Thinking of joining the RAF

loic2003

Diamond Member
Sep 14, 2003
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I'm bored sitting at a desk, I'm plenty healthy, got perfect vision, am the right height, have great hand-eye coordination (I kick ass at computer games), enjoy flying and really fancy the adventure of the RAF. I'll be too old to join in a few months so it's now or never :(

On the negative side, you have to join for 12 years minimum, have to take orders oh, and you could be shot down and tortured to death by some bastard. Plus when you come out at the other end, what kind of employment opportunities are there?

Anyone been in the airforce (US or otherwise) and can tell me whether it's worth the dedication?
 

EyeMWing

Banned
Jun 13, 2003
15,670
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Do it. The potential for being shot down these days is negligible for everyone but chopper pilots. The world has stabilized to a point where the remaining pissed off nations don't have much of an air force or air defense network to speak of. The only questionable place left is South America, where you have druglords running around with American built military hardware of all shapes and sizes.

And after getting out, the airline industry will shat their pants over you. There are other alternatives as well, but that's the most prominent one in my mind.
 

habib89

Diamond Member
Jan 17, 2001
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if you can be a pilot, go for it! i can't be, and i've always wished i could be.. don't just do it for the sake of doing it though.. you need to be dedicated to it, and be able to take orders well
 

loic2003

Diamond Member
Sep 14, 2003
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Not sure how much I fancy the airline pilot thing though... Taxi, take off, climb to right height and vector then hit a few switches and you're done for several hours. At least when I've got nothing to do in this office job I've got the intarweb (ATOT) to brouse.

Well I'm going to do the aptitude tests which are 6 hours of nightmarishly difficult tests, so it may turn out I'm not even cut out to do it.

I remember seeing clarkson doing one of the tests. There was a computer monitor split into quarters and the user had a joystick, foot-operated rudder and a keyboard. One quarter had a moving curved line that you had to keep a dot on using the foot controls, then two other quarters had a similar thing with horizonal and vetical movement of the joystick and the fourth quarter had a series of 8 random numbers coming up that would go blank after 5 seconds. You'd then have to type in what just came up. Of course, you had to do this simultaneously as would if you were flying a helicopter and punching in coordinates or whatever.

Pretty tricky stuff.

 

jemcam

Diamond Member
Jan 3, 2001
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I never regretted my 14 years in the US Army. I wish I could have stayed until age 60. It's the kind of thing that you hate sometimes when you're doing it, but you are so glad you did it when you finished it. The opportunities you get in the military can't even be bought with any kind of money on the outside. You'll get experience that simply cannot be had anywhere.

It's not a decision to take lightly though. If you are not determined to finish it and do the best you can, don't even consider it. Be prepared for hardships, but I can assure you that it is well worth it.
 

GasX

Lifer
Feb 8, 2001
29,033
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Originally posted by: Yossarian
only do it if they let you fly a Spitfire.

I was thinking the same thing - or maybe a Hawker Hurricane!
 

loic2003

Diamond Member
Sep 14, 2003
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Originally posted by: Yossarian
only do it if they let you fly a Spitfire.

:thumbsup: That would be a dream come true, but there's only a handful of them still flying.
 

sandorski

No Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
70,085
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Originally posted by: Mwilding
Originally posted by: Yossarian
only do it if they let you fly a Spitfire.

I was thinking the same thing - or maybe a Hawker Hurricane!

Sopwith Camel ownz!!!

Always wanted to be an Air Force pilot as a child. Too many John Wayne movies and Baa Baa Blacksheep. It's be quite the rush to fly one of them new fangled fighters though.
 

Scarpozzi

Lifer
Jun 13, 2000
26,389
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If you join the RAF, you'll endanger your life. President Bush is bound to declare war again and it may be on your country... :Q Then you'll get shot down by our far more elite air force and superior satellite laser beams.
 

jemcam

Diamond Member
Jan 3, 2001
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Originally posted by: Scarpozzi
If you join the RAF, you'll endanger your life. President Bush is bound to declare war again and it may be on your country... :Q Then you'll get shot down by our far more elite air force and superior satellite laser beams.

:disgust: I hereby nominate this one as idiot of the day.
 

EyeMWing

Banned
Jun 13, 2003
15,670
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Originally posted by: Scarpozzi
If you join the RAF, you'll endanger your life. President Bush is bound to declare war again and it may be on your country... :Q Then you'll get shot down by our far more elite air force and superior satellite laser beams.

LOL! That would be QUITE the battle.
 

EyeMWing

Banned
Jun 13, 2003
15,670
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Originally posted by: jemcam
Originally posted by: Scarpozzi
If you join the RAF, you'll endanger your life. President Bush is bound to declare war again and it may be on your country... :Q Then you'll get shot down by our far more elite air force and superior satellite laser beams.

:disgust: I hereby nominate this one as idiot of the day.

Dude, wtf, that was HILLARIOUS. Stop with the :disgust: and make with the :laugh:
 

PanzerIV

Diamond Member
Dec 19, 2002
6,875
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Originally posted by: Yossarian
only do it if they let you fly a Spitfire.

There was a show on the Military Channel last night and some lucky bastard English pilot has flown both a Spitfire and Messerschmitt BF 109. They were comparing technology from both sides. They even had a working Sherman and Tiger tank in mock battle!
 

Wapp

Golden Member
Jun 5, 2003
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I was in the USAF for 4 years. It wasn't too bad. It's a great confidence builder. I came in when I was 18 and it really boosted my self-esteem.

Pros: You get free medical and dental coverage. Thirty days of leave a year. Free housing. Travel*. Free College**. Free training.

Cons: Piss-poor pay. Lack of personal freedom. Harsh penalties for minor infractions. Possible long hours. Possible death; see Travel.

* Travel: maybe to a crappy base in Texas far away from any major city or to a hostile country.

** The USAF has 100% tuition assistance. While you are in you can attend classes after duty hours and only have to pay for books. Also, you can take CLEP and DANTES tests for FREE. Also, the MGIB: You pay $100 a month for your first year and after three years you have access to $36k for college fees for when you get out.

If you have anymore questions you can post them here or PM me.

Once again, this is for the USAF. I'm not really sure how the RAF works.