Silverdragon102

Money, chance to experience something different and great having the opportunity to do it. But not easy and lots of tape to go through and locla exams to pass.

Have nursed 21 years in the UK and burnt out

Bob

Not really...plenty there just to be technicians...the RAF is one of the harder armed forces to get into and you do need some decent grades to have a realistic chance of entering, the aptitude test ain't that easy...I looked into them when I was checking out bursaries, I wouldn't have qualified anyway because I wear glasses, but the army was the easy one.

DaPs

If you enter the RAF explicitally saying you want to be a pilot, your going to train as a pilot, if they say no then your not going to do it are you lol.

You need a levels to train as a pilot in the RAF.

ian-mstm

Forgive me if this sounds silly, but you say you want to train as a pilot, and you say that you need A levels to train as a pilot. Well, I don't believe an access course is going to be seen the same as A levels... I mean, if you see what I'm trying to say!

Ian

DaPs

I know exactly what you mean Ian.

Look at what i said i want to do though, goto uni and train as i'm in uni. That means your working toward a degree, a higher education than a levels.

yorkieuk

I know people at uni who have done the RAF route while in Uni, unfortunately even though you are in Uni you still need A levels because as you havent got your degree results yet they need something to go on and A levels are what they use.

It might be just a good idea to go back to college and do your gcse's/a levels as it will make applying to things like the RAf/uni much easier and in the long run open many more doors for you

DaPs

I'll get in contact with the RAF first.

yorkieuk

You should do, also reading

http://www.raf.mod.uk/careers/jobs/pilot.cfm

might be a good idea

DaPs

It would all have to be sorted beforehand anyway so i knew i wouodn't just hope for the best!

That's the annoying thing with access courses, they are not seen as the equivalent.

I think a degree would override a levels though, i'll have to see.

English teacher said to me that a guy couldn't get a teaching job because he didn't have an english gcse, yet he had a degree in english, how mad is that?

yorkieuk

I know, I don't understand it either, when ever I apply for jobs they always ask about gcse's/a levels even though I took them ages ago and already have a degree, a masters degree and another degree in the process! It seems very stupid but I guess once you get them they are worth having!

DaPs

The thing with gcse's and a levels are is that anyone can get them.

Just look at these people who have them and are as dull as planks, wheras incredibly intelligent people get left behind due to bad circumstances earlier in life.

Equivalents for adult learners should be exactly that, an equivalent, not a lesser qualification.

Whatever happens i will make it in what i want, i am 19 and have a long time to get the education. It doesn't say much about education on the RAF site so i will have to ring up tommorow about it.

I wonder if it's easier to get into the USA airforce?

Bob

need a greencard for that, so the circle continues

yorkieuk

On the front page of the RAF careers website it has a useful tool where you put in your qualifications and it brings up the jobs you would be qualified for.

In the end you are only 19 and you could go back to college in the evenings and do your gcse's and a levels pretty quickly in a year or two while working at the same time. This means you will only be 21/22 when you start Uni here which is really young still. In my lectures there are students ranging from 18-60

Also I am pretty sure that you have to be a US citizen/ have some sort of green card to join the US airforce

DaPs

Just thought i'd try keeping it on topic

ian-mstm

Seems to me that I read someplace that you can actually become a USC after active service in the US military regardless of the 5-year PR rule. Does that ring a bell with anyone?

Ian