Questions on the forces

[Dist]

In Air Traffic Control? Stacks - 50% of the students to undertake to Joint Air Traffic Control Course (which I did in 2002/3 and instructed on in 2006/07) were ex-ATC Assistants who had joined up as LACs (Leading Aircraftsmen).

Thats nice to know. Are other RAF trades, like ICT specialist similar, or is it just ATC thats special that it has so many leading aircraftsmen becoming commisioned after doing a course?

There are no Soldiers in the RAF! (The Regiment don't count!)

Sorry, i was unsure what to call those in the RAF without a commision. Anyway, thankyou for your reply, it's hard to find some of this sort of info from the main RAF website (same as any of the armed forces sites, a lot of them lack some info).

 

[Trick]

Ah sorry, misread your original question! Those LACs/SACs and Corporals doing the Air Traffic Control Course become Controllers and promoted to Sergeant.

You have to go to Cranwell and complete Initial Officer Training to become an Officer regardless of trade or non-Commisioned rank.

To put it in perspective: when I did IOT out of the 120 who started the course over 50% were from the ranks, the other 50% were civvies.

 

[Pacman87]

Hey, by any chance have you thought about joining the Territorial Army while you are at university completing your course?

It will give you an idea of what its like in the forces and if you decide you like it you would be at an advantage for officer training also. Not to mention you would be getting paid and could choose which TA centre to join as they all specialise in different areas.

When i was in the TA i just did Wednesday evenings for around 3 hours and received half a days pay (around £16 at the time) and most weekends we went out on team building exercises (although it wasnt allways compulsory).

Physically you would need to be able to run 2 miles in around 12 minutes, 60 Press-ups & 60 Sit-ups in i think 4 minutes. The only other test i had to do was a 4 mile hike with a 15kg bag on my back in under an hour.

If you found that you hated it you can leave of your own free will but i think you would really enjoy it, i did and made loads of friends and got to challenge myself.

-W

 

[dowie]

2 things

as above join your uni's OTC unit or local TA/RMR unit

also apply to the army and get through the two rounds of their commissioning board

there are very few places for young officers in the royal marines so definitely have a back up

if the commando thing is your bag then there are army commando units - artillery and engineers who work alongside the marines

or obviously become an infantry officer instead

 

[Stringy]

To put it in perspective: when I did IOT out of the 120 who started the course over 50% were from the ranks, the other 50% were civvies.

From what I've seen recently the percentages of ex rankers has been less, about 20-30%.

And amen to what you said about the irritating stuff that gets slung your way outside of your primary job!
From your consideration to go NATS I assume you're area control?

 

[wordy]

Sorry, i was unsure what to call those in the RAF without a commision. Anyway, thankyou for your reply, it's hard to find some of this sort of info from the main RAF website (same as any of the armed forces sites, a lot of them lack some info).

They're called Crabfats

 

[Trick]

Yeah, work in the military ops room next to london terminal control and also across in the AC ops room (all the en route stuff). You're a FC aren't you? Blackdog or Hotspur?

The nco:civvy ration depends on the time of year I suspect. I joined up in the Feb so there would have been less graduates at that time of year.