Anyone in the RAF?
 

Been casually looking at joining the RAF as an engineering officer, is there anyone in it that could give me a brief outline of their experiences or anything i should be aware of? Seems like it could be good fun :)
cheers
Robin

Re: Anyone in the RAF?
 

Do It, you wont regret a minute of. What are actually looking to do ?

Re: Anyone in the RAF?
 

fantastic. Well as an aero engineering student it leaves the options quite open. But probably as an engineering officer doing aero systems/weapons systems. Think i'm going to call in to the local afco tomorrow for a chat with them. Obviously the main concerns are having to sign up for so long, and what kind of opportunities there are to advance in the force, and once i've left. How did you end up doing it?

Re: Anyone in the RAF?
 

Well I wasnt actually in engineering as such I was in transport but it comes under engineering wing or at least it used to. I signed up for 6 yrs when I was 16 and just left school. Your service doesnt actually start until you turn 18 so Id done 18 months before I oficially signed up. As a driver I was able to be posted to any unit that we had at the time. I did 3 yrs at Kinloss with nimrods 4 yrs in germany with the phantoms at Wildenrath and 3 yrs back in the uk on support staff at Cranwell and a year at Molesworth before becoming disillusioned and buying myself out. Having said that I loved every single minute of it.You make great friendships and travel all over the place and get paid for doing it :D As an engineering officer with your qualifications you will almost be posted to a flying unit which means being based in the uk or cyprus or hong kong or possibly goose bay in Canada, plus of courese all the hot spots like the middle east ,afghainstan and possibly the balkans cos I think we still have a presence out there as part of u.n peacekeeping ops.Plus of course you ger to play with some of the coolest big boys toys you can imagine. One thing, careers info offices were always renowned for bullsh#tting when I was in so ask as much as you can and dont be afraid to ask again if you are not 100% with something, saying that if you have had the good sense to go for the R.A.F. you're not soft. Must go in a minute, off to work.
Good luck
p.m. me if you want any more info
Cheers
Stew

Re: Anyone in the RAF?
 

Sorry, ex-army - couldn't resist.;)

Re: Anyone in the RAF?
 

hehe. If you've got the time would you care to tell me a little about your experience? on here or a pm. I'd imagine they're very similar. Such as why did you leave? and is it as tying as it sounds?
cheers
robin :)

Re: Anyone in the RAF?
 

I'm in the RAF but as an urk not an officer. I'm currently a corporal workign on ground electronics. That's radar, radios and any electronics that aren't mounted on aircraft basically. I'd highly recommend going for officerdom as it's easy money for very little work and the pesion is brillaint. I was asked to go for my commission years ago and kind of regret not doig it now. If you're seriously interested I can mail you some leaflets and stuff from work. Just drop me a PM.

Re: Anyone in the RAF?
 

one downside these days..

you DO get shot at.!!

not like in my day .

Re: Anyone in the RAF?
 

Oi ! careful now ;)

Re: Anyone in the RAF?
 

Watch out for those careers advisors...if there's no gaps for your 'branch of choice' they might try to get you to sign up for something 'similar' with a view to changing later, once you've got your toe in the door so to speak. Branch transfers are becoming harder & harder to process as the armed forces become smaller & smaller...analogy...you start work at 'the pasty maker' factory as a pasty packer but you rather like the look of the job that the engineer does keeping the machinery going. Have a guess where your boss will tell you to go if you ask him/her for a job change. It ain't going to happen.

Stick to your guns and accept no alternatives. Careers advisors know that there'll be another one along in a minute. They're working to quotas, like lots of other people.

Good luck.