Quitting before IOT
 

Good evening everyone,

I realise there is a similar post on this issue, however there doesn't seem to have been anything on this for several years so I am interested to see how circumstances might have changed.

In a few months I am due to start IOT as a pilot. I was in a UAS and have a very good degree. However I have always had doubts about whether the RAF would be right for me, and these have come to the forefront now that training is imminent. I would therefore appreciate an opinion on these issues from those of you who are/have recently been in the RAF as a pilot. I am not asking you to make up my mind for me, rather I would like to check if the assumptions I'm basing my judgements on are correct.

First, I am concerned that I simply wouldn't fit in with my colleagues. The assumption this is based on is that every evening on an isolated base the only activity is drinking in the bar. From my experience, it is frowned upon to want to do one's own thing or not to be involved in this forced group bonding, even if you would want to cultivate friendships with just a few people. This is probably not the right attitude for the military, so I wouldn't get very far. Is this reasonable thinking?

Second, the bases are depressing, isolated and you could end up working in unfavourable parts of the country. This is exacerbated by lack of funding which means facilities are closing or are in a poor state of repair. Fair enough, we are meant to be military and put up with it because we fight on and do what we're told. However, faced with a lifestyle which appears to be a downgrade from university, a graduate in a competitive market is perfectly entitled to reject the military and live/work elsewhere. I therefore don't see how I could put up with this aspect of the lifestyle, unless the flying substantially made up for it. As I only have limited exposure: are the bases really that bad and wouldn't you rather work in a pleasant town/city?

The deciding factor is whether the flying makes it all worth it. But this is also in doubt. I know people who are on 1+ year holds between IOT and EFT. It could take over 5 years to become operational. Even then, you might only fly 15-20 hours a month. The rest of the time I assume you are drowned by the elastic burden of "admin" which fills any free time in the RAF? Could I also ask if any of the flying ever gets mundane - especially for multis as that is the stream I would prefer?

Thank you for reading this post and I apologise for the negative tone. I just want to make sure I'm not being to critical with my perceived disadvantages of joining. I have read a lot of complaints about the RAF going downhill in other posts on this forum, whereas positive posts seem place tenuous emphasis on abstract ideals. I just need to make an informed decision.

Are you sure you were on a UAS?

Did you not attend any Summer/Easter camps, if so, didn't you speak to the livers-in?

A very strange post...

Depends on the UAS in question. If OP was MASUAS or LUAS then they were Woodvale based - what livers-in are there to talk to?

But still, they should have had 2+ years to research and get used to the idea before starting the application. Getting through the hoops is no mean thing...


OP, don't judge a career on IOT. Yes, mess life takes precedent at first, but it doesn't last forever. These days the gym is probably as much of a pull as the bar is... And it's the one place where you're guaranteed decent equipment.

Your view is quite frightening and with that view you are right to have doubts. Your first big shock, and as a graduate all the more so, will be IOT. Few wash out here but I am not sure you would make it. I have a nephew at Dartmouth ex-Newcastle, he does everything with a big grin on his face.

Now, drinking culture. True it happens but not as in days of yore. On operations or even routine flying the work pace limits your drinking. Heavy drinking and high tech don't mix.

I can't comment on holds, but they do present opportunities.

Now your 15-20 hours per month suggests fast jets. You may get something else. But even 15 hours a month can be 10-15 trips and one hour of flying takes many more hours preparation and debriefing. Admin happens but don't forget QRA standby, simulator sessions, operational study etc, even gym work (shock horror).

Then there are many other diversions available that demand your active choice - scuba expeditions (daughter and son in law done that), sailing, climbing, war walks, university short courses. The only limit is operational tempo and your initiative.

Disadvantages are history, positives are the future.

Multies mundane. Possibly but don't imagine a high flying civilian job won't become mundane.

Finally, unfavourable parts of the country; not many bases left so define unfavourable? Multies Wiltshire or Lincolnshire, maybe Scotland but less likely. FJ, Norfolk, Lincolnshire, Scotland.

Really it is up to you. If you think uniformity and discipline are not your things then you are right to have doubts.

The word not used so far is "Comradeship", an intangible concept but certainly stronger in the RAF than in civvy street.

