Learning to fly planes // RAF question.

Vulcan · 23 Oct 2008 at 23:56

Stringy said:
Apologies, tired*, Weapons Systems Officers don't either

And/or not paying attention to auto-piloted fingers on the keyboard

How would a WSO be able to navigate effectively if he doesn't even know how to flying works?

Are you in the RAF? Do you know WSOs?

Stringy · 24 Oct 2008 at 00:00

Longbow said:
How would a WSO be able to navigate effectively if he doesn't even know how to flying works?

Are you in the RAF? Do you know WSOs?

By learning to fly do you mean actually flying the plane around the sky? Or do you mean doing ground school to learn how planes work, then spending lots of time in a cockpit working with a pilot so that he more or less knows the ins and outs of flying, but if you asked him to do circuits himself you might as well get out scalectrix? Because I can tell you it is the latter that is true - "learning to fly" as a blanket statement for WSO is not true.

And what do the 2nd and 3rd questions matter?

RoboCod · 24 Oct 2008 at 00:05

Longbow said:
Are you in the RAF? Do you know WSOs?

Ooh, oooh I can answer "yes" to both, do I get a gold star?

If any of you guys need ,more advice I suggest you look here, go to your local AFCO or register with one of the several armed forces forums because here you are only going to receive conflicting advice from people who only know half the facts. This results in confusing advice through bickering and willy-waving.

Vulcan · 24 Oct 2008 at 00:05

Stringy said:
And what do the 2nd and 3rd questions matter?

Because if you are a WSO, or getting this information from a WSO, then that's how it is.

However, on the documentation I've received from the AFCO, it states WSOs will follow a 10 month basic flying course.

Captain Planet said:
Ooh, oooh I can answer "yes" to both, do I get a gold star?.

Seriously? What aircraft do you operate in?

Stringy · 24 Oct 2008 at 00:07

Longbow said:
Because if you are a WSO, or getting this information from a WSO, then that's how it is.

However, on the documentation I've from the AFCO, it states WSOs will follow a 10 month basic flying course.

That's information from WSOs, WSO instructors, WSO students, and ex-WSOs who have jumped ship from their dying profession

Apologies for derailing the thread, I tried to just stick a word in edgeways to clear the air about whether or not WSOs learn to fly and it's gone on for a ~10 post extravaganza

RoboCod · 24 Oct 2008 at 00:11

Stringy said:
That's information from WSOs, WSO instructors, WSO students, and ex-WSOs who have jumped ship from their dying profession

Apologies for derailing the thread, I tried to just stick a word in edgeways to clear the air about whether or not WSOs learn to fly and it's gone on for a ~10 post extravaganza

Out of interest, aren't you an Officer cadet ?

RoboCod · 24 Oct 2008 at 00:14

Longbow said:
Because if you are a WSO, or getting this information from a WSO, then that's how it is.

However, on the documentation I've received from the AFCO, it states WSOs will follow a 10 month basic flying course.

Seriously? What aircraft do you operate in?

I don't. I am in the RAF and I know a lot of Nav's (WSO's) as I have had to work with them a lot in my role. Pretty dull people to be honest.

Stringy · 24 Oct 2008 at 00:21

Captain Planet said:
Out of interest, aren't you an Officer cadet ?

Not for a year and a half now. Anyway, I don't usually like to discuss work online

FrostedNipple · 24 Oct 2008 at 00:22

Stringy said:
Not for a year and a half now. Anyway, I don't usually like to discuss work online

intell officer? otherwise why not? You did have ofc or otc (whatever the abbreviation is

) in your username afterall!

RoboCod · 24 Oct 2008 at 00:28

FrostedNipple said:
intell officer? otherwise why not? You did have ofc or otc (whatever the abbreviation is ) in your username afterall!

