RAF : Officer / Pilot Entry

That's interesting to hear, especially as Admin is the branch im looking to get into

I'm starting to feel a bit nervous about going to OASC because of all the bad news stories that seem to be coming out at the moment.

Is there a specific no. of scholarships (for those applying for 6FS) offered to each branch, and do the recent cuts mean scholarships for every branch are severely limited?

Looks like somebody has touched a nerve, or found a pet peeve.

But planes that are used in woodwork are NOT aircraft. Surely Wzz, it'd be a little uncomfortable flying around the skies, chasing the Red Baron whilst sitting on the sharp end of a wood shaving tool. I thought YOU of all people on this thread would have known that!

So the eye doctor might pick up my blindness even if I wear dark glasses?

Is that my left ear, my right ear or my final frontier?

Reparteé

Yes, but that doesn't mean you have to recruit fresh new engineers. You just lay off a lot of airman engineers, then send their previous JEngO to TCW.

For example.

I'm a little confused as to where all the Equipment Support is going to come from.
With the advent of new equipment is it all going to be under warranty repair or are there going to be a lot of dissatisfied Engineer Officers who will have to wear another hat and diversify?
I appreciate there are cutbacks and 'streamlining', but without the necessary personnel to keep the aircraft in the air and the radar arrays spinning etc, especially at first line positions, surely the whole system will eventually grind to a halt.
Perhaps my rose tinted specs are a little tainted, but I saw something very similar after Options for Change, which resulted in a massive recruiting campaign in all three of the Services.
But like you point point out Wzz, there are still folk going through IOT on a regular basis, which means there are still positions for the taking. It's just a case of being that nth degree better than required last year.

...

But I should probably wind my neck in with regards to cuts; they've not announced exactly how many or in what branches. Maybe they'll come along and decide to dispose of some young pilots; and I'll be a little on the unhappy side!

But there's always a silver lining...

You get made redundant with a handsome payoff, but on your CV you have "Fast Jet Pilot and all-round Good Guy"

You spend two years cruising the world, recounting your days as a war veteran to any good looking girl who'll listen

The MoD realise the error of their ways and start a massive recruiting campaign (again!)

You turn up, flash your CV and Ultrabrite (TM) smile and get a fantastic Golden Hello to return to your job because the RAF won't have to go to the expense of paying for your training.

You keep you seniority, pension and fast track promotion, and in the meantime, some shiny-arse civil servant in Whitehall keeps his job.

And if all else fails, you could re-apply as a gunner.

And if that fails, there's always the REME.

As a matter of interest, is there any difference other than commital time between Short Service and Direct Entry commissions? Be it promotion prospects, postings, or even just attitudes in the mess.

...tend to be graduates wanting a bit of military experience to take to some city banks!

I've never sat on a promotion board, but I imagine that you'll probably be looked on less favourably if you're in competition with people the same age but have less time to serve.

Could be totally wrong; I imagine there's actually probably some rules stopping them from doing that.

No difference at all as far as postings and mess attitudes go. Actually, SSCs seem more common than PCs in some branches; tend to be graduates wanting a bit of military experience to take to some city banks!

... And must do three years minimum service in order to get their hefty dowry. (Well, that's how it is with the Cavalry, what what!)

AARRGH

Anyone else waiting for OASC results. The waiting is killing me!!

Because I go to OASC just before Xmas leave, I don't think they'll be in too much of a hurry to process all the applicants. So guess what I'll be thinking about all over Christmas and New YeaR.