Honest Opinion Sort
 

Hello Folks,

First off, apologies for marauding all over an aircrew board with what is essentially a ground crew question but I'm having difficulties getting any clear "insider" information.

I've always been interested in being a Fighter Controller in the RAF, but since childhood I have suffered from Asthma. I was without symptoms from about 17 so thought I could get away with the four year rule and a commission in a ground branch. However in early 2002 the asthma made another one off appearance which has made its way onto my medical records. Since then all symptoms have dissappeared again and I have remained off the meds normally used to treat similar problems.

I'm now 23 and will be four years free again in late 2006, can anyone comment on my chances of getting through the OASC medical for ground branches given my colourful medical history?

Thanks

UB

Before all the usual banter starts you might want to talk to a pair of chaps by the name of SirTopphamHat or SpotterFC by PM - I believe they have had some dealings with the FC world.

Will do,

Many thanks.

I am confused by the title, should it read "Honest Opinion Sought"?

UB,

The Med Board will undoubtedly be more complicated than any answer we can give you on here. However, the first step is through the AFCO and answering a few basic Qs, including asthma history. If you have been clear of symptoms and treatment/medication for 4 years, you will have passed that initial hurdle. You should then concentrate on getting to OASC and not worry about the Med Board; there is nothing you can do about your history!

VP
Yes it ort!!
JR :O

Utterly Bored.

It will depend on the severity as I have a mate who was a sufferer and an FC. He was limited on where he could go i.e needed to be where there were suitable Hospital facilities. That effectively meant he was limited to the UK,Europe and North America. In these days of expeditionary warfare thanks to Bush & Bliar plc, it could be more of a showstopper. This is one for the Docs mate. Good luck.

FC is not necessarily a ground branch. A considerable number are employed on flying duties.

What is your main reason for wanting FC? Is it to be operational and associated with aircrew? If so, and you do not get a flying slot, you may well find yourself limited to telecom association.

Have you thought about becoming an ATCO? The jobs are not a hundred miles apart. You will probably have a bigger chance of expeditionary deployment.

Both jobs require aptitudes very similar to aircrew. Essentially if you were to fail pilot your chances on the others would not be high. FC is possibly the most demanding non-aircrew job with an historically high failure rate. What is your fall back position?

Try not to hyperventilate before the interview - might work!

Love many, Trust a few, Always paddle your own canoe

Best of luck

Just don't tell them, let them find out for themselves. Based on my experience of recent Medicals, I think you could get lucky.

Pontius Navigator

Sorry, but you are WAY behind the times.

The FC Branch has changed beyond recogntion since the days of chasing Bears around the North Cape. The E3 force mission crews are manned extensively by FCs, No1ACC is deployed regularly, we have FCs on 16 Air Assault Brigade, an FC at the Artillery School, FCs on Aircraft Carriers, acting as BALOs in various parts...the list goes on. There is very little commonality between ATCO and FC, as has at last been recognised in the final demise of amalgamation issues (I was in Canada last Jan looking at this very issue).
The Canadians have done it and it is a disaster. To quote the OC of their combined Air Control School
'If you want to be involved in Air Battle Management and War Fighting, be an FC. If you want a posting close to Mom and Dad, be an ATCO'.
Regarding pass rates, the pass rates for Controller are low, agreed, but the overall pass rate is in excess of 80% because control is only one, small, element of what we do. In fact, it is not even a Primary OR secondary task. It gets all the attention because it has the highest profile and it is all the average FJ crew or ATCO see, so thats what they think we do and what they judge us on. I will be the first to admit, controlling aircraft in busy airspace under the differing services is not our strongest point. However, constructing an air/surface/ground picture using ground/air/static/mobile sensors and flashing it around the bazaars whilst and providing early warning and Battle Management Functions is!
I dare say you will attack this, along with others, but we shall see what the future holds. The FC Branch is not the one trying to carve out a future in uniform.

AMEN!:*

Wyler, thank you and I am sure others will find it useful too.

Utterly bored.. not wanting to sound like Mystic Meg or anything by picking people up for their spelling and maths and not contributing anything to informed debate, please, please edit your original post because "sort" is really starting to wind me up!

Good luck in whatever you choose by the way.

Wyler,

I dispute your assertation that FC and ATC cannot mix.

I know of many who have done both. Some have gone ATC to FC some the other way.

In my own case:

over 2000 intercepts
Saw service in Bosnia Crisis and Gulf War 1.
ATC terminal and Area qualified

Different skills? Yes, but not mutually exclusive and I know many who could do both and some who could not. But then those who could not were/are not the best FCs/ATCOs anyway!

Well, please allow me to reflect in thy radiated glory, oh wise one..:yuk:
"by all means have an opinion, but don't be opinionated" (anon)

You'll have to try a lot harder than a few cheapshots, Todger :}

Mystic,

Morning nice to hear from you. I don't think it a cheap shot at all. A quick search of all your posts is quite revealing.

Picking other posters up for their spelling.
Picking other posters up for their addition.
Posting homophobic comments whenever there is a thread regarding the RN (thought I seen the last of that at school)
Overuse of the :mad: smiley
Overuse of the :yuk: smiley
Very little informed debate or discussion that contributes to any thread.

I realise that this post is in danger of falling into the trap of attacking the poster rather than the argument but, I am afraid your record speaks for itself.

I post all this of course, in good humour and in the hope that we can be enlightened in future, by your wit and professional knowledge!

Have a good Friday, Weekend and enjoy the extra hour in bed on Sunday.

Judicious use of:ok: :ok: :ok: ;) ;) ;) :p :D :O

Why, thank you for the lesson Headmaster (thought I'd seen the last of him at school too)
Perhaps you ought to consider a new title - how about 'hubcap,' as you seem to think that everything should revolve around you? Obviously the finer points of inter-service rivalry - aka banter - are lost on you?
Homophobic? No, just bantering about the dark blue - you know: Rum, bum and baccy for the RN; Truckie fleet staying in 5* hotels; Kipper fleet having too many rations; Army, well, being army really - that sort of thing.
A quick search of your posts could be quite revealing too, but I can't be bothered, quite frankly.

Chill out over the weekend please!

VINCEHOMMER

Point taken. I know of quite a few who have crossed over. My point is that others, when talking about the FC Branch, always focus on the Control side and see us as the poor relation of the ATC world. I hope I have put it in perspective.

ATC & FC
 

Wyler,

Glad you enjoyed the joint visit to Canada - so did I!!!!!

I trust that in your initial reply you do not wish to give the impression that the statement "If you want a posting close to Mum and Dad - be an ATCO" applies to the all the ATCOs in the RAF, as the personnel that currently support operations in the Falkland Islands, Basrah, Balad, Al Udeid, Seeb, Muharrah, Kabul, Sarajevo and Banja Luka may beg to differ. A controller has also been deployed to Kandahar in support of the Harrier Detachment and further overseas delpoyments are already being planned to that region. In addition, an Area Radar team, working as an embedded element of 1 Air Control Centre, is also under development.

The ATC branch certainly offers a wider choice of postings and a better option for eventual civilian employment, but these days we also deploy a bit as well!!

Matoman

MATOMAN

Good morning!



Don't dangle that carrot in front of them...manpower shortages and all that!