Youngest W from an early age had his heart set on Sandhurst. Offered a scholarship to Welbeck but refused as he wanted to be a Gunner (must have been a terrible parent)Even binned A Levels in favour of Public Serviced Uniformed National Diploma. However, as part of that he had to be in the ACF. Loved that too, but realised that there were aspects he could not deliver on, so changed the plan, and with help of Army Careers came up with an alternative career path, and won a scholarship to UK Sailing Academy. Point is, people come to decide what is right for them by different paths. Hope OP finds the right one for him/her

I would say everyone has some doubts, no doubt you had some initially when leaving for Uni but ended up loving it, I probably had doubts too about the RAF and initial training but they were soon dispelled and I ended up loving my career.

Although at first glance this appears to be a strange post, I think it shows a degree of foresight and courage to ask those questions in the "lions Den" of PPRUNE. With the wealth of experience on here then it is fair to say that some of our experiences can help someone on that first rung.

OP: As you have an IOT date then you will have been through many interviews, tests and visits. How did you feel when you left these? Were you elated to find out you had passed?

You have a degree but what in what subject? Was the degree a fall-back just in case you didn't get in as pilot or was it a degree to tick a box? You mention it taking years to reach front-line, well it takes 7 years to train as a dentist or vet and at the end you are either staring down gaping mouths or up sheep's backsides! What are your career prospects if you do change tack now?

Life on the UAS: Unsure as to which UAS but from what I saw they all had a good time and bonded well. You will make lifetime friends and they will support you through the hard times in the same way you will support them.

Isolated bases: Going back a few years but it was always the isolated bases that had the best out-of-work life. Most people hung around at weekends and the social life was excellent. I see you are in the South West but I am not sure where. Are there family / partner ties that are making you question life in the grim North East?

IOT: I didn't do IOT but went through the far tougher course at Dartmouth ( :-) ). There were times when I and my course mates questioned why the hell we were doing it but just knuckled down and got on with it; in reality it is only a small part of the whole picture and is designed to make you question what you are doing but there is a light at the end of the tunnel and it all sort of clicks into place once you break free.

I wasn't a pilot but had 16 very happy years in the RN and RAF. My son is a pilot; 22 years old and hooning around in a fast-jet (the envy of all his non-military mates and his extremely proud dad). He has had hold-over postings and enjoyed every minute of them, making very good friends along the way. Some of whom are very senior officers who were more than happy to give him sound advice and guidance along the way.

For you time is short I guess before IOT. Reading between the lines of your post I think you have already made up your mind not to go and are looking for support to justify your decision. A shame really as you have already achieved a lot that others can only dream of and, from personal experience, you may regret not giving it a go.

Good luck whichever way you go.

Dartmouth was the making of my son. Dropped out of uni, no ambition, but to everyones surprise joined the RN as midshipmen. In 6 months it turned him into a fully rounded grown up officer. Now navigating a submarine. But you have to love the challenge.

aevu, your post was well written with a level of erudition rarely noted on PPRuNe these days.

Many of your concerns are entirely justified; decaying infrastructure as a result of the lack of adequate funding being just one. Location of ME bases isn't too bad - also the RAF now has an AT/AAR fleet consisting almost entirely of modern types. Mostly located at Brize Norton - which for the benefit of certain aged navigators is in Oxfordshire, not Wiltshire. Not a bad part of the world bordering the Cotswolds, but expensive. Waddington is pretty good too. Flying from either beats the heck out of commuting to some dismal office in a city, no matter how you dress that up. Every time I have to attend meetings in London I wonder how anyone can tolerate the misery of rail commuting.

You won't be obliged to spend the whole evening in a mess bar; however, unwinding from an IOT day with the rest of your course wouldn't be unusual. You will be part of a team for sure, but that doesn't mean that you cannot pursue individual interests as well.

Anyway, you've done well to get as far as you have. But at the end of the day the decision is yours and yours alone.

Tend to agree with Beags and SWB above regarding your post. Difficult for you to get an answer for you when we're all so different. There are many jaundiced views of both the RAF and military service in general on here, but for me, I've had 35 years service so far, the vast majority of them flying fast jets & now teaching and I don't regret my choice of careers one iota. I've see and done things most others can only dream of doing and work/worked with and met some outstanding individuals.


