denied a re-stream by PMA in spite of 2 x ME recommends from STC and JHC - due to a
And no I didn't whinge at Shawbs, I gave it everything I had - even though i knew it wasn't right for my skill-set.
Oh well, there goes a million quid of Joe Public's money....
Bpster, my point was that I was not completely suitable for RW, and I knew it... its just a shame that the streaming board didn't.
I went on to get chopped on the last sortie of a RW OCF - and subsequently missed out on the ME gravy-train that every other chopped RW pilot jumped on to!
(I was denied a re-stream by PMA in spite of 2 x ME recommends from STC and JHC - due to a
'surplus on the ME front-line until 2010'
Oh well, there goes a million quid of Joe Public's money....
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Mr Risky, maybe there was another reason why you weren't offered ME if "everyone else" was getting it. I know that METS is full to overflowing at the moment with ex valley guys who were all worried that there weren't enough seats for them, however they got the slots because they were obviously worthy, even though there wasn't a massive demand for them. All i am saying is, maybe other factors came into play when you were chopped.
In response to the initial poster, be honest. If you want to fly Rotary, there must be a reason which is sincere which will be admirable at the interview as opposed to "I wanna fly jets SIR!!!"to which they reply, "Bull****, my grandmother wants to fly jets".
In response to the initial poster, be honest. If you want to fly Rotary, there must be a reason which is sincere which will be admirable at the interview as opposed to "I wanna fly jets SIR!!!"to which they reply, "Bull****, my grandmother wants to fly jets".
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Mixed bag really, completed parts 1 and 2 but due to an eyesight snag I could only be a Pilot for the FAA or the AAC. Later had a retest which showed I was ok again for the RAF but decided I didn't want to dive into appeals and such like (it was only for a 6th form schol). After spending the summer getting my PPL I had a rethink about things and have decided not to pursue the RAF.
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