Hi Green Bowl.
The Flight Operations Officers have a bad reputation in the Air Force. Not necessarily through their own fault but they are a relatively new branch and have found it hard to replace Aircrews in operations rooms around the Air Force. Hopefully this is now starting to change, but change happens slowly in the RAF.
Any, I'm a Flight Operations Assistant and have served for over 19 years.
This trade in my opinion is one of the most diverse of any trade in the RAF. In essence if there's anything remotely related to aircraft or airspace, then we tend to be there.
In the time I've been in I've been deployed three times. Now that doesn't sound like much, but those three times have only been in the past 9 years.
I was in Bosnia in 2001, Afghanistan in 2007 and am going away again next month.
I've also been detached on exercises to Athens (working with the Greek Navy) to Malaysia, to Poland (living in the shell scrape with the Army) and to numerous exercises around the UK with the RAF, Army and the sneaky people.
In it's purest form, FOA's work in Air Traffic Control and Station/Squadron Operations rooms. Work in ATC can be pretty much generic from station to station, Operations rooms vary dependant on aircraft type. Many Assistants only experience this side and think that it's boring and PVR. However if you look more deeply you can find the 'different' jobs that I've done. You can work with the 'Special' people or with Reaper.
The trade in Civvy Street equates to Air Traffic Control Assistant (but you'd need to do a civvy course) or to operations for the big airliners or corporate jets and to flight dispatch.
So what do we do? Well as I said we're quite unique in the things we do, so it's hard to state the varied stuff, so I can only really quote the generic things from station to station.
Air Traffic Control
In ATC we assist the controllers offloading much of the work that for them to do would mean flight safety would be compromised. This includes updating weather information including conversions for barometric pressure, getting clearances for aircraft to be handed over to other agencies, taking emergency action for aircraft in difficulties and recording and passing information. In essence an FOA is a flight safety tool - a second set of eyes for anything potentially going wrong. All units have a Bird Control Unit, most are civilian run, but a few are run by FOA's. The job here is to ensure that the airfield is as bird free as possibly.
Operations
This is more about passing information. Ensuring that other sections are aware of flying programmes and changes. Displaying of NOTAM (notice to Airman) information - these are navigational warnings for pilots. Filing flight plans to the Air Traffic Agencies whilst ensuring that routes are correct and legal. Plus all the extra things like sorting out transport for crews, requesting fuels and liaising closely with the Engineers for fuel, engineering requests etc.
Another role that I haven't mentioned yet is Area Radar.
I've never worked in an Area Radar unit so my knowledge is not great on them. There are two, one in Prestwick in Scotland and one in Swanwick near Southampton. They are responsible for controlling aircraft away from the airfields and their jobs involve handing over aircraft from one controller to another and creating a link from the military to the civilian controllers. There are numerous other jobs linked in with them like Distress and Diversion whereby aircraft in trouble will be controlled and helped to safety. For those that have worked in Area Radar I'm sorry if I've over simplifed the job and perhaps you could add to this.
Other things you could work with:
Search and Rescue - There are numerous Squadrons scattered around the UK, but there is also the Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre at Kinloss who coordinate lifeboats, coastguard, SAR aircraft and mountain rescue organisations ALL Emergencies and Rescues all around the UK.
Low Flying - Coordinating all military aircraft within the Low Flying Systems around the UK.
Reaper - They have a detachment in the states but I know the plan is to bring them back to the UK at somepoint.
Group HQ - mainly in the maritime world, but the work here is often classified.
Currently I am station at Cyprus. But prior to this I was an instructor of FOA's at Trade Training Flight in Shawbury. At the time it was a 10 week course, but I believe it will probably be getting extended to add some other aspects. The course is divided between theory and simulators. The theory covers all aspects of the rules of the air, navigation, meteorology, Operations and NOTAMS/Flight Planning. After this stage which is approximately 5 weeks, it progresses into the simulator phase. Shawbury has an excellent state of the art simulated Air Traffic Control Visual Control Room. They will create emergencies and situations to see how you respond. Lots and lots of multi-tasking (doing two things at once) make a good FOA. It is a tough course, but the instructors at Shawbury are very good at mentoring you. In a recent Adult Learning Inspectorate inspection, Shawbury did come out very well.
Others might come and add to this list of things we do, but as I said I've tried giving you a balance from the generic to the unusal.
Overall, I've never regretted joining as an FOA. The trade as I said is very diverse and the generic as mentioned above doesn't do it justice. If you decide on this trade, after your first tour is out of the way - go looking for the wierd things and you won't be disappointed.
Oh and finally, the turn around times for overseas at present are about 2 years for SAC's and about 18 months for Cpls and above. But don't forget, that is what the Air Force is about so make sure that your missus is aware of what your getting into. An understanding wife is the most critical thing that you should have when starting a family in the RAF and tearing yourself away from your kids for four months at time is a real wrench. But it is our job and lots of gifts and chocolate to keep the kids and wife happy are essential.
I hope this has been of help and if you have any questions PM me. But good luck on your choices.
JFOM.
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