My view would be; how can you possibly NOT want to be a military pilot? But that's just my view.

I always like the advice line, "Don't look back and regret what you did, regret what you didn't do". IOT- what have you got to lose? Many of the anxieties you've expressed may either be allayed or cemented in that year and, in my view, whatever you'd decide to do at the end of it, you'd be the better man for it.

Don't be the, "I could have been a fighter pilot, but I couldn't be arsed" bloke in the bar!

CG

I am going to say what many people are probably thinking here.

If you are considering that the chance to go to work every single day and fly a Typhoon from low level, right up to flight level nosebleed supersonic, night and day all over the world as potentially not for you then I would like some of whatever you are smoking. The opportunity to fly the F35 off of a deck or the chance to live in any number of countries around the world as part of exchanges tours is incredible.

Yes there will be hard times, yes you will deal with non-flying related crap. But who said it was easy? The payback will be flying on Operations, being part of huge international exercises and going away on incredible adventurous training.

A lot of people will say my view is somewhat out of touch with the modern Armed Forces but the fact remains that the journey is what you make it and I would argue that a performance takeoff in a Typhoon probably makes up for the trivial jobs that need doing.


Despite all of this your post stinks of somebody that doesn't really want it enough, probably doesn't have the minerals and quite frankly doesn't fancy the challenge. I am sure a number of people reading this will also consider you somewhat selfish for wasting a pilot slot on IOT if you really do pull the plug.

Enjoy slaving away behind a desk for 40 years wondering what you could have achieved. At least you can tell your co-workers that you didn't have to endure a posting to North Scotland, before sitting on a 1hr tube commute home only to rinse and repeat until retirement.

Read your post out loud and listen to yourself.


Get a grip.

Cheers,


Mr. Vice

Wow, thank you all for the numerous and quick replies. They have provided a lot to think about and I will now go through and address some of the open questions.

True, I have done a lot of research and spoken to many people about this. But I during this time I was also at university and I was still in the process of getting through all the hoops. I graduated, and at some point along the way I had also jumped through all these hoops to be selected, and now with the future ahead of me and an offer in hand I am evaluating whether it's actually for me.

SWP, the questions you asked give an insightful answer. I did feel happy when I passed, but perhaps not to the extent that some people who had made it their one and only goal in life might have. Similarly, I went to university because I am interested in the subject (natural sciences), and because this could lead to a range of careers, one of which might be some form of flying. Joining the UAS then put the RAF option on the table. If I do change tack now, and I'm not trying to be arrogant, I think there is a lot I could do. What I would probably do instead is start a PhD (very different, I know).

Regarding isolated bases, my aversion, I think, stems from being cut off from the outside world, or the nice bits of it at least! I believe living in a pleasant area could have a real effect on happiness in life. For some reason, neither the bases I have been to nor their nearby cities live up to the standard of a nice little university city some 50 miles north of London. Yet this is, of course, a bigoted view and does not take into account beautiful Welsh valleys or Scottish highlands which surround some bases.

IOT, I can get through by playing the game when necessary and just getting on with it. But it will make me question why I am doing it all, especially when I'm not entirely convinced by the life afterwards.

Once again, thank you for all your input and I am still to make a final decision. Once I do, I will let you know.

aevu.

Don't do it. You are not nearly committed enough.

Flying was the only thing I wanted to do, since knee-high. Yes, on basic training , still not eighteen,I did get homesick. Lying awake at 3am, in a barrack-block, thinking "If I left now, tomorrow morning I would be home, Mum would cook me breakfast, and I wouldn't have to run round the perimeter-track in the fog". But I also wouldn't have been an RAF pilot. Twelve years military, twenty-seven commercial, and never doubted it. I always had a little prayer "Dear Lord, save me from the daily commute, and I'll never complain about doing walk-rounds in the rain at four in the morning"

Agree with Herod.

Although I fell into my RAF career almost accidentally (never thought about flying until very late teens) once in, I couldn't dream of doing anything else.

32 years of continuous flying posts in a variety of helicopter roles later, je ne regrette rien.

