RAF AIRCREW

What is the work like?
The Royal Air Force's (RAF) main responsibility at home is to defend UK airspace. It also operates a search and rescue service at sea and on land. Its role abroad is to operate both as a fighting and peacekeeping force. In addition, it brings aid to the victims of war and natural disaster.
Airmen/women provide specialist skills in around 50 different trades. They also have military duties. These may include guarding RAF stations and taking part in military operations, exercises and training.
The trade areas are:
Aircrew - non-commissioned aircrew act as the RAF's eyes and ears in an operational environment, and also work in search and rescue. They include weapon systems operators who specialise in electronic warfare or acoustics (hunting submarines and ships).
Engineering and technical - specialists who work on equipment that ranges from aircraft engine components to hydraulics and flying helmets for aircrew. They include aircraft technicians (avionics), aircraft technicians (mechanical), survival equipment fitters, weapons technicians and general technicians. Up to one third of RAF personnel work in the engineering and technical area.
Catering and hospitality - responsible for catering in the UK and overseas, in-flight and on attachment. They include caterers and chefs.
Force protection - responsible for protecting airbases, aircraft and RAF personnel. They include RAF Regiment gunners (the RAF's specialist infantry unit), police and firefighters.
Medical and medical support - provide services either in NHS hospitals or on RAF bases in the UK, and are trained and ready to go overseas. They include dental nurses, dental technicians, registered nurses, student nurses, pharmacy technicians, operating department practitioners, biomedical scientists, radiographers and environmental health technicians.
Personnel support - support RAF personnel in various ways. They include personnel administration assistants, physical training instructors and musicians.
Air operations support - support RAF aircraft. They include aerospace systems operators, flight operations assistants and air cartographers.
Communications and intelligence - operate the RAF's communications and information systems. This includes monitoring electronic pictures and maintaining telecommunications equipment used on missions all over the world. It also includes intercepting and analysing messages from the enemy. They include ICT specialists, intelligence analysts, intelligence analysts (voice), photographers and aerial erectors.
Logistics and equipment - control stock, manage budgets, transport equipment and make sure it arrives on time, where it is needed and ready for action. They include drivers, movers and suppliers.
Hours and environment
Airmen/women need to be available for duty at all times, but they usually work office hours over a five-day week. Occasional weekend work may be required. Some roles involve shifts, early starts and late finishes. On exercises or operations, working hours can be long and changeable.
At an RAF station, airmen/women work alongside hundreds of people. Many RAF stations are like small towns, with shops, gyms, crèches and banks.
Airmen/women may be posted to RAF bases in the UK or overseas, for example in Cyprus, the Falkland Islands, Ascension Island and Gibraltar. They may also go on operations and exercises anywhere in the world, including conflict zones such as Afghanistan.
Salary and other benefits
These figures are only a guide, as actual rates of pay may vary depending on the type of job, qualifications, promotion and length of service.
Starting pay, after initial training, is around £16,000 a year.
Senior aircraftmen/women earn between £16,676 and £27,599 a year, depending on their trade.
Non-commissioned aircrew are paid £26,314 a year after completing their first six months of training. On completion of training, they are paid between £31,239 and £35,218 a year. They also receive flying pay, the amount depending on how long they have served.
Skills and personal qualities
Airmen/women should:
be able to work well as part of a team
be self-disciplined
be able to follow orders and use initiative
be prepared to serve their country anywhere in the world
have the ability to stay calm under pressure
be able to organise work and pay attention to detail
be physically fit
be prepared to travel and be away from their families for long periods.
Interests
It is important to:
enjoy being active
be prepared to learn new skills
enjoy the armed forces' lifestyle.
Getting in
There are more than 30,000 non-commissioned personnel in the RAF. Competition for trades varies. The RAF's careers website has a list of the trades most in demand on the 'search jobs' page.
Airmen/women join the RAF for a minimum length of service. The length of service required varies, but it is usually between six and twelve years. There are circumstances that allow people to leave before then. For example, it is possible to give notice to leave following the completion of three years' service after training. Many airmen/women extend their careers in the RAF well beyond the number of years they initially join for.
Entry routes
Entry to many trades is possible at 16 years of age. Some trades set a higher minimum age:
16.5 - suppliers
17 - environmental health technicians, student radiographers, drivers, movers, musicians
17.5 - aircrew, firefighters, intelligence analysts, operating department practitioners, student nurses
17.7 - medics
18 - police
21 - registered adult and mental health nurses.
No formal qualifications are needed to become an RAF Regiment Gunner. Qualifications required for other trades vary. Some require at least two GCSEs (A*-G), including English language and maths, while most others require between two and five GCSEs (A*-C), including English language and maths. A science or technology-based subject at GCSE is required for some trades and some medical trades require A levels or equivalent. See the RAF careers website for full details of entry requirements for each trade.
All candidates must pass aptitude tests designed to test reasoning and comprehension skills. They must also pass a fitness test, a health assessment and interviews.
Applicants must be of British, dual British, Commonwealth or Irish nationality when they apply. There are stricter nationality requirements for some jobs.
The upper age limit for entry to most trades in the RAF is 29 years. It is 32 for student and registered nurses. It is 33 for the RAF police and 36 for aircrew, caterers and RAF Regiment Gunners.
The RAF offers Apprenticeships in various fields including aircraft technician, hospitality, security guarding, public services, business and administration, providing aviation operations on the ground, information technology, warehousing and storage. Advanced Apprenticeships are available in aeronautical engineering, communications technologies and photo imaging.
Training
RAF Regiment Gunners train for around five months at RAF Honington in Suffolk. All other trainees undertake a nine-week training course at RAF Halton in Buckinghamshire.
Further specialist training follows. The length of training varies with different trades.
Increasingly, trade training involves working towards nationally-recognised qualifications such as NVQs, City & Guilds Awards, Higher National Diplomas (HNDs) or degrees.
All RAF personnel are encouraged to take advanced qualifications as their careers progress.
Getting on
Those who join the RAF as airmen/women or non-commissioned aircrew can progress to management roles or apply to become commissioned officers.