thank you.

I realise that this isn't the only thing I need to concentrate on. I currently have a world map with lots of little pins in it stuck to my wall and my floor is strewn with newspapers, magazines, mathematics books, problem solving exercises, homemade flashcards, etc. :}

It may sound a little geeky, but I'm actually enjoying it. It's making me look forward to my OASC attempt, whereas a year ago I was terrifed at the prospect!

Thanks AMiller, much appreciated!

Neeps, just to clear up a few tiny innacuracies in the original post.

Yes, but don't know why you've got 208 in there twice. You pop from Linton to 208, then from 208 to either CFS as a Creamie, 19, or NFTC. Creamies come back to refresh on 208, then go on to either 19 or NFTC. TW graduates from both NFTC and 19 head off to OCUs.

Cranwell's 3 FTS. Similarly, Linton's 1 FTS, and Valley's 4 FTS. I don't know if a separate squadron run MELIN, but MEAFT's run on 45 Sqn on the Beechcraft King Air 200. Jetstreams are all dead now.

As well as an OCU, you could wind up on a "training flight" within established squadrons on some fleets, as they don't have a separate unit to train.

There's only one Griffin course, which is the advanced one. You do Single Engine Basic on the Squirrel with 606 Sqn AAC, Single Engine Advanced on the Squirrel with 705 NAS, then Multi Engine Advanced with Sixty Sqn on the Griffin. RW OCUs are OCF; Flights rather than Units.

Just wondering if anyone can confirm the new 30 week IOT for me?

Neeps,

It sounds like you have got your head screwed on. Don't get it bogged down in the minutiae. The interviewers will be aware that you have read up on your chosen trade (if you can remember it all at interview!).

You will also have to do the RAF Fitness Test (shuttle runs, press ups and sit ups) and this is effectively pass/fail (if not actually pass/fail) so, make sure that you are not just sitting about lloking at a map of the world with pins in it. Get running!

Good Luck.

kipper

:ok:

(if selected, you will be on a 30 week IOT)

Thanks kippermate! I have started running but seem to find swimming ten times more enjoyable! Someone told me that anyone going for Pilot has to do a swimming test, although they were the only person I have ever heard this off of! True or False? I'm hoping it's just the usual 'banter' between candidates.

Splashing around.
 

You will indeed have to do a swimming test but as long as you have four, semi functional, limbs you should be able to pass it!
The mandatory half marathon in under two hours is still also on the syllabus. It's tough going but the sense of achievement more than makes up for it!
BV

Unless Cranwell has been defunct in passing out yet another set of new OASC guidelines... Last time I checked it was a bleep test...

Or you are speaking of IOT?

Please advise

Phys ed.
 

Apologies.
I was talking about IOT. You won't need to do the swimming test on OASC. That comes later. The bleep test is done on the fam visit I think and the half marathon happens in week four of IOT, to allow progression onto one of the training squadrons.
BV

You're all so mean! My course only had to do the half marathon in less than 2 hour 10 minutes. :)

Swim test is 100 metres in overalls then tread water for two minutes. I took the p!$$ and did it with my hands on my head - I don't think you will find it too hard!! ;)

Keep up the swimming though, its good cardio and you have to do swim circuits during IOT - the faster you can swim, the less press ups/tricep dips :yuk: etc your mate has to do!! :ok:

NFS

Thanks for that. I've heard one person say to aim for 3 miles in 21 minutes to get fit for IOT. Thankfully, with the length of time that it takes for everything, it will be plently time enough to get even more fit before IOT.

Any Aircrew do have to do the swim test at OASC i think. I did in Nov '04, so not sure if they changed it since.

The best people to answer this question are likely to be those who work at the Department of Recruiting (RAF) at RAF Cranwell. They may even tell you the answer if you ask nicely!

kipper

:ok:

RAF pilot eyesight
 

Hi,
I know this topic has been done before but I can't find anything from my searches. I'm going to visit an optician soon and can someone please give me the exact eyesight requirements needed for RN/RAF pilots?

thank you

This is for RAF and was current in 2004, of course subject to change.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0703/philm/eye.jpg

Is essentially what your after I think, CP2 on the colour vision bit means "No errors are made using the Ishihara plates under the prescribed conditions".

PM me with an email address if you'd like the full document.

RN eyesight reqs. from an older Pprune post
 

This is from another thread on PPrune:

Outline Guidance on Medical Standards required for Officer Entry into the RN, RM & QARNNS

For aircrew, standard 1 visual acuity is required along with colour perception 1.

Standard 1 is:

to be achieved with correcting lenses:

Right eye 6/6 N5
E 1
E 1
Left eye 6/6 N5

to be achieved without correcting lenses:

Right eye 6/12 N5
E3
E3
Left eye 6/12 N5

Refraction limit

Right Eye

Total
Hypermetropia +3.00 sphere
Astigmatism +1.25 cyl
Myopia (in any meridian) -0.75 sphere or cyl

Left Eye

Total
Hypermetropia +3.00 sphere
Astigmatism +1.25 cyl
Myopia (in any meridian) -0.75 sphere or cyl


Your local optician will understand it.

Colour Perception Standard 1 : The correct recognition of coloured lights shown through the small apertures on the Martin Lantern at 6 metres distance.

thanks very much everyone, i hadn't quite anticipated it to be so difficult to get in. Oh well, you don't get in if you dont try, ey! Oh, does anyone what the ratio is for people with degrees against those leaving sixth form (aged 18)? Do they prefer one or the other?

Try here

It links to numerous threads, one of which is Degree vs Direct Entry.

Most people on here tend to be for the Degree route, but don't do it for the wrong reasons.

Try the Search function up top, theres shed loads of useful threads for us wannabes on 'ere, you just have to find them!

Best of Luck!

(Edited for poor speeling - see)

Degree or no degree....
 

I believe that the RAF is currently changing its preference here as a result of Typhoon and JSF coming into service. There is now an in service degree system in place which allows you to build up points towards a degree as you go through various aspects of your in-service training. The idea is that a young lad straight from school hits flying training at the best age to learn the new skills required of a modern generation fighter pilot ( no longer how many ales that could be sunk in the bar the evening before a 4-ship) Best to investigate the scheme on the website and then ask your friendly Careers Office advisor who may just know about the scheme.

The cynic in me would also say that the young lad will be more likely to give a good return of service and be more inclined to accept the fu%^ing around than an older graduate who is nearer the age of settling down and having family ties etc.

Best of luck with the Careers Office, the advice that I was given first time around was not the best for me but the best for the service needs. Things may have changed now.

Let's assume you're a high flyer school-leaver (the sort that the RAF wants early) who takes the RAF bait and forgoes a confirmed place at a premier league university to get gain a quality degree (in the future this will be the only HE currency recognised by top employers targetting graduates) and join the RAF direct from school.

You're rather snookered if, two or three years down the line you end up being one of the 14 out of 15 students who didn't make it thru Pilot pipeline.

Chopped, depressed, early 20's, no quality degree, staring at the bottom rung of the next ladder, no paddle.

Hmmm... I would say that you're actually in quite a good position.

I would think that most employers would rather have someone with a few years of RAF Officer experience than someone with a degree in basket weaving. I do see your point about premier league degrees though but most degrees are not premier league.

You are young and have a lot of life experience compared to similar aged graduates and have no debt (If you’re sensible with your pornstar wages).

Yeah, you might get depressed but I’m of the opinion it’s better to ‘celebrate the life than to mourn the death’ sort-of-thing.