Pilot pipeline blanks

[Yorkey]

Hey, I'm a POC for Pilot - awaiting my sift interview. The forums ahve been really useful for preparing for the interview though I have a couple of questions which I couldn't find the answer for. I understand that pilot pipeline is 4 1/2 years or so but the RN website doesn't list the approximate length of aspects of the pipeline. Here is what I have discovered so far,

Dartmouth - 28 weeks
Grading - Yeovilton - 2 weeks
Aircrew survival course - 5 days?
EFT - unknown
DHFS - 6 months
OCU (rotary) - Unknown

Would be great if anyone could help me fill in the gaps.

 

[RadioSilence]

I think that information is available somewhere - I had originally applied for AOP, and I remember reading a sheet that laid out the timeline for training for observers, as well as both rotary and fixed wing pilots. I'm not sure where I got this though - I have a feeling it was in my information pack that my school had. If you can't find this, there is a live chat tomorrow on the RN website, with a pilot. You could always post a question for him!

 

[scouse]

Hey, I'm a POC for Pilot - awaiting my sift interview. The forums ahve been really useful for preparing for the interview though I have a couple of questions which I couldn't find the answer for. I understand that pilot pipeline is 4 1/2 years or so but the RN website doesn't list the approximate length of aspects of the pipeline. Here is what I have discovered so far,

Dartmouth - 28 weeks
Grading - Yeovilton - 2 weeks
Aircrew survival course - 5 days?
EFT - unknown
DHFS - 6 months
OCU (rotary) - Unknown

Would be great if anyone could help me fill in the gaps.

Why dont you PM Pontius :wink: :wink:

 

[karskin]

Grading - 7 weeks altogether (including academics)
Aircrew survival - 7 weeks altogether
EFT - 6 months
OCU - Differs depending on what airframe you get streamed to, I believe the junglie squadrons are the longest

And remember that's only if you jump straight from course to course, you'll likely have a lot of hold overs.

 

[Yorkey]

Awesome, thanks for that. My sift is on the morrow and this was the last thing holding up my preparations.

 

[karskin]

No problem mate, make sure you let us know how you got on

 

[Powder]

I am also going for AOP.

Hope this helps - http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/careers/explore-jobs/all-jobs/aircrew-officer-pilot/training/

I'm not sure where you got the dates/order for yours, but I have my sift coming up soon, and am just going to use the dates given off the website.

 

[Magic123]

grading is 2 weeks academics, 2 weeks at yeovilton.

 

[karskin]

It's longer than that, it's 7 weeks altogether

 

[Yorkey]

Hmm, when I was on a Special Flying Award in Yeovilton over the summer they said grading was only 2 weeks including the grond schooling. I said that in my interview and the Lt didn't mention it in the de-briefing. Indeed the Lt commented very favourably on my description of the pilot pipeline. Managed to pass it anyhoo which is the main thing - finally feeling as though my application is making progress! I'd recommend the SFA to all hopeful pilot POCs btw - it's essentially the grading course but slightly condensed into 10 days and without the need to learn all the pre-flight, in-flight, post flight checks.

 

[Powder]

Hmm, when I was on a Special Flying Award in Yeovilton over the summer they said grading was only 2 weeks including the grond schooling. I said that in my interview and the Lt didn't mention it in the de-briefing. Indeed the Lt commented very favourably on my description of the pilot pipeline. Managed to pass it anyhoo which is the main thing - finally feeling as though my application is making progress! I'd recommend the SFA to all hopeful pilot POCs btw - it's essentially the grading course but slightly condensed into 10 days and without the need to learn all the pre-flight, in-flight, post flight checks.

Congrats on passing. Did he ask you about the pilot pipeline, or did you just end up talking about it?

Also - is the SFA, the gliding scholarship?

And alsooo, have you done medical/fitness and RT, as I know some people have them all in different orders, depending on how busy their ACLO is.

 

[Powder]

The reason i was getting confused with the RN website pipeline (as linked above) was because I thought it was the following;

EFT 6 months, RAF Cranwell/Barkston, Slingsby Firefly.
Basic Fast Jet Training (BFJT), RAF Linton on Ouse, 9 months, RAF Tucano.
Advanced Fast Jet Training, RAF Valley, 9 months, RAF Hawk,
Operational Harrier Training, RAF Cottesmore/Wittering, 9 months, Harrier.