Getting airborne in a military aircraft wondering what the poor people on the ground are doing for a living, especially when you break cloud on top and it is pissing down beneath just knocks anything a comfy university town North of London could offer into a cocked hat.

If aviation hasn't captured your imagination after UAS then it probably isn't for you.

Enjoy whatever it is you end up doing and I hope you don't regret your decision if you bang out of IOT.

D'you know what, I agree.


If the thought of NOT living in "a nice little university city some 50 miles north of London." is giving you pause for thought over being able to "fly a Typhoon from low level, right up to flight level nosebleed supersonic, night and day all over the world... The opportunity to fly the F35 off of a deck or the chance to live in any number of countries around the world as part of exchanges tours..." then you are clearly not the right person for the job. Please don't waste a valuable pilot slot on IOT.

Heaven forbid you might have to go and live in the middle of nowhere in a sandy dusty place with no air con, if you're lucky you might be given a tent to share and a solar shower to use. Have you really considered that you might have to go and live in really austere conditions? With no WiFi or mobile phone signal.


Take a look back at some of the RAF's deployments: The Falklands, The Gulf Wars, Bosnia, Kosovo etc etc etc.


Whilst we joke about the RAF living in hotels etc, it's not all like that.


Either man-up or pull out!

IMHO, one of the biggest mistakes you make when you leave University (to pursue any career) is to try to replicate the same lifestyle. This is especially so if you're at the university I think you're at (which is also where I studied) - you're not going to replicate that experience anywhere else, and if that's what you're trying to do you're going to end up disappointed. I know, because that's exactly what I did.

Whether you go ahead with IOT or choose another path, embrace what you do for what it is, and do it the very best you can; this is the road to fulfilment and a happy life. Some aspects of your life will not be as good, some will be better. Make the best of the opportunities, shrug off the disappointments.

This isn't the last big lifestyle change you're going to have to deal with. You may get married, you may have kids; one day you will almost certainly retire. At every life change, look back and appreciate the great things you did but can no longer do, accept that you're not doing those things any more, and give the next phase of your life everything you have - as with almost everything, you get out what you put in.

If you are raising the question at this stage in the process, you are definitely not hungry enough. You need to want to be an RAF pilot so badly you can taste it, smell it, and feel it, nothing and I mean nothing can stand in your way. You may hold, be sent to unpalatable places, get wrung out like a rag, but if it is really what you want, you will consider it a great investment.

IOT is part of a process to deliver pilots, at peak performance, to the front line, with all the skills and capabilities needed to do Her Majesty's business.
Lives are a stake, your colleagues, your family and the Nation will be depending on you.

The RAF only selects for fast jets, transport and helicopter pilots are drawn from guys who for one reason or another could not meet the very demanding requirements.

So, unless you have a "Damascus Road" experience, it would be in your best interest to take the other road and give someone who really, really, REALLY wants it, a slot.

Imagegear

I think the OP deserves credit for raising the question but, as has been said, merely raising it actually also provides the answer.

As someone who didn't make it through OASC many moons ago (but did get a Commission in another service later and learnt to fly privately later) but has subsequently had an enjoyable and successful career I can say this:

Being a FJ pilot in the RAF was the only thing I ever wanted to do, and it still is!:{

If you don't feel like that about it, walk away now.

Once your mind has gone, you are finished!

lsh
:E

Aevu,

As I'm sure you know - if you get 10 replies on PPrune you'll end up with 15 opinions to manage!

While you observations may seem to some to be negative, I suspect they're only based on what you've seen and experienced rather than you interpretation of them. It'd be hard to disagree with them.

The days of people wanting to join the RAF because they love flying so much that's all they've ever wanted to do and they want to do it so much they'll live in horrid housing in an isolated part of the country are over. Sorry retired folks - those days are over.

Today people join because they want an exciting and enjoyable stepping stone for the second chapter of their career. For pilots, this more often than not all is about getting the hours to move into the airline world in their late 30s. For the ground trades, this is often about working in a world that pays you while you're in the gym, trains you to do a difficult job that gets you good qualifications, and then lets you do that job in difficult conditions.

