Pilot
Pay after training: £33,950 - £42150
Joining age: 17½-25
Open to: Men or women
Qualifications you need: 2 A-levels/3 Highers or equivalent. 5 GCSEs/Standards at Grade C/3 minimum or equivalent, including English Language and Maths
Qualifications you can gain: Degree or Masters Degree
The RAF know exactly who they’re looking for to fly their aircraft – Pilots need to fit the cockpit and ejector seat exactly, and need to have senses and reflexes that are constantly alert.
If you’re the right height and weight, and have perfect vision and hearing too, you might be what they’re searching for.
Be prepared to go through rounds of intense training to find out which aircraft you’re best suited to – and then even more training to really get to grips with it.
You could be flying anything from air-to-air and ground attack aircraft like Typhoons, huge transport and humanitarian aid aircraft like the Hercules, or helicopters with roles like Search and Rescue, or combat zone drop-offs.
But why wait until joining to get into the air? If you think you fit the bill, the RAF offer University Sponsorship schemes that offer free flying lessons, so your RAF career can take off as soon as possible.
