Joining the army

[Stringy]

To become a Pilot in the RAF or RAAF(Royal Australian Air Force) Dont you need a good grades in some high level maths and and high level physics as well as some other things?

No, you just need to do well on the Aptitude test, although I guess some understanding of the physics might help with the training.

Good stuff, but you have to pass out first before you get your commission, and best wishes to you.

I know, but these days they are more interested in training people than 'chopping' them. They spend so long selecting people they don't like throwing them out because they don't get it the first (or even the second) time. They're big fans of remedial training for any shortcoming.
Saying that though, I realise it's going to be one of the hardest things I ever do in my life

7 days of civvy life left :/

 

[Hugogo]

Do it and if you have the A levels or are going on to do a degree have a look at officer selection too!

Im currently an Officer Cadet (albeit with the TA) great fun and you meet lots of people.

For those silly billys who think you get paied more in the RAF please read the following:

They do not.

 

[Zip]

Aptitude test

What is this?

 

[Stringy]

For those silly billys who think you get paied more in the RAF please read the following:

They do not.

Alternatively you could've read my post before which says the same (apart from Aircrew who get flying pay, and therefore do earn more...)

What is this?

What's an aptitude test???

/googles "define: aptitude test"

"Standardized tests measuring specific intellectual capabilities or other characteristics."

 

[Chasser]

Alternatively you could've read my post before which says the same

Or read mine, posted before yours, which said the same.

I know, but these days they are more interested in training people than 'chopping' them.

That's the problem across all three Services. Life in uniform is not attractive to school leavers anymore and recruiters can no longer pick and choose as they used to do, sorting the wheat from the chaff for want of a better phrase. It's done on quota's and when numbers wanting to join are low, and quota's can't be met, they lower the benchmark. IMHO, The British Armed Forces, whilst still very professional, are slowly losing that extra something which has always kept them at the top of their game.

 

[Nix]

Or read mine, posted before yours, which said the same.

That's the problem across all three Services. Life in uniform is not attractive to school leavers anymore and recruiters can no longer pick and choose as they used to do, sorting the wheat from the chaff for want of a better phrase. It's done on quota's and when numbers wanting to join are low, and quota's can't be met, they lower the benchmark. IMHO, The British Armed Forces, whilst still very professional, are slowly losing that extra something which has always kept them at the top of their game.

The training and professionalism is what keeps them at the top of the game, not filling quotas. The armed forces can take the most useless individual and mould them into something special. Your argument, to be quite frank, holds no water with me.

 

[Chasser]

The training and professionalism is what keeps them at the top of the game, not filling quotas.

I've witnessed this first hand. Some (not all, but a significant number) of the people coming in are just not up to scratch. I would say that around half the new people I see would not have even got near the uniform if recruitment, and more importantly retention, wasn't such a problem. They do have quota's (although they won't admit it) and when they are struggling to fill certain posts, they lower the bar and people who in the past would have been turned away are sgned up. We are getting too fluffy and PC and todays youngsters can't handle traditional military discipline. If personnel can't cut it, they should get rid of them rather than let them see out their engagement. But they don't, they keep them on with endless rounds of remedial training. Basically being carried along. It's just diluting the skillsets in the already overstretched Front Line Commands.

The armed forces can take the most useless individual and mould them into something special. Your argument, to be quite frank, holds no water with me.

Rubbish. Not only the calibre of people coming in is problematic, but the traditional military ethos and traditions are slowly being eroded and morale is at an all time low. In ten years time we will have a massive problem.

 

[Chasser]

From the link below, the article is worth a read: "The PSA target for recruitment and retention was missed because manning levels in the Royal Navy and the Marines were 5% short of the overall requirement.

The Army also fell short in recruitment but was at 98% of its required capacity, while the Air Force exceeded its recruitment requirements by taking on 101% of total requirements."

IMHO, The RAF met their target by lowering standards of entry.

http://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2006/04/20/34969/Armed+Forces+struggle+to+hit+recruitment+targets.htm

 

[Stringy]

IMHO, The RAF met their target by lowering standards of entry.

http://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2006/04/20/34969/Armed+Forces+struggle+to+hit+recruitment+targets.htm

Given the current trend of positive discrimination to recruit from ethnic minorities, and the fact that the RAF failed to reach their 'target' for recruitment from that demographic, is it not likely that are recruiting on quality, and not what quantity they need?
[/observation]
Also, what is there to suggest that interest in the RAF is waning, meaning that the bar has been lowered?

 

[Chasser]

If ethnic minorities don't come forward to the AFCO's, despite all the efforts of the recruiters (they have a dedicated team, manned by serving personnel from ethnic minorities) to 'sell' a career in uniform to them they will continue to fail.

My point on the RAF lowering standards to meet quota's is based on me hearing this first hand from someone employed on recruiting duties. When a certain ground trade is short, and they can't recruit, they lower the standard, hence people who would normally be turned away getting attested.