As a 22 year old with a good degree, the graduate schemes of the UK's larger employers offer worlds which couldn't be any more different to the RAF. Big salaries, great names to put on your CV and experience of working with modern digital technologies etc. etc. That said, people in your situation do still join the RAF, even as pilots! But I'm not sure any of the reasons why they do it today have been mentioned on this page so far.

I agree with the views above.

I grew up on Royal Air Force stations. My dad only ever - save for a couple of years flew for a living spanning a period of more than 40 years. My father's desk would be covered in beautiful maps with carefully drawn lines on them. His book case full of books on flying. That is not to say he no other interests. He was a very good pianist and liked fast cars and travel. But his raison d'être was flying.

In common with Herod, my dad had also dreamt of flying from being knee high. He even made a mock- up joystick as a young boy..

I knew however from a young age that it was not for me. I chose an entirely different profession where I could use my cerebral skill set and communication skills as an advocate.

Flying particularly in military service, like other professions including my own, requires total commitment of body and soul. Like a successful long distance runner it is not a question of having to go that extra mile in training, it is a case of wanting to go that extra mile to be the best.

Really. That may be true of yourself and possibly a few of your mates but it is most certainly NOT true of the majority. I have taught hundreds of trainee RAF pilots and that is not the majority view in my experience.



I'm not retired, just 35 years of experience and in current full-time flying practice. Please don't generalise.

I think I was about 12 when my father had the inevitable chat about "what are you going to do?". I wanted to be an officer in the Armed Forces, which one as yet undefined. I made one thing very clear ... I didn't want to follow him into the daily trudge of commerce, with a world bounded by office walls*.

The CCF, and later ATC, polarised my Light Blue thinking, and my PPL (Flying Scholarship) refined it further. Sadly my eyesight wasn't up to scratch, but wait ... the Royal Navy took Helicopter Pilots with my acceptable/correctable deficiency. And so, after successful Selection processes, it was off to BRNC Dartmouth.

And here is the point of my dribblings ... I wasn't in the least bit interested in the RN, just the opportunity to fly professionally in the Military. I have no idea how my apathy for things nautical, or the interestingly archaic customs and nomenclature, would have worked out, as to everyone's benefit I failed flying grading.

Shortly after I joined the RAF as an ATCO, thus fulfilling my original broadly-scoped ambition, and had a reasonably successful career which I actually enjoyed.

I went into the RN for completely wrong reasons, with no interest in the Navy per se. I have little doubt, even if I had been successful, I would have hated it. Without 100% motivation for whichever Service, I submit anyone is on a hiding to nothing in the medium term (and the long term is unlikely to apply).


* That came later, during numerous tours at MoD, NATS and Group HQs :)

I can understand the 'Don't waste an IOT pilot slot' and the 'You're not committed enough' viewpoints. But really, you have little to lose. You won't get through IOT, pilot training and make it to a front line squadron unless you are 100% committed but you might find, when surrounded and encouraged by others in the same position, that you do have that desire.

Worst that can happen is that you bang out at some stage. There would be no shame in that and you can head off and do your PhD then. A year or so lost in your 20s is nothing.

I went through OASC in the early 90s and failed pilot selection on eyesight but was offered nav. I decided I didn't want to sit behind/next to someone doing the job I really wanted, but there have been times over the years when I wonder whether should I have given it more consideration.

Be selfish and think about what you could be turning down.

That's moot! If I had started my RAF career a year or two earlier, I would have been in a different demographic cohort with markedly different (faster & higher) promotion opportunities.

How my abilities/deficiences would have influenced my career is a different question, but I know for sure I wasted 2 significant years (63 and 64) by not being in the rat-race already!

MPN11 - sure, in military terms, but that is not the issue. Sounds like the OP will head off into academia if not the air force, and I doubt a year finding out that you weren't cut out for the military and/or flying would make much difference.

A brave question on a forum like this. I disagree with some of your statements, there's no real force bonding anymore and most people live off base and lead a very normal 'faux civilian' life. However, it's not a job its a vocation; if you're not 100% committed you'll almost certainly fail training. Even if you get to the frontline, you will be working with people who will walk through walls to get the job done, if that's not you then save yourself the time, and effort and do something that better suits you.

