Applying for the RAF?

[Dixie68]

snotrag said:

For each of those roles there is the 2nd choice of doing either at the lower level, either Weapons systems or General technician on the airframes. I was advised away from the other technician roles, avionics/electronics as being dull (unplugging and plugging in modules) and everything else as being like a posh car mechanic.

Haha, I guarantee he was a Rigger (airframes), Sooty (Propulsion), or Plumber (Weapons). Those trades are what are called the 'heavy' trades and Avionics/Electrics and the heavies have a semi-friendly rivalry going on. I was Avionics and yes you can go out to a job where, say, the V/UHF radio is malfunctioning - that may result in a box change (LRU change). It may also be cured by manual tuning, it may be the antenna, mounting frame etc so you will still need to fault-find, which is the process that interested me. And replacing a nose radar, another Av job, will involve working with high pressure systems, winching kit, dummy loading etc. Plus then you've got all the secret squirrel equipment which can be very, very interesting. In other words there's more to being Avionics than LRU in-LRU out. Also I'm not sure what the job prospects are for an aircraft rigger, sooty or plumber after leaving the mob, but with my electronics qualifications I left the mob and walked into another electronics job with an instant 10 grand payrise; a year later I was head-hunted for another job with another 10 grand payrise.
The other jobs are interesting too though, it just depends on what you want to do. I do remember being in the heat of the desert in Oman once though, watching a rigger change the aircraft toilet, covered in racasan blue chemical, poop, toilet tissue and swarms of flies on a Nimrod and thanking God I had joined up as a Fairy as we'd earlier been working on the acoustics system, sat in comfy chairs, with the air-conditioning on full-blast

In your day to day job what would you want to do? Engines, electronics, vehicles? It might help narrow it down.

[Dixie68]

snotrag said:

One more thing - I'm sure i've seen it mentioned but - Is it possible to pay a visit to any of the bases, to meet and talk to the people doing the roles I'm interested in? Is it a done thing? I would hope that it would show willing and genuine interest on my part, (brownie points at interview stage) and I'd also get the 'true' picture on the roles from those doing it.

Edited by snotrag on Wednesday 30th June 13:25

I'm not sure about that one, I do remember schoolkids visiting often but not adults. You can ask, you never know. Whereabouts do you live? I seem to remember that RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire did open days for prospective officers but that may have gone to the wall by now.

[Bosshogg76]

Just found this thread. A few points to that may or may not help. I joined up as a rigger (now multi-skilled) 12 years ago and am just about to leave,

1) Under no circumstances believe the well worn AFCO lie, of "just join up in this trade and you can move over to your trade of choice when you are in" The amount of people that are still doing a job they didn't really want to do due to unscrupulous AFCO staff used to be quite high.

2) Aircraft trades are now down to Mechanical, Electrical, and the Freckles players (Armourers). I love the mechanical side of things, which is why I chose gods trade. However as Dixie68 said, your prospects for employment post RAF seem to be higher if you chose to go the "light" route. Unless like me you end up in an area that still values mechanical skills.

3) Have you found out about your training? would you be happy being a Liney for 18months before going back for Further Training? (I joined up at 22 so getting ratted with the 17-18yo linies felt a bit odd)

4) Finally do you want to be your trade to the As* To Mouth or would you prefer to be Fairy Dog F*cker?

[shouldbworking]

Hi, I just thought i'd chip in here as a current applicant for Engineer Officer - passed filter interview, waiting on an OASC date.

Your local AFCO should be able to help with organising a site visit - I have had the opportunity to visit RAF Lyneham twice (could only make it the once though) as part of my application. It was a fantastic opportunity and utterly confirmed my decision to take the risk of a change of career (I'm 29).

I can't comment on standards of living but certainly the pay is a world different - the RAF careers website will give you the information on this. The age restriction is you must be within the age bracket on starting your first day of training.

One thing I would say is that you seem to be expected to know everything (twice) before you even get close to a start. I'm talking acronyms, aircraft types and what they are used for, projects, deployments, roles, units you might be interested in, current world events and their potential implications for the RAF. If you want to go for officer roles you'll also be expected to be able to talk about positions you have held of responsibility and to demonstrate a proactive attitude / lifestyle.

Careful posting on e-goat and pprune etc, I guarantee you if the information you seek can be found online somewhere (even if its ridiculously hard to find / unclear) it will be frowned / commented upon by recruiters and you never know if that one is going to be the guy who interviews you!

Another edit for the handy youtube videos - these pertain to officer applications. I haven't looked into the rest

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9_n7iHVUrg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tR6Dyfp7Yf0&fea...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MfnJFq8TtM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1uErZeg8sE&fea...

Edited by shouldbworking on Thursday 1st July 11:51

[Riggernut]

http://www.mod-pc.co.uk/

Pensions calculator for anyone looking at the financial benefits. For anyone joining today then the your pension scheme would be 05.

