How are RAF Pilots categorised into; Fast Jet, Multi-Engine, and Rotary Wing?
 

Is it random selection, or based on assessment scores? Or are you asked to give your preferred Aircraft type?

Thanks.

Some from column a, some from column b, your own preference is noted, but service needs come first.

It's based on your performance in the bar:
Those that mix well with others, have interests outside of work and are generally 'good eggs' go mutis.
Those that want to sit outside in the rain and are a bit odd go helos
Those that stand in the middle of the room telling everyone about themselves and never listen to others but rather just wait for their turn to talk again go fast jets.

In my case (twice), alphabetical order.

Fast Jet, Multi-Engine, and Rotary Wing?


Bigger watch, Bigger stomach and Bigger tent :p

And age, when they grow up and become adults they are posted to multis.

The Ritual Casting of the Chicken Bones . . .

Talent, good looks and bull**** ability. Being QDW normally works for multi!

Surgery
 

Not wanting to have my eyes moved closer together or teeth filed to points eased the decision to head rotary. And being repeatedly sick in a JP............

Well, I wanted Sunderlands but they had all gone, so bid multi/ maritime, got Valley. Bid Canberra strike and got Canberra strike, but short coursed and went ECM. So rare in Signals Command that the CinC asked to see my 5000 Series because he had not seen a first tourist's folder!

I wanted Shackletons as my father was on Lancasters. But I was considered far too dangerous to fly with anyone else so went to Valley :O

If you can read and write Fast Jets. If you can read or write Multis. If you can read or write while being tossed about in a washing machine Helos.

The serious answer to the question.
All pilots are recruited to go fast jet. If they are good enough and training slots are available, that's the way they go.
If pilots are crap, they get chopped and go civilian usually.
Those who don't quite make FJ but are still decent, go to helos or multis, usually based on some of the things mentioned above. With extra experience, some go fast jet later in their career. Most don't!
We all banter the FJ boys, but a ****load of us would have loved to make it

Is it expected that all pilots who go multi will eventually become captains or are some destined to remain co-pilots throughout their service.?

Goudie, the expectation is that they would become captain's but if course some didn't. Today, ever onwards has been replaced with onward and out so I guess there is more potential for captaincy.

On the OP, the FJ stream was 1st, Harriet, 2nd Jaguar,3rd F3, last GR.

Navs were similarly F3 if they had the apptitude, GR if they had the potential, Canberra if they needed more experience.

On Multis the best went Nimrod.

But, as mentioned, even if you ticked the right boxes, if there were no slots then tuff titty.

Always thought it was based on personality, 3 grades, not a lot, some and plentiful. I will leave it to the experts to apportion who deserves what.

Goudie: in the same fashion that all RAF student pilots are recruited with FJ potential all ME students are expected to achieve captaincy at the end of their co-pilot's tour, ie: in only 3 years. At the end of this time they are 'boarded' for captaincy - these days it's a paper exercise but it used to involve wearing No 1s & sitting before a board comprised of SASO & a load of Sqn Cdrs being asked a bunch of questions to assess your suitability, on top of the paper exercise based on your reports of the past 3 years. Those that passed were considered suitable for a captain's slot but might get sent to CFS to be a QFI first, those that failed would invariably end up in a ground tour & in a few years have another go as a co again, possibly on a different type. Few failed to make it after their second go & most got captaincy after their first in my experience. So it's quite a short time to captaincy certainly when compared to civil aviation.

PN: what was the top slot for ME training graduates has varied considerably over the years & personal preference did seem to be a fairly significant factor. Strangely Tristar was deemed to be at the top when I passed through Finningley, Nimrods was volunteers mainly, perhaps due to the limitations of the location, although there seemed to be no shortage..... More recently C130J was the top slot as it was glass cockpit & Tac, closely followed by C17 (ditto but non-Tac) with C130K at the bottom. Not entirely sure where the order currently lies but I expect when ab-initio slots on the A400M open up that will take the top ranking.

Aye, new aircraft usually get top billing.

Friend of mine working for HeavyLift, Airbus I think, said how the Belfast crews were looking forward to upgrading to a new type. Their hopes were dashed. HL preferred to recruit new and already trained rather than convert.

Still the RAF hasn't had that luxury.

Not when I went through:

Harrier, Lightning, Jaguar, GR1/Bucc then F4 (aggressively low average :E) in that order.

Best Navs went mud mover first.

JAJ, depends on which time slice you take, but your list conforms with mine. I certainly knew some weak F4 drivers.

Going back, V-Force plotters and copilot drawn from Canberras, no first tourists. Before that Canberras would have been tops, not sure about Meteor/Javelin. Eventually the Canberra was almost an advanced trainer in pecking order.