Issues with waiting times for AIB and lack of communication from AFCO

[Ray1218]

Hey guys,
I was wondering if anyone would be able to provide any info regarding the current state of AIB and what waiting times are looking like etc?

I am currently applying for HM Officer and I was originally supposed to have my AIB back at the start of march (after being on the waiting list since October 2019) in time for the May 2020 intake but it got cancelled due to lockdown. I was kept fairly updated about virtual AIB and the slow progress due to the cancelled may intake and to expect an AIB for the larger September intake however, it's been months and i have heard next to nothing regarding waiting times, when I could expect an AIB date or even just a general update from the AFCO.

I did message my ACLO back in August and was told about the current backlog of other HM officer candidates and that I was on the list for the next intake (which at the time would of been the January 2021 intake) but that time has came and past and I've still heard nothing. I did try to contact my ACLO again to no success (due to admin changes apparently) and have also noticed that applications for HM officer have also now closed on the RN website.

I don't know if I'm now at the back of a long que for the May 2021 intake or if I've just been forgotten about but the frustration of having a cancelled AIB and then being told to wait for the next intake, which ended up being the larger one in September and now the one in January, is beginning to effect my commitment to waiting and my own personal life as I turned down other employment and postgraduate education with the idea that I would be joining the Navy as either an officer, or if unsuccessful at AIB, a rating by next year at some point.

I'm fully willing to move to a rating role which I was told would be much faster since I have already passed everything else however I keep being told it's worth to wait and have a chance at the officer role but after over a year since intially passing the SIFT (and a 2 year wait on my medical before even that) I'm beginning to get annoyed with the complete lack of info and effort on their part it seems for an application process that has had me waiting 3 years already.

Is anyone able to officer any guidance on AFCO/AIB communication at the moment or how to handle being in such a situation where every few months I'm just told to wait longer? As it just seems the Navy has lost any effort in keeping candidates already this far in the system.
Any help at all would be greatly appreciated

Thanks
Ray

 

[bigg7]

Have you contacted the AIB directly? I’m waiting for mine and my email told me to contact them directly if I haven’t had any communication 12 weeks from that email.

 

[Ray1218]

Have you contacted the AIB directly? I’m waiting for mine and my email told me to contact them directly if I haven’t had any communication 12 weeks from that email.

Was never given any AIB contact details. Honestly never thought to email them directly, thought we had to do it through the AFCO only. I'll give that a try though thanks!

 

[BreathingOutOnTheWayUp]

Have you contacted the AIB directly? I’m waiting for mine and my email told me to contact them directly if I haven’t had any communication 12 weeks from that email.

Sound advice. ( AIB is included in this scribble, drafted but held over from insomnia time last night.)

No RR Contributor are AFCOs or ACLOs at this UNofficial RN Website (but I guess you already knew that, didn't you?) but you may gain a response if any of these folk care to respond:

@pompeyexpat, - Guru In the BRNC Training Loop

@Ninja_Stoker - Former AFCO Adviser, long since re-assigned but often surfaces for air, advice/banter.

@AIB - Clue in the call sign but a sometime watcher rather than an active adviser.

@soliel - The Lady Has connections. When in the mood known to offers tissues for issues with sympathy & comfort for poor souls struggling with application options.

@Alphacharlie - Expect an abusive slice of banter but he does tarmac or tile a mean roof.

Printable Bobservations. If you are 23yrs old then that's hardly pushing the upper age limits, eh?
Your Rating application may result in an earlier entry/job at sea but with the risk that you'd stroll through that Training and your disgruntlement might result in heavy shoulder chips.

OLQs? Reading above the lines you come across to me as one who regards the AIB as being a formality prior to whenever the next BRNC entry date is. Letting you down gently - It certainly ain't, chopper!

As frustrating as Your AFCO/ACLO Admin Changes appear, AN OTHER thrusting Potential Officer Candidate would surely seize upon such setbacks as a challenge:.
SITUATION When the Local B & Q don't have their Branded box of Chinee Gizzits in stock & their Staff are less than helpful the average Joy/Joe Civvy would zip off to their next nearest Branch.
TASK - Transpose that situation to your own RNO Application problems - But this time with a heartier dose of the same zeal, energy and enthusiasm as Joy/Joe.

Make your own Luck and it would be encouraging to see you Posting back here in 36 hrs with a +ve Result.

 

[AIB]

Ray, I understand your frustrations. The problem seems to lie in a) May 2020 entry was cancelled, b) The HM branch only take on average 2 candidates per year and c) we had a massive surplus of HM candidates awaiting BRNC entry who had already passed AIB.
You would have been prioritised low because of this; we have limited resources and needed to apply all our efforts into filling those shortage categories of Officer i.e. Engineers, submariners etc.
We still hold a large number of fully qualified HM candidates awaiting BRNC entry, and hence recruitment for his branch is currently closed, albeit potentially opening again next year at some point.
The in-service route is still possible, although this would not be a quick process and may take several years, if at all, for you to be successful. Your ACLO should have been able to advise you of this. If you message me directly with your ACLOs name I will ensure they are adequately briefed.....
Remember however, that a pass at AIB is not a certainty - we have a high failure rate and even after successful pass at AIB, you might still find yourself in a long waiting list for selection to BRNC, which may or may not ever happen. I don't wish to sound negative, but it is important for you to understand the reality of Officer selection and that you manage your expectations accordingly.
I hope this helps....