[shouldbworking]

Balls. Got a call yesterday saying even though I passed interview at afco, cranwell weren't convinced so contrary to what I'd been told I don't even get to try oasc. I swear they are just making excuses to try and avoid giving somehow a little older a chance.

Going to get some more info on how to improve.. give it one more try and if they are still obstructive they can forget it. Very frustrating given the effort I have and am still putting in.

[Bosshogg76]

shouldbworking said:

Balls. Got a call yesterday saying even though I passed interview at afco, cranwell weren't convinced so contrary to what I'd been told I don't even get to try oasc. I swear they are just making excuses to try and avoid giving somehow a little older a chance.

Going to get some more info on how to improve.. give it one more try and if they are still obstructive they can forget it. Very frustrating given the effort I have and am still putting in.

Getting into the RAF is highly competitive at the moment, with the SDR about to happen and the RAF already being cut to 35000 people, competition across the board is high. With out wanting to slur your age or capabilities, I think the Cranwell have taken the easiest option and removed you from the running early doors.

[shouldbworking]

Bosshogg76 said:

Getting into the RAF is highly competitive at the moment, with the SDR about to happen and the RAF already being cut to 35000 people, competition across the board is high. With out wanting to slur your age or capabilities, I think the Cranwell have taken the easiest option and removed you from the running early doors.

I can certainly understand it but it's very frustrating. At my site visit / interview / p2 pres I can honestly say that I have been the best prepared, knowledgable and enthusiastic of all the candidates that I have met. I guess I will find out at my debrief, no sense getting annoyed about it in the meantime.

[Bosshogg76]

shouldbworking said:

Bosshogg76 said:

Getting into the RAF is highly competitive at the moment, with the SDR about to happen and the RAF already being cut to 35000 people, competition across the board is high. With out wanting to slur your age or capabilities, I think the Cranwell have taken the easiest option and removed you from the running early doors.

I can certainly understand it but it's very frustrating. At my site visit / interview / p2 pres I can honestly say that I have been the best prepared, knowledgable and enthusiastic of all the candidates that I have met. I guess I will find out at my debrief, no sense getting annoyed about it in the meantime.

I know this maybe cold comfort, but a lad I worked with went for commission from the ranks few years back. I read his debrief, how he didn't get in no one will ever really know (well apart from the selection board) as he scored highly across the board, the only thing that could be put against him was his age.

Just to add, is your heart set on the RAF and just the RAF. This may seem odd from a blue suit, but taking into account promotion prospects and the fact that the SDR will bite into us the hardest, you may be better looking at the engineering commissions available in the other services. I'm Non-Commisioned, however given my time again, I think you would have found me joining the Navy as a "Tiffy".

Edited by Bosshogg76 on Friday 2nd July 12:24

[shouldbworking]

Bosshogg76 said:

shouldbworking said:

Bosshogg76 said:

Getting into the RAF is highly competitive at the moment, with the SDR about to happen and the RAF already being cut to 35000 people, competition across the board is high. With out wanting to slur your age or capabilities, I think the Cranwell have taken the easiest option and removed you from the running early doors.

I can certainly understand it but it's very frustrating. At my site visit / interview / p2 pres I can honestly say that I have been the best prepared, knowledgable and enthusiastic of all the candidates that I have met. I guess I will find out at my debrief, no sense getting annoyed about it in the meantime.

I know this maybe cold comfort, but a lad I worked with went for commission from the ranks few years back. I read his debrief, how he didn't get in no one will ever really know (well apart from the selection board) as he scored highly across the board, the only thing that could be put against him was his age.

Just to add, is your heart set on the RAF and just the RAF. This may seem odd from a blue suit, but taking into account promotion prospects and the fact that the SDR will bite into us the hardest, you may be better looking at the engineering commissions available in the other services. I'm Non-Commisioned, however given my time again, I think you would have found me joining the Navy as a "Tiffy".

Edited by Bosshogg76 on Friday 2nd July 12:24

Considered the Navy, indeed it was my initial first thought especially as some of the engineering roles fit with my current skills - the things that made me apply for the RAF as a first port of call is that I find it difficult to look at the navys current state of affairs positively - whilst they still have the fundamentals of the required kit for force projection / relief efforts / logistics / nuclear deterrent you have so much of the 'fitted for but not with' going on that you end up with a half assed item. Then you have compromises like ocean where to save costs its built to commercial standards.

Whilst these cost savings may look great on paper, what happens if they actually need to go into the line of fire? would there really be the capacity to quickly produce the required systems and integrate them?

I doubt i'd be able to keep schtum about such issues if I went for the RN, and I'm too old for REME.