Not sure about the thread title - he is not considering "quitting". IMHO he is considering his life choices. As a flt cdr at the Towers in the 80s I had an issue with cadets being described as "failing" The RAF selected them and trained them, but "they" failed. Not in my book, and furthermore if they "failed to reach the standard required for commissioning, they needed to go on to other things without carrying a "failure" label. In a few instances I had cadets in my charge who clearly should not have been there. In one case it was because his father was RAF and "told" his son to follow in his footsteps. In another case the stude had been brought up by a single Mum, and had been taught never to put his head above the parapet. He finally asked to VW (resign) the Friday before Black Monday (results) but I sent him away for the weekend and think about what he wanted to do. He transferred to NCO aircrew, was successful and later commissioned. Youngest W mentioned earlier in the thread, qualified as a Yachtmaster Offshore, commercially endorsed, at 20, decided to go to uni and earned a BSc in yacht building and survey, got hooked into computer aided design. Worked on contract to National Grid, and had to go and talk to farmers about wayleaves and address public meetings. That really hit the spot, and he is now with an infrastructure surveyors and about to start a the ARICS course. Let life take you where it will. At least I have a very happy and contented 29 year old son.

I joined the RAF late-ish (30) after another career. I spent a year looking into what the Service could offer me, and matching that with what I could offer it, before applying. I loathed, hated and detested IOT but gritted my teeth and got on with it because I knew that the 'real' RAF wasn't like that. I had 21 years of the most exhilarating and satisfying careers I could have wished for. It wasn't all beer and skittles - there were tough times too - but I had the satisfaction of serving my country (old-fashioned concept, I know), and of the RAF making the most of my skills and abilities.

The best thing was the people I served with, all the way through, Service and civilians. And I was proud to hold HM's commission.

When I signed up, I wasn't 100% that the RAF was the career for me. However it was an easy decision to join because (broadly speaking) you only get one opportunity. As an earlier poster said, if it doesn't pan out, you can always leave. What you cannot do, as a bored middle-aged executive in a City firm with a nice house and a tedious rail commute, sat at your desk wondering 'what if?', is wind the clock back 30 years and become a RAF pilot instead.

In my view, you can't possibly make a decision on any of the following factors at your stage as there are simply too many variables:

- Location
- Nature of flying / aircraft type
- Flying hours

There are some things that are more certain:

- Camaraderie
- Satisfaction of serving and (potentially) playing a bit-part in history
- Income security
- Pension (despite recent changes, still better than private sector offerings)
- Variety (a "new job" every few years if you want it, without risk)

There are many downsides to the job, but there is still something rather special about being a military pilot.

I note that BA has just opened a self-funded pilot apprenticeship scheme. If multi-engine is your aim and you're not particularly bothered about serving Queen and country, I would go to them instead.

aevu

You need to get in touch with the President of the Aptitude Board at OASC; he's the one who most probably signed-off your selection/board report. Ask for a chat over the phone, be honest and tell him that you're having a bit of a wobble over whether the RAF is right for you, right now. If you were a strong candidate at selection, OASC will likely have some flexibility to delay your place at IOT so you can get your doubts out of your system.

Top-tip: please don't leave it until the last minute (i.e., last couple of months) then withdraw - these IOT places are very valuable both in demand and cost!

Good luck with your decision.

The thing that will see you through all the things you think you might not like is the comradeship / teamwork / BELONGING that comes from being a member of a close knit team / crew / formation / squadron. ( and It does not have to involve the bar) If THAT does not appeal to you then don't do it.

Intersting thread, all I can add is that it’s horses for courses, you have a marvellous oportunity ahead of you and you should be proud at this point to have been selected for IOT, it’s no mean feat and the selectors must have seen something in you to pass you through selection. If you approach IOT with an open mind you may find you like it, if not you have only lost a short period of your young life and will at least come away with an experience that could serve you well in whatever other career you may choose. I wish you well in whatever you decide.

Pontius Navigator

As you are/were a Directional Consultant I had to chuckle at the above statement from post # 4, I am sure that the residents of RAF Brize Norton will be enamoured to know that the borders have all changed :)

I think the op is wise to question his decision, it shows a level of maturity that might be of some use.

