Flight Aptitude Tests

[Paddy-45]

I recently took my flight aptitude test at RAF Cranwell, which unfortunatley I did not pass. As I am 17 I was told to try again after uni or maybe as a sub-specialisation if I do go to BRNC after leaving school. I did not crash and burn for want of a better phrase but I was wondering if anyone with more experience than me can tell me if I am likly to do better the second time?

 

[noemis]

I failed my atitude test first time round whilst playing with the idea of joining AAC, didn't take it very seriously and failed by a gnats! Then came to my senses and just a few months later went to Biggin Hill again and romped it for FAA but only as pilot. At that time AAC test was pilot test and FAA was pilot and observer, as they were short of observers at the time everyone who passed both was sent observer, didn't want that so as I knew which tests were which I flunked the observer ones.

As it turned out, couldn't land my damn Chipmunk so failed pilot training anyway so had to leave, if I had passed both would maybe still be in and a Cdr rather than a crumby sales manager. Ahhhh!!!

The advice bit! Take it seriously and give 100%. Do lots of stuff that involves hand eye co-ordination, I was advised to play squash and tennis as playstations hadn't been invented then, and play fast games on PC or games console. Eat healthy food and keep physically fit as this improves your co-ordination too. Finally, relax and enjoy it, you'll perform better.

Good luck!!

ps. Have you done your AIB yet?

 

[Paddy-45]

Thanks mate thats confirmed exactly what I thought, I reckon i was just too young for it, aptitude increases with age apparently. I havent done an AIB yet but i need to get talking about it with my liason officer.

 

[fido]

I failed my atitude test first time round whilst playing with the idea of joining AAC, didn't take it very seriously and failed by a gnats! Then came to my senses and just a few months later went to Biggin Hill again and romped it for FAA but only as pilot. At that time AAC test was pilot test and FAA was pilot and observer, as they were short of observers at the time everyone who passed both was sent observer, didn't want that so as I knew which tests were which I flunked the observer ones.

As it turned out, couldn't land my damn Chipmunk so failed pilot training anyway so had to leave, if I had passed both would maybe still be in and a Cdr rather than a crumby sales manager. Ahhhh!!!

The advice bit! Take it seriously and give 100%. Do lots of stuff that involves hand eye co-ordination, I was advised to play squash and tennis as playstations hadn't been invented then, and play fast games on PC or games console. Eat healthy food and keep physically fit as this improves your co-ordination too. Finally, relax and enjoy it, you'll perform better.

Good luck!!

ps. Have you done your AIB yet?

Noemis - what do you mean only as a pilot?

 

[fido]

Thanks mate thats confirmed exactly what I thought, I reckon i was just too young for it, aptitude increases with age apparently. I havent done an AIB yet but i need to get talking about it with my liason officer.

Paddy-45, I'm not convinced that aptitude increases with age (Wolfgang Amadaeus Mozart being a classic example) - "aptitude" is an inate ability as opposed to something that is nurtured. What does increase with age is maturity (common sense), experience and foresight - that's what is required.

 

[Paddy-45]

Thanks mate thats confirmed exactly what I thought, I reckon i was just too young for it, aptitude increases with age apparently. I havent done an AIB yet but i need to get talking about it with my liason officer.

Paddy-45, I'm not convinced that aptitude increases with age (Wolfgang Amadaeus Mozart being a classic example) - "aptitude" is an inate ability as opposed to something that is nurtured. What does increase with age is maturity (common sense), experience and foresight - that's what is required.

that may well be the case, I am just going on the information which I recieved in my interview afterwards. Apparently their banks of statistics indicate thst candidates arround the age of 21 are most likley to pass.

 

[noemis]

Noemis - what do you mean only as a pilot?

Rather than as a pilot and an observer! As I said, who would want to be an observer!

 

[Furniss]

I took my first aptitude tests when i was only 6 days into being 16 years old, i passed observer but failed pilot at Cranwell, they said come back in a few years. Was just wandering how long should i wait? I'm now 17 (18 in 6 months) Possibly after i'm 18? And ideally i'm hoping to join the RM as an officer, does anybody know of the route you take to become an RM Pilot / Observer as i've looked everywhere but cannot find anything, many thanks in advance, Sam

 

[Passed-over_Loggie]

Eh, em. I think we call them Flying Aptitude Tests. It's to see if it's worth a Flying Instructor's time, at a Flying School, to engage you in Flying Training. The Americans, of course, think differently.

It's worth noting, incidentally, that the RN doesn't recruit pilots; or didn't 40 years ago. They select officers who will specialise in flying, in the same way as some will specialise in underwater warfare.

Read the advice of noemis. Do anything that might speed up your reactions and anticipation. Similarly for things that exercise your hand/eye(and foot) coordination and ability to monitor several things at the same time and detect change. Also learn as much as you can about aircraft and how they fly and are controlled. If you looked at a picture of a "blind flying panel" (altimeter, ASI, VSI, turn and slip, artificial horizon, direction indicator), would you have a mental picture of the aircraft's attitude and condition of flight?

Best of luck and trust your own judgement and abilities.

 

[boredwafu]

I took my first aptitude tests when i was only 6 days into being 16 years old, i passed observer but failed pilot at Cranwell, they said come back in a few years. Was just wandering how long should i wait? I'm now 17 (18 in 6 months) Possibly after i'm 18? And ideally i'm hoping to join the RM as an officer, does anybody know of the route you take to become an RM Pilot / Observer as i've looked everywhere but cannot find anything, many thanks in advance, Sam

To become a RM pilot first you must become a RM and then be selected for pilot training, which is not guaranteed. There is no such thing as a RM observer, but there are RN Observers with green lids (All Arms Commando Course)

 

[Anton_007]

Hi. I was just wondering what eyesight standards you need to become as pilot/observer, coz i saw this programme the other day, were there was a person with glasses who was training to become a helicopter pilot with the FAA, and they passed. And if u have had laser surgery, can u become a pilot? as surely the eyesight problem has now been corrected? or could u just lie if u had a medical? thanks

 

[persona_non_grata]

Hi. I was just wondering what eyesight standards you need to become as pilot/observer, coz i saw this programme the other day, were there was a person with glasses who was training to become a helicopter pilot with the FAA, and they passed. And if u have had laser surgery, can u become a pilot? as surely the eyesight problem has now been corrected? or could u just lie if u had a medical? thanks

Your best bet is to either ask at the AFCO where they'll give you a form for an optician to fill out and return or, if you know your prescription, have a look at Association of Optometrists Visual Standards website - scroll down the page to the Armed Forces section, open the RN .pdf and it's in there somewhere. Only thing I'm not sure about is how up-to-date their info is. (Anyone have any idea?)

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