Not to say the RAF doesn't have its own set of issues / procurement debacles but I see their role as a lot more defined presently.

ps. Not mentioning the dubious pleasures of life aboard and constant ribbing about man-love

[Bosshogg76]

shouldbworking said:

Bosshogg76 said:

shouldbworking said:

Bosshogg76 said:

Getting into the RAF is highly competitive at the moment, with the SDR about to happen and the RAF already being cut to 35000 people, competition across the board is high. With out wanting to slur your age or capabilities, I think the Cranwell have taken the easiest option and removed you from the running early doors.

I can certainly understand it but it's very frustrating. At my site visit / interview / p2 pres I can honestly say that I have been the best prepared, knowledgable and enthusiastic of all the candidates that I have met. I guess I will find out at my debrief, no sense getting annoyed about it in the meantime.

I know this maybe cold comfort, but a lad I worked with went for commission from the ranks few years back. I read his debrief, how he didn't get in no one will ever really know (well apart from the selection board) as he scored highly across the board, the only thing that could be put against him was his age.

Just to add, is your heart set on the RAF and just the RAF. This may seem odd from a blue suit, but taking into account promotion prospects and the fact that the SDR will bite into us the hardest, you may be better looking at the engineering commissions available in the other services. I'm Non-Commisioned, however given my time again, I think you would have found me joining the Navy as a "Tiffy".

Edited by Bosshogg76 on Friday 2nd July 12:24

Considered the Navy, indeed it was my initial first thought especially as some of the engineering roles fit with my current skills - the things that made me apply for the RAF as a first port of call is that I find it difficult to look at the navys current state of affairs positively - whilst they still have the fundamentals of the required kit for force projection / relief efforts / logistics / nuclear deterrent you have so much of the 'fitted for but not with' going on that you end up with a half assed item. Then you have compromises like ocean where to save costs its built to commercial standards.

Whilst these cost savings may look great on paper, what happens if they actually need to go into the line of fire? would there really be the capacity to quickly produce the required systems and integrate them?

I doubt i'd be able to keep schtum about such issues if I went for the RN, and I'm too old for REME.

Not to say the RAF doesn't have its own set of issues / procurement debacles but I see their role as a lot more defined presently.

ps. Not mentioning the dubious pleasures of life aboard and constant ribbing about man-love

Hey I'm not trying to push you towards the dubious delights of open water man love.

You are partially right in the way that the RAF appears to have it's roles sorted, however the Army see us as essentially a amalgam of their personal British Airways service to and from the theatre of ops, and their battle field taxi service. Their hierarchy hates the expenditure on fast and pointy things, and with the next CODS rumoured to be coming from the Green ranks, you can see where the axe could fall the heaviest in the next SDR.

If you can't keep schtum about issues such as lack of equipment, poor support from BAE, and a myriad of other f*ck ups, I would give your thoughts on the armed services a re-think.

Off the top of my head, in the last 4 years the following have kept me amused, granted some maybe rumours to keep us F3 guys happy.

1) Tranche 1 typhoons not compatible with tranche 2 aircraft, no commonality of spares including basic things like main wheel assemblys
2) Tranche 2 Typhoons having to fly with tranche 1 aircraft as the radios don't work in the former.
3) Rolling robs of flaps and slats on Tornado F3's (ok so it's going out of service but a few years ago it was rife)whilst undergoing servicings
4) Tranche 2 weapons software not talking to armament store
5) Millions spent on a lean program, Lean program ignored once OC Eng was posted off base.
6) New MR4A aircraft delivered, took off on it's next flight, went state and sent straight back to Warton.
7) Millions spent on the upgrade of camp....................camp then closed.

I realise that I may/ am coming over a bit bitter and twisted, however to counter the above hilarity, I've played rugby around the world, been on fantastic ops and dets and I wouldn't change the experiences I have had, I would however consider carefully joining the other services before making the same decision again.

[Dixie68]

Got to admit I'd go along with what's been said about the RN. I've got friends serving in the Navy and the promotion prospects seem phenominal with the minimum effort.

[Riggernut]

Dixie68 said:

Got to admit I'd go along with what's been said about the RN. I've got friends serving in the Navy and the promotion prospects seem phenominal with the minimum effort.

Yep, having worked with a few Harrier lads, Tiff seems to be the route to go for career/promotion preospects. They did say that they had very poor hand skills but knew the JAP inside out.

[Taffer]

Riggernut said:

Dixie68 said:

Got to admit I'd go along with what's been said about the RN. I've got friends serving in the Navy and the promotion prospects seem phenominal with the minimum effort.

Yep, having worked with a few Harrier lads, Tiff seems to be the route to go for career/promotion preospects. They did say that they had very poor hand skills but knew the JAP inside out.

No such thing as tiffs any more - the last course to finish their training were some WE tiffs last year. Instead of mechanics and artificers, there is now only the engineering technician, AET (air engineering technician), ET(ME) for marine engineering, and ET(WE)for weapons engineering. There is apparently a fast-track scheme which would enable tiff-like promotion prospects for the brightest candidates, although promotion is dependant on spaces above and not automatic on completion of courses as the tiffs were.