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Weapon System Operator Crewman at the age of 18

A

akcarberry

Guest
Hi all, i am 18 years old and currently applying to become WSOP crewman, only at the begging of the application and just got a date for the first presentation so it's early days. I am increeibly fit so the fitness side of the tests does not worry me, and i am also very good at the aptitude tests, however the only qualifications i have to my name are 6 gcse's and 3 as levels, not full a levels. I do posess all the requirements they ask but do you think my age and qualifications will hinder my application and at the OASC at all as many people may have degrees over me and be older?

Many thanks for any replies.
 
vim_fuego

vim_fuego

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akcarberry said:
Hi all, i am 18 years old and currently applying to become WSOP crewman, only at the begging of the application and just got a date for the first presentation so it's early days. I am increeibly fit so the fitness side of the tests does not worry me, and i am also very good at the aptitude tests, however the only qualifications i have to my name are 6 gcse's and 3 as levels, not full a levels. I do posess all the requirements they ask but do you think my age and qualifications will hinder my application and at the OASC at all as many people may have degrees over me and be older?

Many thanks for any replies.
Click to expand...

No and no...I went through training and flew with a chap who on gaining his acting unpaid Sgt's stripes was still under 18...It doesn't happen very often and you'll be training alongside some very experienced ex-rankers especially in the crewmen role so you're going to have to mature quite quickly to cope...

This chap had a number of GCSE's but as I remember no A levels...He did a single tour at Kinloss then followed me down to London for a short ground tour before leaving the RAF to fly for Easyjet which he is still doing to date...

As we say to pretty much all the potential recruits who come on here wondering if they're good enough or qualified enough to join 'Just have a go!!'
 
S

stuart955

Guest
Hi,

I came on this site a while ago with the exact same question - I've only just got the requirements, will I still have a chance against people who potentially have degrees?

I got a resounding yes, as it's not all about what's on paper, it's about you as a person and the potential they see in you.

I've not applied yet but I'm sure as hell going to and I'm a lot less apprehensive than I was a month or two ago when the idea first came into my head.
 
A

akcarberry

Guest
i only began worrying when i was reading what they mark you on at the interview at the OASC and it said your education is one of them. Hopefully i will shine in the other areas. I also read a thread about some WSOP jobs not being recruited for from civilian lifestyle, i want to be a crewman on a chinook hopefully, i know i get streamed but this is what i will aim for, anybody know if they wanting chinook crewman or crewman in general?

thanks for the quick replies also.
 
D

Dave-exfairy

Warrant Officer
2,869
0
0
akcarberry said:
Hi all, i am 18 years old and currently applying to become WSOP crewman, only at the begging of the application and just got a date for the first presentation so it's early days. I am increeibly fit so the fitness side of the tests does not worry me, and i am also very good at the aptitude tests, however the only qualifications i have to my name are 6 gcse's and 3 as levels, not full a levels. I do posess all the requirements they ask but do you think my age and qualifications will hinder my application and at the OASC at all as many people may have degrees over me and be older?

Many thanks for any replies.
Click to expand...

akcarberry said:
i only began worrying when i was reading what they mark you on at the interview at the OASC and it said your education is one of them. Hopefully i will shine in the other areas. I also read a thread about some WSOP jobs not being recruited for from civilian lifestyle, i want to be a crewman on a chinook hopefully, i know i get streamed but this is what i will aim for, anybody know if they wanting chinook crewman or crewman in general?

thanks for the quick replies also.
Click to expand...

I also suggest sorting your grammar and spelling out if you're going for OASC.
 
vim_fuego

vim_fuego

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We're short of crewmen fullstop...We recruit from civvy street for most every trade.
 
W

wannabeNCaircrew

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Fuego, why is the RAF so short of crewmen? That would be the NC aircrew trade that Id most want to do, particularly on a rotary wing aircraft.
 
U

unruly1986

Sergeant
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wannabeNCaircrew, I have heard that the RAF is short due to the fact that operational tours are coming round much more often than they used to and therefore some crewman are leaving. The RAF is also due to receive some more helicopters (possibly Chinooks?) in the near future so need crew to man these aircraft.

If anybody knows any different please share the gen, am looking at applying for NCA myself.
 
A

akcarberry

Guest
Well I hope they are short of crewman, and especially on the rotary wing side, i want to work onboard a chinook and i have no commitments at home now so i wouldn't mind being posted here there and everywhere at short notice :pDT_Xtremez_19:
 
P

Portcullis

Guest
akcarberry said:
Well I hope they are short of crewman, and especially on the rotary wing side, i want to work onboard a chinook and i have no commitments at home now so i wouldn't mind being posted here there and everywhere at short notice :pDT_Xtremez_19:
Click to expand...
Well then do it!

We can give advice, but we're not the ones who select you. Get yourself down the AFCO pdq!
 
A

akcarberry

Guest
I am doing lol, already applied for WSOP, filled in my application and have a date set for the first presentation at AFCO. Looking forward to the journey ahead :)
 
T

thedonnmeister

Guest
I hope you know just how long it takes to apply as NCA/Officer in the RAF. I applied on 3rd October, filled everything out, had an eye test ect..., had my presentations, passed my OASC interview without hardship and was told the waiting time for OASC was anything from 6 weeks to 6 months. I am 17, I left college to join the RAF (I had planned on becoming an Infantry Officer in the Army).

I'v only just reliesed how long it all takes, when I first applied, I thought, "Yeah, I'll be starting training in Jan...." dream on!!

I also want to be a Helicopter Crewman, I just wish the process was much quicker!

Good luck
 
vim_fuego

vim_fuego

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It can take a deal of time to become productive aircrew...This was my time scale...Papers went in around Xmas time...OASC in the June...was offered a January ITC but due to the previous years schedule I asked for a deferment to the next course in April...Began ITC in the April and went straight into professional training at 3FTS until the following August...Had a week off and began the OCU at Kinloss...Finished that in the following Feb to be posted to CXX...CR about 12 months after that.

So thats about 32 months to the end of the OCU from the papers going in...

That was with zero fails so no re-coursing and no holds...and virtually feck all leave...Helo guys get stuck at the squeeze point that is waiting for your Shawbury slot...sometimes for months although your professional training at Cranwell is considerably shorter...

So I suggest that if you have the correct quals and want to do it then stop fannying around and apply...
 
Last edited:
A

akcarberry

Guest
Vim_Fuego said:
It can take a deal of time to become productive aircrew...This was my time scale...Papers went in around Xmas time...OASC in the June...was offered a January ITC but due to the previous years schedule I asked for a deferment to the next course in April...Began ITC in the April and went straight into professional training at 3FTS until the following August...Had a week off and began the OCU at Kinloss...Finished that in the following Feb to be posted to CXX...CR about 12 months after that.

So thats about 32 months to the end of the OCU from the papers going in...

That was with zero fails so no re-coursing and no holds...and virtually feck all leave...Helo guys get stuck at the squeeze point that is waiting for your Shawbury slot...sometimes for months although your professional training at Cranwell is considerably shorter...

So I suggest that if you have the correct quals and want to do it then stop fannying around and apply...
Click to expand...

if your referring to me to stop fannying about and apply, if you read my above post you will see that i already have applied!
 
vim_fuego

vim_fuego

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akcarberry said:
if your referring to me to stop fannying about and apply, if you read my above post you will see that i already have applied!
Click to expand...

It is pointed to all who want to be NCA...
 
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