FAA recruiting qn
 

Hey guys,

Have returned the initial recruiting questionnaire and am in the process of joing the RNR [first parade night set for the end of the month:ok: ]. Am still reading all I can on the RN and FAA but have a couple of queries for you:

1] What would be a typical timescale to progress from the initial questionnaire to the AIB - assuming I'm successful at each stage? I'm carrying about a stone too much in weight that I want/need to lose but am hampered at the moment by enflamed calf muscle tissue picked up by running too far too soon, so need an idea of the time I have to get in shape.

2] What is the special flying award? Have seen it mentioned as a recruiting tool on this site and would jump at the chance of some flight time if its available.

3] If I fail at any stage, what is the minimum wait before trying again? I don't want to dwell on this, but it'd be useful to know.

I've tried the search function but its giving me loads of non-relevant threads to trawl through.

Cheers guys, hope I'm flying Navy some day soon

In answer to your questions:

1. Questionnaire. Interview at Careers Office about a month later. AIB up to six months later. BRNC up to a year after. All these timescales just a guess really - It was a long time ago that I did it! Think about going on a zero or low carb diet to quickly shed those excess pounds before the medical.

2. See here.

3. Think it is a year but could be wrong.

Good Luck!

Oggin

Flying with the FAA
 

You are making a good choice, now here is the blurb.

1. If you filled in the form within about 2-3 weeks you will be contacted by your local Officer Careers Liaison Office to organise an interview.

They will have already checked that you are eligible - Educationally and Nationaility wise.

Then it depends on how good your are at the follwoing:

leadership - naval knowledge - current affairs etc.

If good enough you will be sent forward to flying aptitude tests at Cranwell and then the AIB in Gosport. The wait can be lengthy but above all be flexible on times.

The AIB is the PASS/FAIL part of the system. You will be interviewed, carry out psychometric tests and leadership tasks. This takes 2 and 1/2 days. After that, if you pass you may be offered a course.

Overall timings really depend on YOU? Structural barriers are there but YOU must drive yourself and the process.

The RN website is the core thing you should look at.

Go to:

www.royal-navy.mod.uk and go for the careers link.

The 2004-05 recruiting targets are similar to last years.

2. You may still get in on this years special flying award for gliding if you pressure your ACLO. It is 10 days gliding at either Yeovilton, Culdrose or Lee-on-Solent. ITS FREE and no obligation to join.

3.

GOOD LUCK


:cool:

EP

Glad to see you're set on flying dark blue! :ok:

The guys have covered pretty much everything, but... The pilot branch is very very competetive. Give yourself the best chance by knowing the FAA inside out, the website is perfect fo that.

Whilst the timescale should you fail the AIB is a year, you can take the aptitude tests twice if you don't do that well the first time. They are very good at what they do... and difficult to prepare for!... but suggest you really get stuck into some quick mental maths probs to give yourself the upper hand!

Really push your ACLO for the Special Flying Award, it's great fun and as the guys say, ITS FREE!

Best of luck,

AL:cool:

Yes, my heart is definitely set on flying dark blue! Although i'm bound to take some flak from the other forces, I can't imagine anything better than flying low-level NVG missions deploying and extracting battle ready Marines [I am a junglie wannabe!].

Thanks for the timescales, but where does the fitness test fit into the picture? This is my main concern at the moment.

As for 'knowing the FAA inside out', what level of detail do they expect me to go into? I'm concentrating on learning the squadrons, aircraft flown, where deployed, mission types etc. as well as the history behind the FAA. Is this enough or are they going to expect me to know about armament and engines as well?

I've got hold of a few good books regarding the FAA and RN in general, but could do with being pointed in the direction of a good website giving details of current deployments/ involvement with NATO etc. Also, can I get to the RN rolling brief online?

The Cranwell aptitude tests are quite daunting and not something I expect you can plan for - especially the micro pat tests. Are there any books/websites that would be useful for the written tests, and again for the part where they expect you to work out the aircraft attitude from the 6 cockpit gauges? I am a zero hour guy so this is all new to me!

As for the special flying award, should I wait for the ACLO to contact me regarding the initial questionnaire to bring this up or phone him up to talk about it? I've not actually met anyone in the AFCO face to face, so don't want to appear too pushy at this early stage.

Thanks again,
Phil.

P.s. what is the Navy's view on PPRuNe? I know some of the airlines take a dim view of potential candidates who use the site due to some of the opnions and topics posted.

PPRuNe
 

empty pockets

As a Junglie who posts every so often on PPRuNe, I can assure you that the RN has no specifically overt policy about posting or reading PPRuNe. While they would probably view it in the same vein as talking to the media if pushed (because you're expressing opinions in a public forum both without permission and without official sanction), most of us limit our comments and posts to encouragement of wannabes like yourself and, in the case of most RN PPRuNers, the occasional bit of crab-baiting! :ok:

The miltary forum tends to be self policing, so that on the few occasions that someone has posted information or discussion of a subject that shouldn't be aired in a public forum, the rest of the community tend to put them back in their box.

Having said that, you will find a lot of people willing to express opinions about policy etc that the heirarchy probably frown upon, but that's the beauty of an anonymous (mostly) forum!

Basically, you're unlikely to be binned for reading or using PPRuNe, but I wouldn't exactly make a point of advertising it!

The only good crab is one in M&S Food Section and dressed, ready for consumption!

:p :} :p

To be found not far from the Pussers' fudge in the sweet section...and the soap-on-a-rope in the toiletries section:E ?


First jet flight was in an 892 Sqn Sea Vixen at the age of 15:ok:. The RAF wouldn't even agree to a Chipmunk flight..........:(

being about a stone over weight shouldn't be too much of a problem........can action_lynx confirm this:E

Received a letter this morning inviting me to an interview with the ACLO in around a months time. Whilst this news makes me :D it also makes me :confused: and a bit :eek:

Have already upped the time spent reading and researching, but any advice you could give me regarding the interview would be much appreciated. As I already said, I'm having trouble locating info Regarding RN current deployments and operations [Iraq excluded].

Feel free to PM me with what I can expect - typical questions etc.

As for that stone, its dropping slowly.....

Try latest Navy News from WH Smith. Full of propaganda and piccies.

Try the Royal Navy website, it should give you a list of which ships are away, what they're doing and any other news about the Service. Equally, you should be able to find a load of info that should set you up for the questions at the interview.

Good luck!

Being a stone overweight is more or less obligatory for a Lynx pilot...in the Army anyway! :E :E

RN History
 

Don't worry too much about the history of the Fleet Air Arm. A broad knowledge of major events will suffice. ('Task Force' by john parker is a good read...).

The AIB is looking for pilots of the future, so a knowledge of where the FAA is going to be in the next few years will impress. Obviously you can't predict where you will be flying (if you know that...can you inform the rest of us) but what the FAA flies now i.e sea king 4, merlin, lynx, FA2/GR7 and what is planned to replace it..... JSF/BLUH?/SCMR...well, who knows!!

Finally, knowing where we are deployed now (Aircraft and Ships) is very useful information, along with the reasons why we are there. (Iraq/Falklands/Kosovo/caribean(sp?)/etc)

PM me if you want some more info

TR

EP, your ACLO will obviously test your knowledge but try not to worry about the interview too much. He/She is there to help you through to the AIB and then beyond. Obviously the more work you do now the better but there is plenty of time.

onthebumline,

that extra stone is all muscle... as long as the growbag still sprays-on every morning I'm happy... :O