Soon to be an AET!

Hello,

Just had my date for basic training so am soon to be one of you lot! So feel free to let me know what I'm letting myself in for. Any funny stories or advice about your basic training and phase two at Sultan or other training establishments would make a good read. Get you all remanising on days gone by.

 

after basics and pt 2 training you can expect to join one of only two remaining air stations for pt 3 training on your "preferenced" aircraft type.
there you will be trained in the essentials such as the Hangar push, rusting and dusting techniques and the delights of sitting in the issue centre reading crusty issues of FHM, loaded and the likes of.
Then after passing QM & QS (well thats what it was) you get a draft to a ship and then the reality really kicks in......

 

Depends what you're after.

Small team, lots of time at sea in frigates, then go Lynx. You'll get lots of additional responsibilities early and you'll have a new cab in a few years time.

Big squadrons, shiny new(ish) helos, dull operations (though that may change soon), but life on flatops, go Merlin. But you'll have to live in Cornwall.

Shiny pointy jets, handlebar moustache and fitting for new "light blue" jersey, go Harrier. You'll have to live in East Anglia and be prepared to move to Scotland in a few years time. Very little sea time, but you will find yourself in the 'stan.

More operations than you can shake a stick out, proper jointery and the chance to work with some top blokes in exotic locations around the world. Some sea time, some "camping with guns", lots of time in the desert and some time in the arctic - go jungly. You'll have to have penchant for "classic" aircraft though, as the mighty King is going to soldier on for years to come.

If you only want to have female offspring, then be a bagman.

Hope this helps - best of luck as an AET, you're joining the best branch in around.

jungly

 

One minor correction here; Wittering / Cottesmore are not in East Anglia, they are actually in the East Midlands (I know, out a flat featureless landscape populated by inbreds into a flat featureless landscape populated by immigrants!).

 

Cheers JungleyAEO,

Good advice, it's really got me thinking of which aircraft I should choose.
Im not one to look for easy options for an easy life, I want to push myself and work my way through the ranks as quick as possible. Any Specific aircraft that might help me achieve this?

Also I would love to work on the new Joint Strike Fighters when they are commissioned. I assume expereince on the Harrier would hold me in good stead?

Although I would like to travel so the new super lynx could be an option them?

Not sure yet? but I'm sure after phase 2 I will have more of an idea!

 

Congratulations, you opted to join the best branch in the RN. I've been in for about 20months, got my QM QS qualification back in April on 848 squadron, been on numerous detacthments, and join my frontline squadron in January. The Jungley circuit is the way to go, it offers so much more than the lynk or merlin world.

With reference to your post the other day regarding pay, its not great. Unfortunately we're in the lower pay band as AETs, but as soon as you're a killick you'll move th the higher pay band. As i said earlier, i've been in for 20months and bring home just under £1000 a month.

Raleigh and Sultan are a means to an end, the real fun starts when you get to your airstation.
Goodluck

 

Does twenty months really give you enough experience to define the only way to go? Especially when you apparently have no experience of Lynx or Merlin and have not yet joined a front line squadron! Back in your 848 training box with the building bricks boy!

 

Sorry to bring this back up..

Jungley?

 

hi i hope to become aet ant i have my interview soon and i need to revise up on the trade could people please tell me what it is you do as avionics or airframe this would be very helpful thank you

 

Hello & welcome,

Have a trawl through the "Newbies" threads, you should find the answer to your quest. Alternatively try the "search" function for AET.

Good luck to you, hope your interview goes well - a very good job to apply for. (Wish I'd done the same, but I was too good looking & ended up being a marine engineer)

 

**Welcome Onboard**

Remember Royal Navy by choice

Fleet Air Arm by abillity :w00t:


Harriers are not a bad choice, snag is you will be crab trained, just bite your lip and get on with it.

Good Luck

 

Royal Navy by choice,

FAA by ability,

Grubber by Divine selection!

:thumright:

fb

 

i also am hoping to join up as an AET and actually have my PJFT on tuesday. im hoping to go jungley but what are the chances of anyone getting there. my ex-RN friend said its hard to get into.

 

Its a lottery really, when I joined most people got their first preference. It just depends on how many people are leaving the circuit I guess.

 

thanks. he just woried me a bit cos he wanted jungley and didnt get transfered in something like 6 years in the navy

 

There was me thinking it was "lack of schooling".....

 

Chewy

I have been a Jungly since joining up (20 years, minus tiff's course). So far I have been to:

Caribbean twice
Norway
USA (twice)
Africa
Iraq
Far East
Oman
and most of Europe.

At the end of next month I am off to Afghanistan. If you want an easy life, go Merlin. Slightly less easy, go Sea King Mk7 or Lynx. Harriers means working with the crabs, which means apart from Afghanistan trips you'll live in Hotels or on a CVS (see Merlin). If you want hard work in potentially dangerous environments with limited manpower and long days, go Junglie.

ps. Before Fido comes back with another "what do you know" post, I have seen the other units in action over the twenty years, so believe that I am qualified to comment.

 

Soon to be an AET?? I'm so sorry to hear that. Commiserations and all that.

SF

 

"If you want an easy life, go Merlin" - JunglyDaz

Really? Define easy. You think dealing with EHUDS, lack of spares, crap gearboxes, tail pylon and landing gear corrosion, tail rotor cracking, lack of trained personnel and a lack of any tangible form of support from the design authority is easy? I'll be the first to admit that when I came down here I thought it would be easy to maintain this "21st century" aircraft. Well, its not. Its rather like pushing water up a flight of stairs every goddamned day.

Take my advice - avoid Merlin

 

I'll second that! Now an ex-wafu, but upgrading merlins at.......... The build quality is shite. So you poor sods maintaining them have an uphill struggle.

My experience was FRS1's, Mk6's & 4's(Junglies)

The Harriers were a small, tight unit. Great(most of the time). The Mk 6's were fecking boring!!! So bad i applied for transfer to the Royals.

Spent a short time on 4's. Good again, especially if you want to move about a bit. I'd go for this option if you can, as who wants to spend time with the Crabs(Harriers/JFS)!!!

GH