I would challenge his view of isolated bases, the favourite example of Marham is 2 1/2 hours away from London and you have easy access to some of the best beaches in the country with all the activities you associate with being near the coast (except surfing perhaps). All the other bases have their pros and cons. In general the bases are not that bad, it's just all us old farts in here can't stop remembering the good old days, conveniently forgetting when we were young the old farts were complaining about how things have gone to the dogs, 'twas ever thus.

I would have thought a holding officer would have countless opportunities for AT, learning new skills and sports & developing their leadership qualities. How you perceive and approach these things will shape your experiences.

How can the flying not be worth it? Regardless of stream I believe that living and working on a Sqn brings a sense of belonging that is almost impossible to find elsewhere and when you go on ops, team spirit and sense of achievement is unparalleled.

To repeat two pieces of good advice, don't regret what you didn't do and whatever you do give it your all.

Whatever you choose good luck.

OEVU - I have had a fairly varied career but I'm still fairly young for the average pruner (under 35!). I would say that I don't fit the 'standard UAS' image of the play hard culture. To be honest, a pretty large number of my colleagues don't, we just lead normal (boring?!) lives. Certainly don't take your UAS experience as an indicator of what life inside is like. I've spent a lot of time on/around UAS's (3 now) and all of them, whilst being full of good people, have definitely revolved around a good night in the bar.

There's a time and a place for that, and I don't have issue with those that do, but don't feel you have to enjoy that to 'fit in'.

Secondly, regarding whether it's what you want to do with your life, you're right to ask difficult questions. However, don't think that by doing it you're committing to being a monk-pilot for the rest of your life. I'm looking at a second career right now, not in aviation at all, and my previous stands me in excellent stead in many ways across the board.

Thirdly - regarding pleasant places to live 50 miles from London. Consider Oxford, Reading and Winchester. About 5-6000 RAF personnel work within easy commute of the above, including 1/2 the multi fleet and all of the rotary fleet (although you do have to become the unloved step child of the RAF if you go rotary).

Fourthly - regarding the average working week Vs flying etc. Everything comes in fits and starts. Every pilot will love to whine about the times they only got 15 hours in 3 months, but they'll totally fail to mention the time they got 100! Those times are the ones where the memories are made, on a shooting op or, like the guys recently deployed to the Carribbean trying to make a difference.

All the above is pretty pro-RAF. Bear in mind I'm actively looking to leave, and that should tell you I don't think it's all rosey. I've spent a not inconsiderable amount of time working my ass off, and I've had several years spent at least half away from home, which works at some stages of life but not at others. For me, I love flying (and I've spent this week flying my ass off, so I'm happy!) but it's time to go back to studying and try my hand at a different challenge I think.

All I'd say to you is, at the age of 35-40 you can change your mind and go get a PhD or do whatever floats your boat that way. However, you can't get your hands on a Typhoon, Chinook or A400 at the second bite of the cherry, so if you choose something else, it's permanent.

Wish you all the best either way, continue to be thoughtful, but don't beat yourself up whichever way you choose, just own your decision.

Hi OP.
Just seen your post and been beaten into replying by a host of individuals far more qualified than I!
What a lucky SOB you are to have the choice,but having said that it’s obviously not an easy one for you.I was once in your shoes but had the choice made for me in the lead up to GW1 when the RAF just stopped recruiting for a while....I then became too old!
Nearly 30 years down the road I occasionally think ‘what if.’However,I’ve had a fantastic civil flying career and funnily enough,worked with plenty of ex RAF guys of a very similar age to myself,nearly to a man they are convinced I didn’t miss much at the end of the game.What did strike me was the sheer amount of luck nearly all of them said they had in succeeding FJ training,almost saying that was the only reason they got through!
You have obviously got a great opportunity waiting for you to accept it,however unless you really think that you are up to the challenge,and not just fitting in at the bar,I think that you are correct to think about your motives.Its not just about flying.Its the same deliberation every member of the armed forces face at some stage....do you want to fight for your beliefs and are you willing to pay the price?
Good luck with your choice.

It is if you want to go airline flying. Given the cyclical nature of the industry, a young person can miss sponsorship opportunities or a period of high demand and end up stuck in the doldrums for several years.