 

[Yorkey]

Thanks powder - much appreciated. His question regarding the pipeline was the first question he asked after going through all my extra-curricular activities at school and uni. He had to speed me along a bit at one point as I detailed everything that happens at Dartmouth too hah.

The Special Flying Award is a 10 day course down in Yeovilton on the Grob Tutor. I had originally applied to do the gliding course but was told I was too old (20!). I got a phone call several months later from the Lt who runs much of the recruitment for the FAA asking whether I would be interested in going on the SFA. Though the usual process is through your ACLO I think.

Aye, I've done medical, RT and fitness tests so far. I was under the impression that all ACLOs followed the same course as the said tests are part of the ratings' selection and have to be completed before beginning the interview stage - the first stage of officer selection.


Btw Powder, just for your information (and possible browny points at interview), EFT is no longer conducted on the firefly - they began using the Grob Tutor in late September/October 2009. The RN site is incorrect.

When is your interview?

 

[perksy]

Hi Yorkey,

Congratulations on passing the sift interview. I should have mine in a couple of weeks after I bash out my PJFT next week. I'm also applying for pilot.

I have a couple of questions which I was hoping you (or anybody else) could answer. How much Naval knowledge were you questioned on during the interview? Also, how many and what leadership examples did you give?

Whilst I've never lead an expedition to climb Everest at the age of 15, I do have quite a bit of leadership examples from when I was at university. I was Treasurer and President of the Taekwondo club, Chief Projectionist and Webmaster at the student cinema (35mm film no DVD rubbish), all of which required competence, organising, responsibility, punctuation, teaching etc.
I don't really have anything to give from my time before uni (apart from DofE Bronze) as I was a completely different person then (much more confident, less shy etc now), would that count against me?

At the interview, is it the way you come across when explaining (I'm not very good a "bigging up" the examples I have as they're just normal to me), or have you got to be superman and organised 50 charity events which have raised £100m all before you were 13?

Now I've got to go and learn as much as possible...there's soooooo much :?

Cheers,
Perksy

 

[Powder]

I've been reading a bit into BRNC and officer training/survival course, it looks SOOOO fun, i cant wait to hopefully be there!

I have applied for the gliding scholarship twice now, first time didnt work, then yesterday I got a confirmation email through from the second attempt, so hopefully looking forward to that!
Ive flown around 16 hours, 12 of which with an instructor in single engines so far, so think that maybe what you did would be more entertaining, but nevertheless, cant complain if its free

I have also done RT, Medical, fitness (in that order) and have been waiting since around October time for a date for sift interview! Finally got called over november after a bit of chasing up and have it booked for 1st Febuary, so not too long now!.

Thanks for the heads up regarding new training aircraft. Its a shame that they wont be flying the slingsby fireflies as we have one at work and I have learnt a fair bit about it, by cleaning it, taxiing it etc.

 

[CityBoy1988]

Powder - How do you go about applying for the flying awards - when I had my SIFT interview the officer said he would try and sort it out for me and that I would either hear something or not. I just wondered if there is any other way I can try and apply to go on one to fill my time productively before FATs and AIB... thanks

 

[Powder]

Powder - How do you go about applying for the flying awards - when I had my SIFT interview the officer said he would try and sort it out for me and that I would either hear something or not. I just wondered if there is any other way I can try and apply to go on one to fill my time productively before FATs and AIB... thanks

Check your inbox matey

 

[karskin]

Although you didn't seem to get pulled up on it, the grading course is definetly 7 weeks long, I know as I was due to be starting it in February

 

[Powder]

Although you didn't seem to get pulled up on it, the grading course is definetly 7 weeks long, I know as I was due to be starting it in February

This may seem a completely n00b question, but heck, its the newbie section.
What actually happens within the Flying Grading? Is it like exams or just being around an airfield and learning bits and bobs? Very unaware. I thought it was just flying exams?

 

[Yorkey]

Don't by any means consider me an expert but from what they told me when I was on the SFA in the summer, I learned the following.

It's essentially supposed to show whether you are responsive to training. Basic core values - turning, climbing, descending, turning in the climb, turning in the descent, a small aerobatic package of 4 or 5 procedures, taking off, landing, circuits. I think that's largely it - all very basic and I think it's only about 10/13 hours flight time. Everything builds up to the end flight which is 45 minutes - the student flies 4+/-(?) circuits, does all the turns and climbing and aerobatic package. Basically you'll be very busy for 3/4 hour. The assessment you get on your final flight is final - it's rare for people to be able to take it again.