 

[Alfacharlie]

Sound advice. ( AIB is included in this scribble, drafted but held over from insomnia time last night.)

No RR Contributor are AFCOs or ACLOs at this UNofficial RN Website (but I guess you already knew that, didn't you?) but you may gain a response if any of these folk care to respond:

@pompeyexpat, - Guru In the BRNC Training Loop

@Ninja_Stoker - Former AFCO Adviser, long since re-assigned but often surfaces for air, advice/banter.

@AIB - Clue in the call sign but a sometime watcher rather than an active adviser.

@soliel - The Lady Has connections. When in the mood known to offers tissues for issues with sympathy & comfort for poor souls struggling with application options.

@Alphacharlie - Expect an abusive slice of banter but he does tarmac or tile a mean roof.

Printable Bobservations. If you are 23yrs old then that's hardly pushing the upper age limits, eh?
Your Rating application may result in an earlier entry/job at sea but with the risk that you'd stroll through that Training and your disgruntlement might result in heavy shoulder chips.

OLQs? Reading above the lines you come across to me as one who regards the AIB as being a formality prior to whenever the next BRNC entry date is. Letting you down gently - It certainly ain't, chopper!

As frustrating as Your AFCO/ACLO Admin Changes appear, AN OTHER thrusting Potential Officer Candidate would surely seize upon such setbacks as a challenge:.
SITUATION When the Local B & Q don't have their Branded box of Chinee Gizzits in stock & their Staff are less than helpful the average Joy/Joe Civvy would zip off to their next nearest Branch.
TASK - Transpose that situation to your own RNO Application problems - But this time with a heartier dose of the same zeal, energy and enthusiasm as Joy/Joe.

Make your own Luck and it would be encouraging to see you Posting back here in 36 hrs with a +ve Result.

Blimey.

 

[Chris P]

Blimey.

Fame at last ops..

 

[SeaHawk14]

Hey guys,
I was wondering if anyone would be able to provide any info regarding the current state of AIB and what waiting times are looking like etc?

I am currently applying for HM Officer and I was originally supposed to have my AIB back at the start of march (after being on the waiting list since October 2019) in time for the May 2020 intake but it got cancelled due to lockdown. I was kept fairly updated about virtual AIB and the slow progress due to the cancelled may intake and to expect an AIB for the larger September intake however, it's been months and i have heard next to nothing regarding waiting times, when I could expect an AIB date or even just a general update from the AFCO.

I did message my ACLO back in August and was told about the current backlog of other HM officer candidates and that I was on the list for the next intake (which at the time would of been the January 2021 intake) but that time has came and past and I've still heard nothing. I did try to contact my ACLO again to no success (due to admin changes apparently) and have also noticed that applications for HM officer have also now closed on the RN website.

I don't know if I'm now at the back of a long que for the May 2021 intake or if I've just been forgotten about but the frustration of having a cancelled AIB and then being told to wait for the next intake, which ended up being the larger one in September and now the one in January, is beginning to effect my commitment to waiting and my own personal life as I turned down other employment and postgraduate education with the idea that I would be joining the Navy as either an officer, or if unsuccessful at AIB, a rating by next year at some point.

I'm fully willing to move to a rating role which I was told would be much faster since I have already passed everything else however I keep being told it's worth to wait and have a chance at the officer role but after over a year since intially passing the SIFT (and a 2 year wait on my medical before even that) I'm beginning to get annoyed with the complete lack of info and effort on their part it seems for an application process that has had me waiting 3 years already.

Is anyone able to officer any guidance on AFCO/AIB communication at the moment or how to handle being in such a situation where every few months I'm just told to wait longer? As it just seems the Navy has lost any effort in keeping candidates already this far in the system.
Any help at all would be greatly appreciated

Thanks
Ray

Totally sympathise with this! Mega-frustrating the disparities between AFCO's and their communication especially at such a cross-road in your life, I think at times the Services fail to appreciate that people are left in limbo and need some clear communication to make a decision on how to proceed!

However, as frustrating as it is, they've also had such a mass of applicants in recent times as well as trying to find brand new ways of continuing recruitment in as best as possible so I sympathise with the delays and changes they face also. I wouldn't let that discourage me tbh, if it's something you think it's worth pursuing then this is just an obstacle to what should be an excellent career.

As bigg said, if you can get hold of the AIB directly then that's excellent and would be the best way forward. Good luck, please let me know if contacting the AIB has any results, because I may face a similar issue myself very soon.