Perhaps he/she simply does not want to discuss their personal life, I understand because there are enough haters on the internet

Stringy · 24 Oct 2008 at 00:31

Thanks

I would rather not explain where my career/life has taken me, where I live, and try and deliberately keep vague where I get information from because for the most part it is irrelevant. If people want to talk 'shop' I often ask if they want to add me to msn (or add them myself), otherwise I try and keep things separate.

edit: For the post below mine, they don't learn to fly the Grob Tutor

dowie · 24 Oct 2008 at 00:32

Stringy said:
I can reliably inform you that Weapons Systems Officers do not learn to fly.

they certainly used to learn to fly light aircraft first - I really doubt this has changed much

dowie · 24 Oct 2008 at 00:36

Ah **** it - this seems to clear it up

http://www.raf.mod.uk/no22traininggroup/organisation/flying_training.cfm

Weapons Systems Officers (WSOs) complete IOT then begin their flying training with 55(R) Squadron, based at RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire. During their Basic phase, they complete a ground-school similar to that completed by pilots. Following that, they complete basic navigation instruction on the Grob Tutor at Cranwell, followed by instruction on the Tucano at RAF Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire.

So yes WSOs Weapons systems officers DO learn to fly.

Stringy · 24 Oct 2008 at 00:43

Thanks Clouseau, you've cleared that up for us!*

There's no pleasing some people

I'm going to bed!

*To clarify: That's 'flying training' as in, training while flying in a plane. In the same way you could call me running on a treadmill while on a 747** 'flying training'

**That was not a thinly veiled reference to putting a plane on a treadmill and seeing if it takes off

Chasser · 25 Oct 2008 at 13:51

Longbow said:
Longbow said:

However, on the documentation I've received from the AFCO, it states WSOs will follow a 10 month basic flying course.

Click to expand...

Ah **** it - this seems to clear it up

http://www.raf.mod.uk/no22traininggr...g_training.cfm

Quote:
Weapons Systems Officers (WSOs) complete IOT then begin their flying training with 55(R) Squadron, based at RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire. During their Basic phase, they complete a ground-school similar to that completed by pilots. Following that, they complete basic navigation instruction on the Grob Tutor at Cranwell, followed by instruction on the Tucano at RAF Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire.
So yes WSOs Weapons systems officers DO learn to fly.

Theres the difference, the 10 months 'flying' is as the WSO, in an aircraft. Only Pilots actually control aircraft. Only Pilots 'Pilot' aircraft!

What do you not understand?

The ground school is just principles of flight etc etc. Again, only Pilots learn to fly.

atpbx · 25 Oct 2008 at 15:36

Sinque said:
s.

And you're up against the best of the best in the country. .

You would be astounded how dim some of the people who are in the RAF are.

And before anyone runs their mouth off, my old man was a Vulcan pilot and my mum was a RAF ATC, so I'm not just taking a biased dig.

dowie · 25 Oct 2008 at 15:39

Stringy said:
*To clarify: That's 'flying training' as in, training while flying in a plane.

yes much of it is though the first part isn't - they so sit in the plane, take controls and learn to fly the thing

I'm not trying to say they can fly a fast jet or anything but they do learn to fly in a light aircraft - grob or whatever the equivalent is now before goping on to do the nav stuff etc...

Kristoph · 25 Oct 2008 at 15:55

One of my friends was accepted into, and is training in the fast jet stream, only two people were selected from his group. The others ended up being chosen for Transport/Logistics and Choppers.

From what I've heard it's pretty hard to get flying, and as some people have said you need to show many different qualities and be the best of the bunch.

Then you'll get this:

Chasser · 25 Oct 2008 at 17:05

atpbx said:
You would be astounded how dim some of the people who are in the RAF are.

Unfortunately, I have to agree with that.

Chasser · 25 Oct 2008 at 17:10

dowie said:
yes much of it is though the first part isn't - they so sit in the plane, take controls and learn to fly the thing

I'm not trying to say they can fly a fast jet or anything but they do learn to fly in a light aircraft - grob or whatever the equivalent is now before goping on to do the nav stuff etc...

Nope, wrong again mate. WSO's do not learn to fly.