thank you

i think the raw emotion was a build up of things:

my application in total had taken 15 months to get to OASC, with various things happening on the way ie appendix removal, and after all of the fitness and interview preparation, it was an enormous dissapointment, because i didnt even get an oppurtunity to show the real person that i am.

also it wasnt helped by being 1 of 3 dropped, (the other 2 were uni bursary applicants), so to be the only 1 applying for a job made it alot worse. All of the officers were really friendly at cranwell, especially the duty officer (cant remember his name), but his job cant be easy and i dont envy him having to make the cut. I'd also been fasting from the night before for fasting glucose tests (had i got through), so i was exhausted, hungry and more emotional. Managed to hold it together through the feedback interview with the selection board president, and then got back to my room and let rip. The frustrating this is that a couple of years ago i would probably have been successful, but becuase the bar is SO high right now, i wasnt suitable.

Much to be learnt from the experience, and I await the feedback that will be sent to my AFCO, to learn from, possibly revisit OASC.

There is more than one way to skin a cat.....

I would guess that would have been true of all candidates.

I believe they have changed the testing sequence. Did you have the opportunity to eat before the assessments? If not this may be a useful feedback to OASC.

PS,

fast, thanks for the explanation. There is always a temptation to skip breakfast if you perceive you are short of time.

When I went through you did part of the medical on the afternoon after the second chop, then you fasted that night and did the test the following morning before a late breakfast and then the fitness test. That way nobody was fasting throughout anything strenuous, I would be very surprised if this has changed.

I think the Selection process has changed; indeed OASC have posted on here confirming that. Candidates do the Exercise Phase on day 1 then Interview, Medical and fitness test the following day. Individuals who have to fast for blood tests have their blood taken first thing on day 2 and then they take breakfast. They wouldn't undertake any assessment without eating first! Even young Chrisdaman would have been offered breakfast before going to his review.

yeh so day 1 is:

Morning Briefing and put into Syndicates
Group Discussion
Group Planning Excercise
Hanger Familiarisation
Leaderless Ex.
Leader Ex's
Individual Planning Ex.
Urine Sample given
Height and Weight Given
Hearing Test

anyone with aircrew on their application is instructed that from 2000 hours until the following morning they're to fast as a fasting blood test is required (after the cut)

END OF DAY 1.

Day 2
first thing is the first and only cut
Medical
Interview
Fitness Test

END OF OASC

note: the medical and interview may happen in reverse order too, depending on numbers

hope that helps, and yes i was offered breakfast after being told i wasn't moving on, but i didnt feel hungry afterwards

Care to comment on the times?

What time would the blood test have been? What time was allowed for breakfast after the blood test?

blood test would have been at 0800, and then breakfast afterwards, then into the rest of the medical

Sorry you didn't get through Chris, thought you would have. For what it's worth I think you should go back to OASC.

Day 2 is a combination of:
Medical
Eye test
ECG (if required)
Med review
Interview

Fitness test will be in the afternoon after lunch.

If you get to this stage, you will not be given feedback on your performance.

You would get feedback on your performance. All candidates, regardless of how far they make it through the exercise phase, would receive a written report from oasc which outlines all areas of their performance. These should be sent to the candidate shortly after attending (usually a few weeks or so). If you need amplification on what any aspect means then your AFCO should be able to provide a more detailed breakdown.

you werent the other chris doing the personnel support officer role were you?

small world

and regarding the feedback, i had the meeting with the president of the selection board, and he showed me the written notes he had, these would be sent to brighton for them to type up and send back to me

QASC aptitude tests
 

Hi guys im new to all this i think this is in the right place.
I am going to RAF Cranwell on the 7th of August to do my aptitude tests for the first time. I am just wondering if anyone has any good techniques to help prepare for them or any sites with good information. Also I am a bit anxious about the interviews, does anyone have any tips or advice on them. cheers

Kernow, you have read this thread have you not?

Future RAF pilot
 

My first post on this website so hopefully it's in the right place, sorry if it isn't :).

I am 16 and about to start sixth form and desperately want to be a fighter pilot after I've finished my education.

I went to my local AFCO today and discussed my future in the RAF etc. I asked the AFCO guy whether gaining a PPL before applying as a pilot would help me or not. His reply was "It certainly wouldn't harm you, but it may not necessarily help you during the selection process." Not really the answer I was hoping for:ugh:.

My dad seems to think a PPL will benefit me greatly (because they cherry pick pilots during recruiting) but I think spending all the money on a PPL is a waste as you have to go through EFT in the RAF anyway. I believe it won't help me during OASC but may benefit my during EFT.

Also before anyone asks the reason I havn't got a sponsorship during sixth form is because I am attending a sixth form college in the Netherlands and the sponsorship policy regarding recidency says the sixth form must be in the UK.

