C wrote on Aug 15^th, 2011 at 4:15pm:

Well it would certainly do no harm to be qualified beforehand. It's something I need to check with them. At the very least, it could make the training stages a little less taxing if I already had a firm grasp on it all already. Clearly I won't learn all the neccesaries of an RAF pilot through PPL, but it would make me a lot more experienced and confident at flying compared to just strolling in without it. And I suppose it would be useful even if I didn't make the cut, for my own personal leisure.

Blargh, there are too many considerations 

Now, my only thought there is that they may look at the PPL and already have expectations of you, or they may feel that it may cost too much money to retrain you to their standards, and fix any bad habits you may have developed from a poor instructor, but chances are they'll think that you need less training when compared to someone who has never flown before, since you would already have your license. So, I do not know how the RAF would look at it, but it could go either way.

machineman9 wrote on Aug 16^th, 2011 at 1:01pm:


Indeed. Looking at the detail its effectively the popular CTC type scheme (large bond etc), but funded by the airline (ie, rather than giving you a loan, they give you the equivalent back once you're in service).

SaultFresh has the general idea with regards to the PPL. The only thing to be wary of is that you may very well end up having to have old habits from a civvy school "ironed out". The expectation through training wouldn't be any different, as in the big scheme of things 45 hrs is very little.

So how did you do? 

Come to Liverpool and train with the big boys....LFS is a nice school too 

Hawarden is a nice airfield.....just be prepared for me to come and steal circuit time when Liverpool's too busy 

.mic

I spoke to Cosford Powered Flying School and they gave me the following advice:

GET.... AVIATION... RELATED... DEGREE!


So despite a slight lack in interest in university for the past few years, I've finally found a university which makes sense; Aston University for Mechanical Engineering (BEng Hons) which I will try and start next September, provided I get the grades this year.


Futhermore, they are connected with the Cosford UAS (Birmingham University Air Squadron) so I will be able to fly for free, and raise a rank in the RAF if I decide to procceed down that path!


Bit of a shame that I didn't learn about that university sooner; the price boundaries mean that it will cost £27k, not £9k in tuition fees! 

Haha, I know it's not a simple procedure of walk in and get better epaulettes, but it's a fair enough justification of what the UAS can offer you if you turn it into a military career (provided you give the correct service in response).

One of the major reasons they gave for going to university was the backup strategy. If I fail my medical at any given time, then I will need to go to university anyway. They gave me a 2 year approximate waiting list for pilot recruitment when I went to Careers. This carries several considerations, however:

If it is 2 years until the first intake, how long until the next intake? I am 18.5 years old now. I would be 20.5 when their estimated time came around, and I would be 22.5 if I went to university. The RAF have a max age limit for IOT start date of 25 at the moment for pilots. It is not a large window of opportunity.

If I went to university, I would apply to the UAS, and if that was succesful, that could earn me a little of dollar, but it would negate the need to go for a PPL (which still isn't essential, but it is something nice to have)

If I go to university, I remain a lot more employable if my master plan fails. The BA scholarship would be a viable option too! The RAF medic chap I spoke to at Cosford said that I should look for transport pilot, as an ATPL conversion and civil flying after my service is a strong possibility. Yet again, it heavily remains down to what the RAF can offer me, if anything. I haven't even signed the paperwork and I already feel as if my life is their puppet 



For a while I have disliked the idea of university, purely because I enjoy getting out and doing things. I need to research this course content, but I love practical work and that would suit me fine for 3 years compared to similar text-book based courses that also exist.



I would like to go to the right university, for sure. This one seems to press all the buttons. They have a good connection with the Defence Technical Undergraduate Scheme (which could mean bursaries) and from their website, the UAS takes 100 applications and enrols 30-40 of those each year. Reasonable odds.


It's incredibly difficult to plan so far in ahead. Particularly in this economic and political state. Jobs are not required, so you really do have to tick every single box. I may miss one opportunity at some point, but by and large I think I am headed in the right direction into an aviation career and towards a pilot for whichever airline 

My uncle took the option of joining as a junior rank, and then went for his comission and became an ATC. I raised the point when I went to Careers, and they said that they're currently not allowing any cross-branch conversions, and although it's always possible, they said that I may well be stuck with my other role for quite some time! Plus, they said that the interview to become an officer would be harder and that I would come under much more scrutiny because I should know better from having served, compared to a civilian.


I'm not sure if I would even be able to convert... Does the age limit still apply of 25 even if you're already serving and wish to convert?

All in all, I think the risk of being stuck with the 'wrong' job is a real threat, and that discourages me. I have that current problem where I work at the moment    Quick... Bail out! 

Hmmm, how long would it take to go from a successful interview to IOT?

I contacted the university that I wish to go to, and it was clear that their entry requirements were not entirely clear. In short, I will need to go to college (or some education) for the next two academic years before I can go to university. I'm really rather annoyed.


I guess it would be possible to start some of the recruitment process whilst at uni though, wouldn't it? For example, the interviews and OASC stuff would take a few days out of my university time. So I could get some of the work done whilst I'm in education... Right? Please be a 'right!'