RAF Residency Policy
 

Hi!
I am interested in applying for the SNCO Air Traffic Controller or the Pilot role as a regular.
However, I am currently 17 years old (until the15th July) and have been studying and living my whole life in Spain. I am a British citizen (because my father is British) and I will have all the minimum requirements needed for both of this roles (Spanish equivalent to the English A-levels) by the end of June.
I never had problems with the law or any other issue that could disqualify me to join the RAF.
I also have Proficiency level in English to prove that, although I am living in a country where the mother tongue is not English, I do have the ability to speak, understand and write fluent English.
All in all, and knowing that the only requirement missing is the one related with residency, I would like to know if anybody knows if I am eligible to join the RAF.
I also read in the webpage that some other tests or requirements would be needed in this situation. It would be great to know which ones are they, if it is possible.
Thanks for your answers!
Danny

Have you checked the RAF recruitment site? Unless you're dual British/Spanish nationality then I'd say that you're not eligible.

https://www.raf.mod.uk/recruitment/h...ibility-check/

He says he is a British Citizen which implies a British passport. The main issue will be residency. I believe the issue is the difficulty of conducting security screening. Previous advice has been to attend a British university and gain residency that way; it would appear to limit visits home to 28 days per year.

You might risk extra home visits on the assumption that the UK Border Agency dont share information with other Government Agencies and Ministries.

At 18 you have plenty of time for a degree course and still join at age 22-23. The only bar would be fees of up to £9000pa with food, accommodation etc on top of that.

Simple answer is to ring the careers telephone line and ask: 0345 605 5555 or overseas equivalent. I did this for my cousin's son living in Australia and a helpful advisor said that if he was overseas accompanying his parents due to their work, he had until he was 22 yrs to apply. This may not be the OP situation but you can easily find out.

I do have dual British nationality. I will call the number this afternoon. Thanks!

Good luck :)

Forget the SNCO ATC plans otherwise you will waste your life in the RAF.
Plan for a career as a Pilot, fast jet or other wise. Don't accept 2nd best.
Dave M

Why do you say that? I thought that the SNCO ATC role was the typical ATC job: in the tower, communicating with planes, etc. Is it not like I expect? Thanks.

Seconded!!

Do you know your "Spanish equivalents to A levels" will be accepted?

Do you have the GCSEs? A levels aren't required for the SNCO role.

DMar,

Your original post stated your preferences for a career in the RAF as ATC or pilot, this is an aircrew forum so don't be surprised if you are encouraged to go for the latter. Have you made that call to the careers office? Have you checked the medical requirements for both roles?

DMar,
The fact is you have to either join as a Trade Assistant general at the lowest rank in the R.A.F. and then qualify as an Assistant Air Traffic Controller (making tea, driving the land rover, answering the switchboard) then after a couple of years become a S.A.C. where you can sit on the right of a N.C.O. in local control (the glass house on the top) then in another few years as a corporal sit in the Runway Caravan (if they still exist). It would be optimistic to ever think you would be a SNCO Controller.
In the mean time, if you were accepted and joined as a Cadet Pilot, it would be a totally different structure and to put it bluntly, any ideas of ATC would be totally left behind. You belong to a totally different comissioned rank strucure and far superior to the ATC idea.
I am talking about two totally different worlds and the world as a pilot is undoubtedly the only one to choose. I joined at the bottom as an Assistant Air Traffic Controller and realised the mistake I had made. It took two years to effect the changes and join an aircrew course for the period I had signed up for then leave the R.A.F. and train as a commercial pilot.
Why not look at Cadet Pilot for Iberia or B.A. with your language skills? The salary would be a lot more than in the R.A.F. and although the job is not quite as interesting or demanding, in reality it's a lot safer.
I don't know the size of Iberia but I think BA is nearly twice the size of the R.A.F.

5aday

Err, not really as the RAF recruits direct entry SNCO Controllers.....!

Both internal and external and requiring similar aptitudes to pilot. You might also co nsider looking at civilian ATC as an RAF ticket is not acceptable outside.

Go to a Scottish University based on your EU citizenship and pay nothing........

Downsizer
- thank you. See, things change and sometimes for the better.
For me, given his options, I'd go for Pilot in the RAF and in parallel, see if the airlines
wanted me and then flip a coin.
But definitely not ATC. Been there, done that , got the T shirt.
Dave M