I am elegible for the RAF before anybody starts questioning that issue :).


Have a look through this thread. You may also find that an "official" response could be forthcoming in here. Moderators.

SSM, I think you are right. In my opinion you would be better placed improving other skill sets such as physical fitness, organisational skills, leadership etc. If you have, or make, the opportunity for arduous activities these would allow a more rounded development. Don't neglect more general studies and above all ensure you get good A-level grades although passes is what counts.

In some cases a PPL makes you less desirable, because you'd have to be 'retrained' out of civilian habits.

Remember, though, that the RAF selects pilots. Not fighter pilots. If you're good enough - and the timing is right - then you might get a FJ seat. If not, you could end up ME or rotary, so you better be prepared to like that.

Thanks for your opinions. I understand the RAF employs pilots not FJ's, but I am aiming to be a FJ. But if that didn't work out I would still be ecstatic with ME, and the least I would want to do out of the three is rotary, however if I got rotary I would still be happy.

If the RAF didn't accept me, my plan B is to become a commercial pilot in the civilian world (or another career in the RAF, still undecided), but ME or rotary is a lot more exciting than commercial in my opinion, but I would still be happy with commercial. :) (if that makes sense) Basically what I am saying is commercial appeals less to me than FJ, ME or rotary, but I would still be happy as a commercial pilot.
:D:D:D

They don't cherry pick pilots when recruiting - they look for a combination of pilot aptitude and suitability for officer training. I had a PPL when I went for interview (for the Navy) and it made no odds at interview, and any benefits were almost gone within 15 hours of flying training. You won't get marked down for previous flying experience, but neither will you get marked up.

Spend your next two years wisely (and check that your Dutch sixth form qualifications are acceptable), and ensure that your results are good enough not only to get into the RAF, but also to get you onto a university course. Always have a plan B ;)

I would agreethat at oasc they don't seem to be very interested in your ability to be a pilot and are more keen to see leadership potential and general 'officer' qualities. I got 173 aptitude for pilot but with a poor performance in the exercises it was effectively worthless.

Spuk, how old are you? Do you have a plan?

At one time those with aptitude but short on leadership qualities were sent on Outward Bound courses to both toughen them up and give them the chance of effectively non-assessed leadership experience.

With a very high aptitude I am sure that everything else being equal that they would look at you a second time.

I am a Canadian Citizen, am I able to apply to the RAF?

If so, would I be limited to what traders I can apply to?

You would need to have been in the UK for a minimum of 3 years to fulfil the residency requirement and you would not be able to apply for intelligence analyst, intelligence officer or provost officer.

2012
 

Happy New Year!
Can anyone give an update situation on the latest Aircrew situation from a tri-service point of view, hearing very little from the official sources nowadays!

Best Regards.

FS - apply to the AAC and the Royal Navy. Advantage of applying to AAC is that all officer aircrew are pilots, but your AAC place is not confirmed til you are in third terma at RMAS. RN FAA will take you in as officer aircrew, but may stream you to observer instead of pilot, and you have little if any choice.

airborne artist,

Does this mean that the RN FAA are currently accepting applications for Officer aircrew (Pilot/Observer)? Or are they (like the RAF) not accepting applications for Aircrew at the moment?

Thanks alot.

You'll need to go to the recruiting office to be sure, but I understand they are. Or look/search/ask on Navy Net.

Hi guys,

I've currently just started my Honours year in Mathematics and once that's done I'm planning on flying over to the UK to sign up to the RAF or RN depending on which service will provide a higher chance of becoming a pilot (fixed wing). I obviously have a few questions.

1) When should I apply to join the RAF or RN if I want to start the training process next year? I read that it takes a while for your application to be processed, and currently it looks like online applications are non-existent as only a phone number is available.

2) I've noticed that in some cases there seem to be techniques for giving yourself a higher-than-normal chance of being chosen for fast jets (I'm not talking about just working your arse off during training, but rather taking certain training paths). As a lot of the people who plan on joining the RAF/RN as a pilot want to end up in fast jets, is there a certain path to take that could maximize your chances of becoming a FJ pilot?

3) Residency requirements are a big worry for me currently as I've read mixed opinions on this subject. I'm a South African citizen but a dual South African/British national. I've lived and studied in SA all my life, but my mother is a British citizen and South Africa is a Commonwealth country. Right now the fact that I am only a national and not a citizen would seem to make me illegible to join. Would academic and extramural achievement possibly give me a waiver and allow access to application? I know that this is grasping at straws but would past family history in HM armed forces also sway any decisions to allow access?

Thanks guys, cheers.

Alexrey, my post at the top of this page, number 621, will answer your question. Unfortunately, no waivers will be granted either.