 

[AIB]

While I appreciate the frustrations experienced, please don't contact AIB directly. Your ACLOs have been given the specific requirements of recruitment numbers against each branch and will.prioritise candidates accordingly.
Please don't be discouraged- just understand that we can only recruit for actual vacancies, which is exactly the same as any other organisation. Contacting AIB directly will not alter your priorisation and you will only be directed back to your ACLO. Your ACLOs have a lot of candidates to deal with but they are better placed than AIB to effectively prioritise each of you, so please be patient with them
If you are not getting a response from your ACLO (as opposed to getting a response that you don't like), then I suggest you contact your Area Recruiting Officer (ARO) to discuss in the first instance.
Hope this helps

 

[SeaHawk14]

While I appreciate the frustrations experienced, please don't contact AIB directly. Your ACLOs have been given the specific requirements of recruitment numbers against each branch and will.prioritise candidates accordingly.
Please don't be discouraged- just understand that we can only recruit for actual vacancies, which is exactly the same as any other organisation. Contacting AIB directly will not alter your priorisation and you will only be directed back to your ACLO. Your ACLOs have a lot of candidates to deal with but they are better placed than AIB to effectively prioritise each of you, so please be patient with them
If you are not getting a response from your ACLO (as opposed to getting a response that you don't like), then I suggest you contact your Area Recruiting Officer (ARO) to discuss in the first instance.
Hope this helps

I'm not sure if you're directly involved, but as I understand it the Captain AIB and XOES has oversight into allocation of FAT's testing to candidates. Would you be able to give a rough timeframe on how long it can take for aircrew (pilot) candidates to wait for allocation for FAT's having completed the CD please?

 

[mick1199]

I'm not sure if you're directly involved, but as I understand it the Captain AIB and XOES has oversight into allocation of FAT's testing to candidates. Would you be able to give a rough timeframe on how long it can take for aircrew (pilot) candidates to wait for allocation for FAT's having completed the CD please?

Completely unqualified to answer this but I did read a post from someone who was on a 9 month waiting list for FATs.

 

[SeaHawk14]

Completely unqualified to answer this but I did read a post from someone who was on a 9 month waiting list for FATs.

Damn :/ That's a very long wait. Wander if that's "Worst case scenario - but secretly it could be 4 months"..

 

[mick1199]

Damn :/ That's a very long wait. Wander if that's "Worst case scenario - but secretly it could be 4 months"..

God knows. Apparently they’ve closed applications to become a pilot, so they must be way oversubscribed. Why is it that everyone is applying to become a pilot? Is it because it sounds cool? Genuine question, any role regarding avaiation seems to over saturated.

 

[SeaHawk14]

God knows. Apparently they’ve closed applications to become a pilot, so they must be way oversubscribed. Why is it that everyone is applying to become a pilot? Is it because it sounds cool? Genuine question, any role regarding avaiation seems to over saturated.

Mental isn't it? Yeah they've closed the applications which is very rare for the Navy to do, so they really must have had an absolute tonne of applicants. I'm not entirely sure why the massive amount of new applicants, maybe GCSE's and A-Levels went much better than normal because of COVID and so those school leavers thought of going Direct Entry. Plus before Covid they raised the age limit to 34 years, so they would have had a lot of people applying because of it. I know that the Navy has apparently had 30% more applicants this year vs last year, COVID would have closed some potential avenues for school leavers like apprenticeships or university. So loads of people must have thought, f*ck it, Forces!
Aviation always attracts loads of people, for many different reasons, some for the challenges of flying, some because it looks so cool, some for a change in their lifestyles, some see an F-35 at an airshow and think "wow. I want to fly that magnificent thing". No-one needs to advertise the job because it advertises itself, but it doesn't necessarily reflect the reality that flying is tough.

 

[mick1199]

Unbelievable there’s more officer applicants than there are ratings. Something like 35% to 28% increase, respectively, so I’d imagine the waiting times are going to be mammoth for some roles.

 

[Buckwind]

The schpeel I was given is that the increase in pilot applications for under 26 year olds was down to alot of current airline pilots rushing to apply once it became apparent Covid was going to leave them jobless for the foreseeable.

 

[Chris P]

That'll be interesting, maybe retaining the gold braid on the uniform is attractive..

 

[BreathingOutOnTheWayUp]

That'll be interesting, maybe retaining the gold braid on the uniform is attractive..

@Pontius (& one other RR poster) will confirm. but IIRC 'tis generally silver braid for civil airline & gold for pusser.

 

[Zoidberg]

God knows. Apparently they’ve closed applications to become a pilot, so they must be way oversubscribed. Why is it that everyone is applying to become a pilot? Is it because it sounds cool? Genuine question, any role regarding avaiation seems to over saturated.

Pilot has always been a very oversubscribed role.

Perhaps even moreso now to the decline of the civilian aviation industry combined with the lack of ability to process as many candidates through AIB and BRNC but that would be a guess.

 

[Herachilles]

Hello, does anyone know anything about the current TMO recruitment?

I have been on the waiting list for two years,and when i finally got called to AIB,that also got cancelled and I have been waiting for another AIB date ever since. I recently found out that the Navy isn't currently recruiting for the TMO role and is only prioritizing warfare officers(submariner) at the moment. Now, I am just wondering how this development affects my application?