How often do Pilot vacancies appear? Any time I search on the RAF website they are never on the 'available roles' list. Very vague one liner but in a nutshell how hard would it be to pass all tests, scenarios etc to a standard where you would get the opportunity to become a RAF pilot? I can find very little info on the application process of the role.

Aircrew vacancies
 

Last year 170 trainee pilots were made redundant as were the last 5 courses of navigators. The surviving pilots are going through training now, so it's a fair bet pilot as a branch will open reasonably soon. WSOp, as I've already outlined, probably will not. I know there are Air Traffic Controllers training at Shawbury now so that could be a good route, either as direct-entrant SNCO or with a Commission. I also know ex- RAF aircrew students who are undergoing RN selection with a view to flying as rotary crewmen.

I know the prospects aren't great but you must explore every avenue if you want to fly.

In the RAF numbers of ABM, FC, Technicians, Linguists, IA's, Movers and Stewards all have flying roles and I'm sure the other Services probably have the same diversity. If it's not a piloting role you're after -consider other options - Flying is so much better than working for a living;)

CS

Many thanks for the info CS, good insight into what has within the force recently. You dont know how many applicants have typically applied for any given pilot campaign in the past?

The old line used to be that for every person who made through to an operational seat as a pilot, 10,000 had visited an AFCO to enquire about the role.

Large pinch of salt needed with that, no doubt, but it's more than fair to say "extremely competitive".

:) reality check needed then!

MotN, I think is was possibly 10,000 in the AFCO with one thousand reaching OASC for 120 getting to IOT. There are also in-service applicants to consider.

CS, just to clarify one of your points, the remaining pilots in the pipeline have not all started training - they are currently filling courses until early 2014.

From there it's possible to guess that the first EFT course with 'new' pilots in will be middle of 2014, so they'll possibly be graduating IOT early 2014 with a middle 2013 IOT start.

That's why I think they'll start recruiting pilots soon. There are a lot of assumptions there though, that's if they continue EFT at the same pace once all the holding pilots are through plus I'd imagine they could probably fill a course or two with waiting bursars.

As I said, large pinch of salt needed as I believe the '10,000' also included people who wandered into the AFCO to pick up a leaflet never to think about it again.

CS,

Excuse my ignorance.
Are the ex. RAF Aircrewman going straight is a D.E. RN Aircrew or are they having to undergo the whole selection process from the start?.

Just out of curiousity to see whether the RN are now considering D.E. Aircrew.

Thanks.

NDW
 

Honestly, I don't know the RN policy, but I do know a few people who got stalled in the RAF training pipelines and were offered the chance to swap over.

I believe rotary crewman training is possibly changing in future from disparate single-service courses to a one-fits-all tri-service affair. This may well change things from recruiting onwards.

CS

The Dark Blue do not normally have direct-entry rearcrew - Aircrewman Training | Royal Navy

A_A & CS

Thanks for your replies.

I thought as much. It would be excellent if a similar route opened in the FAA. Even if it was just as a trial.

NDW

Recruitment is tailored to meet a need. If internal recruitment is sufficient then there is no need to take the risks attached to external recruitment.

Remember, an internal applicant will already have been given basic training, acquired skills above the basic level and more importantly been observed and reported on before getting to selection. The outcome for an internal recruit is more assured than for an external applicant.

It is also one reason why it seems harder for an internal recruit to gain a commission or become aircrew.

Pontius

Excuse my ignorance; why would that be?

I only ask as it took me three applications from within the service before I eventually gained my commission.

MAD, I think, and that is only my opinion from years of observation, is that direct entrants are assessed more for PQs and potential and are 'captured' as soon as possible if suitable. An internal applicant may not have appeared to have the same potential for a commission but once they have enlisted they too are effectively captured.

They can then be assessed at leisure and over time. Some will be encouraged to go for a commission, others will think they are suitable. In both cases they will be given some form of encouragement - good or bad - and there will be some element of 'if your face doesn't fit' bias. Those internal candidates will often have to pass a station board composed of officers that have not qualified with AFCO or OASC interview skills.
Also PQs and leadership skills may also mature over time thus improving your chances.

Why harder? Very simply because there will have been many more direct entrance candidates that have presented with excellent qualifications but been rejected because needs have been fulfilled. Whereas there will be far fewer internal candidates have several more hoops to jump through.

Maybe someone else can elucidate better than me.

Mad Boom



This is one of your posts (as I'm sure you will recognise), change of heart?

Lj

Wow! I must have seriously p***ed you off at some point. You've really done your homework on me there!

We all change eventually. Maybe I was having a 'I hate officers day', who knows? In the end, if you can't beat 'em ........ However, as my IOT Flt Cdr said, once a knocker, always a knocker. Still graduated though.

Mad

No, not at all mate: I just laughed when i saw that post and your subsequent change of heart.


Well done ref commission and all the best :ok:

ICS
 

Branch sponsors will often allocate a certain number of spaces for those who commission from the ranks - which means the internal market is only competing with itself in many cases. The rest of the target for the year will be bursars and direct entrants etc.

Whats the current state with NCO aircrew recruiting? As an SE FITT in the RAF can i use my completed city in guilds and key skills NVQ in lieu of my GCSE maths qualifications? And is it true that if your already 'in' that you stand a better chance compared to someone who is coming in from civvy street?

Essex, being in the RAF you will be aware that there is a force development centre at your station. Why not pop along and speak to the training officer or whatever they call themselves these days rather than relying on out of date or inaccurate information from this chat forum.

NCA Recruiting?
 

not happening soon, I fear.

we are just looking at course flows that would clear the current backlog of students through Cranwell by Q4 2014.


Try calling NCALT (NCA liaison team) at OASC Cranwell for up to date recruiting gen.

CS

PRec
 

Hi all,

Firstly Merry Christmas to you and I wish you a happy new year 2013!

I am posting to enquire whether anyone is in the know when Pilot recruitment will be starting again for the RAF...? Few of us are on the edge of out sits whilst also holding down alternative career paths.

Thanks in advance for your returns.

Regards,

fly_surfbeach

probably as they are opening a direct entry UAV pilot branch from apr 13

In regards to the new UAV Pilot trade opening, isn't the UAV role flown by WSOp's?

I've seen a few piccy's someone & i'll try and dig them out of a UAV pilot at the rank of Flt Sgt.

Reaper has a mission crew of two. A Pilot and a Sensor operator. Like you I've seen pictures of WSOp's operating the Reaper UAV but I'm not sure if the WSOp Pilots the aircraft or if this is done only by a Two-winged (brevet) Pilot/WSO.

This is something I've wondered as well?

Flysurfbeach, there will be some pilot IOT entries in FY13/14 but they will be taken up by university bursars who have been waiting their turn. I would get something temporary for a year or two if I were you.

DSAT Man Many Thanks for your response- Currently have a very good job in the aerospace engineering world, but would like to move on!

I'm currently also in the process of applying to the Army lookingpotentially at Air Corps however unfortunately the AAC do not sponsor :-(

Anyone any knowledge of the truth of an officers career in the AAC becausepersonally I'd like to keep flying if I'm successful in getting there in thefirst place :-/

Kind Regards,

fly_surfbeach

Having recently finished a tour in JHC HQ, you couldn't move without bumping into a grumpy AAC officer pilot staring longingly out of the windows as yet another AH or Bell flew over on the way back to Middle Wallop. If you want to fly and do nothing but fly, your options are RAF as a pilot or AAC as an NCO pilot.

If you commission into the AAC as a pilot (beware, they now commission as ground branch officers too), you might do 2-3 tours as a pilot whilst you're a junior officer, but once you hit senior captain it's pretty much staff jobs from then on to make you promotable in the first instance. You might get lucky and get command of an independent flt as a captain or a sqn as a major or if very lucky a regt as a lt col, but your only option, depending on how numbers etc pan out, could be to decide to step off the treadmill and stay as a captain - but even then flying jobs are not guaranteed.

Melchett01- Many Thanks for the reply, useful information.

KRgds,

Fly_surfbeach

Melchett is spot on but we have had quite a few AAC pilots come over to us once they start flying a desk and get disgruntled. They only required an OASC interview followed by a 'kit and post' if successful.

AAC ruperts have also made their way into the dark blue, often via 847NAS

I would start by doing a little more research. C-17s and RAF C-130s are not tankers.

Corrected
 

I would first check if corrected vision is acceptable for aircrew, it is not always.

You do not get to choose aircraft type until after Initial Officer Training and then getting streamed after Basic Flight Training.

Grammar and spelling is still important.

Good Luck!

Maverick, how old are you?

Yes the demands for each role are different. The more demanding role is seen as fast-jet with applicants usually assessed for that role. Once in flying training your initial aptitude will be more accurately assessed and you may join different streams one of which may well be to a ground branch.

I realise that RAF Aircrew recruitment is pretty much at a standstill; does anyone have any idea whether it's the same story with the Navy?

Ta!

Ask on Joining Up - Royal Navy Recruiting or go to any AFCO.

FAA Aircrew Jobs...
 

I headed down to my local AFCO a week ago and enquired about aircrew jobs in the RN, preferably pilot. At no point did he mention that they weren't recruiting, infact he was fairly forward and immediately began talking about the process, medicals and AIB etc.
Just out of interest, how valuable would a degree be? I'm in the middle of my a-levels at the moment and fairly confident that I will reach the 180 UCAS points required, but will other candidates with a degree (perhaps not the underwater basket weavers :ok:) have an greater chance of getting through?

HKCP

Degree to be a Pilot, relatively unimportant. It shows an aptitude to learning - and of learning under your own steam, but not crucial.
Degree to be an Officer - more important. Independence, maturity [sometimes....] exposure to more of the world, etc, all valuable and help you be a better candidate and better Officer.

AFAIK a degree confers no benefit in the recruiters' minds. If anything they will be expecting more from a person who has had an extra three years of life and education, and who has done more at university than party and pass exams.

In the current climate apply when you are 18-ish, with a university application/place as your Plan B.

Unless you want to be a medic, engineer, vicar or nurse your degree choice is irrelevant. There's at least one Royal Navy pilot with a degree in theology.

Start thinking now about everything they will look for outside of the 180 UCAS points.