I made a bit of a blunder in my earlier post. I realized yesterday that being a British national also means that I am a British citizen. And under the pilot requirements is says "Nationality: UK citizen or holder of dual UK/other nationality", so I'm assuming that this means that I will be able to join up since I am a holder of a UK/SA passport. Is this correct?

Alexrey - whether or not you are a British citizen still doesn't change the fact that right now we have pilots on 2 year holds waiting in the training system. To give you an idea of how few spaces there are in the training system and how many pilots they are trying to get through, we have just had a holding officer posted in to us for a full tour between his basic and advanced course. Not a normal hold, a full 2 year tour as a baby staff officer.

I wouldn't make all your plans around becoming an RAF pilot, especially if you are already 23/24. Unless you are already in the system, you would probably need to be closer to 20/21 to have a fighting chance of making the age brackets for starting pilot training given how little requirement there is for new pilots at the moment By all means, ask the question, but be prepared for an answer you don't want to hear.

Alexrey
Even as a British national, you will have to have spent a minimum of three years to even start the application process. At the end of that period, you would still need to be young enough to get the the application and selection process before your 26th birthday.

I thought that this quote below from raf.mod.uk put me in the "able to apply" bracket.

[QUOTE]I thought that this quote below from raf.mod.uk put me in the "able to apply" bracket. [QUOTE]

According to the criteria you mention from the RAF website you may be able to apply if you don't meet the 3 years residency requirement if you are a British citizen with at least one parent who is a British citizen and you lived with your parents abroad and you attended secondary school within the European Economic Area or a Commonwealth Country.

But you state in your first post that although you hold dual nationality you are a South African citizen and have lived and studied in South Africa all your life. So whilst you might fit the Dual National criteria, you might fall foul of that residency requirement if you are legally a South African citizen. I believe the British Nationality Act 1981 spells out the differences between nationality and citizenship and a read through might clarify which of the multiple categories you fit in to.

But if you are a South African citizen, then it doesn't look like you would meet the residency requirements you quote or be able to meet them in time to make the cut off of age 25 for pilot. You would on the other hand probably make the age bracket for WSO - 32 - but given their fairly limited future prospects, I think you would get some strange looks if you tried to go down that route now.

Melchett01,

I presume you mean WSOp. The RAF no longer recruits, or trains, WSOs!!

Aircrew - Pilot careers, aviation jobs and information - RAF Careers

Ahhh lose a point for spelling errors - I remember that old chestnut as to why you could never get 100% on an exam.

I do indeed mean WSOp, but at the end of the day, it's still all talking freight :E

Thanks for the replies guys. I'll have a look into the citizenship details. I do remember though that when I looked at my passport I saw that under "British National" it also said "British Citizen". Are there different citizen "types" that someone can have?

With regards to all of the pilot hold-ups, is this just for fast-jets or all airframes, as I am happy flying any fixed-wing aircraft that they have to offer (although obviously if you make the effort to join up, its best to aim high). I'm guessing that you referred to all airframes.

When you say that they aren't training anymore WSOs, are you referring to Tornado WSOs? Is because the Tornado will be phased out soon by the Typhoon and the F-35?

WSOp may be a last resort route that I will take, since it sounds like it would still be very interesting. Would the possibility of changing over to a pilot be possible a few years down the line, once I've made it as a WSOp, if I show promise and determination?

Alexrey,

While I'm no official source of recruitment information, or a former officer, I do know from my previous RAF recruitment research that you have a huge gap in your understanding of how the RAF recruit officers or SNCOs for flying duties, whether pilot or WSOp, not only on the areas of nationality and age but also streaming and the branch's evolution.

PN - I think SA degrees are 3 years with your honours needing a 4th year at the end of your Bachelors degree.

This is a really simple answer. We are neither recruiting, nor selecting, RAF aircrew in FY 12/13.

Yes, Honours in SA is 4 years, so when I posted that I was at the end of my 2nd year and going onto my third. Since then I've finished 3rd year and have just started my 4th (honours) year.

I realise that you don't just walk into the RAF and then jump into whatever you want. I know that people are streamed to different airframes based on requirements and pilot ability, but I thought that maybe fast-jet training would have been in a bigger hold-up than other lines due to very limited airframe numbers, whereas other lines might have been more free. I agree, my post was kinda ambiguous; apologies.

Not recruiting in FY 2012/2013? That's pretty much some of the worst damn news I've ever heard. I guess I'll still be keeping my ear to the ground to try and find out if anything has changed in the near future. It's not the best feeling to find out that after working your heart out for years, you realize that you were essentially born in the wrong time period.

Thanks for your help guys.

I must confess that I am at a total loss as to why Alexrey did not contact the Defence Staff at the British High Commission in South Africa to ascertain the best way forward to achieving his aim.:ugh: