Flight Operations Training School - Courses

Flight Operations Training Courses (FOTC)

FOTC (Main)

The FOTC (Main) lasts 14 weeks. During the second week, students complete a 5-day course at the Resource and Initiative Training Centre (RITC) at Fairbourne in Wales, before tackling the theoretical and practical phases. There are also 2 written examinations during the Course. The subjects taught are:

a. Aircraft Operations – which covers UK airspace, Search and Rescue, Aircrew Fatigue, Flight Planning, Low Flying, ALFENS and Eurocontrol.

b. Operations Room – including communications systems, documentation, and management.

c. Aerodrome – including layout, markings, lighting and installations, air activities and air traffic control.

d. Navigation – including position reporting, range and bearings, latitude and longitude, and time

e. Meteorology.

f. Flight Safety

Students are also required to cover other subjects outside the scope of Flt Ops. These include PE, Beliefs and Values, HSW, Environmental Protection, General Service Training (GST) and Expedition Training.

FOTC (Short)

The FOTC (Short) lasts only 6 weeks and it contains the theoretical element of the ‘Main' FOTC. Students attending the FOTC (Short) have more Service experience and therefore there is no requirement for them to demonstrate practically the ability to cope with situations in a simulator environment.

ELIGIBLITY CRITERIA FOR FOTC (MAIN) AND (SHORT)

Eligibility criteria for the FOTC (Main) are as follows:

a. Direct Entrants

b. GD(Air) Reselections who fail basic training

c. Non-GD Reselections

Eligibility criteria for the FOTC (Short) are as follows:

a. Branch transfers (except GD(Air), Ops Spt(ATC) and Ops Spt(FC))

b. GD (Air) Reselections, provided they passed their basic phase of professional training.

c. Ex Airmen Aircrew.

d. Ex TG9 and TG12 Airmen.

Notwithstanding the above criteria, RAF Innsworth reserves the right to place students on either FOTC (Main) or FOTC (Short) as they deem appropriate in order to meet manning requirements. Furthermore, RAF Innsworth may also grant certain individuals exemption from completing a FOTC subject to their experience and suitability to fulfil a particular task, and post them directly to their new unit.

The Future of Flt Ops

The Flight Operations specialisation is still very much in its infancy. Nevertheless, graduates have already made positive impressions in the ops rooms to which they have been posted. The successful transition to having ops rooms run by professional ops officers has meant that 350 more posts have recently been transferred from the GD (Air) branch to the Flt Ops specialisation.

In addition, as part of the Operations Support Branch, Flt Ops officers will benefit from branch-wide promotion boards, enhanced opportunities for operational and specialist training, significantly increased employment and career opportunities and an increase in Advanced Staff Training quotas.