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Royal Air Force (RAF) Officer

Do you want to become a Royal Air Force (RAF) Officer? Here is some information to help point you in the right direction:

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The Royal Air Force (RAF) defends UK airspace, helps to police the skies, and brings aid and protection to the victims of disaster and war overseas. It also provides a mountain and coastal rescue service for civilians. An officer's job is to manage and lead the men and women who carry out this work.

There are more than 20 different officer specialisations:

• pilots fly aircraft in a wide range of roles
• air traffic controllers help aircraft take off and land using radar and radio equipment
• aerosystems engineers repair and service aircraft and weapon systems
• supply officers plan and provide equipment where and when it's needed
• physical education officers make sure that RAF personnel are fit.

Officers need to be available for duty at all times, but they usually work office hours over a five-day week. On exercises or operations, working hours may be long. Officers may be posted to RAF bases in the UK or overseas.

Salaries range from around £21,250 to £49,500 a year.

RAF officers need to be:

• able to listen to, guide and discipline the people they lead
• physically fit
• able to think and react quickly
• interested in managing and motivating people.

There are more than 9,000 officers in the RAF and around 700 to 800 are recruited each year. About 40 per cent of applicants are graduates and competition is fierce. There are different lengths of service, for instance, 12 years or 18 years.

Entrants need to be at least 17 years and six months old, and have been born in the UK, the Republic of Ireland or a country that was a member of the Commonwealth at the time. They need to pass a series of selection tests to test their mental agility and physical fitness. Entry requirements range from at least five GCSEs/S grades (A-C/1-3) to professional qualifications. Upper age limits vary from 23 years for pilots, to 54 years for medical and dental officers.

Training includes defence studies, general RAF Service knowledge, fitness training, classroom lectures, and practical exercises to develop leadership and management skills. After successfully completing initial officer training, officers go on to specialist training in their chosen branch.

After initial officer training, it normally takes between 18 months and six years to progress to flight lieutenant, depending on the branch and method of entry. Promotion beyond flight lieutenant to squadron leader, wing commander, group captain and above is usually by competitive selection.

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