Aircrew Officer Observer

Once you’ve confirmed your eligibility, the joining process is as follows:

• Submit an application

   Once you’ve registered your interest, we’ll be in touch to discuss your options

• Defence Aptitude Assessment (DAA)

  You’ll be tested on: Verbal Reasoning, Numerical Reasoning, Work Rate, Spatial Reasoning, Electrical Comprehension and Mechanical Comprehension.
  To prepare, you can practise the DAA

• Interview

  A formal interview to talk through your suitability for the role

• Medical and eye tests

  These are quite comprehensive and must be completed by one of our Ministry of Defence-approved doctors

• Pre-Joining Fitness Test (PJFT)

  This involves completing a 2.4km run on a treadmill within a certain time, at a fitness centre near you

• Interview 

  You’ll have a short interview to assess your suitability for a career in the Royal Navy, and to ensure you’re ready for the Admiralty Interview Board (AIB)

• Admiralty Interview Board (AIB)

  This stage is unique to officers and takes place in two parts. A Pre Recorded Interview (PRI) is an online assessment which assesses your motivation to join the Royal Navy as an officer and your awareness of the Royal Navy. The Group Planning Exercise (GPE) is the second stage of the AIB and is an online competency based assessment which will take place on a separate day to the PRI. It will be conducted in a virtual group environment and you will be assessed on your contribution to the team based on your individual performance.

Before you begin your initial training, you’ll need to take Flying Aptitude Tests (FATs) at RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire. These assess your ability to cope with the rigours of flying training. You’ll then progress to Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC) in Dartmouth, where you’ll spend 30 weeks, focusing on: military skills, maritime skills and initial fleet time. The military skills phase includes learning about leadership and teamwork, and the principles of command and management. You will put this into practice during several exercises on Dartmoor.

After you’ve passed out of BRNC, you will spend a further 15 weeks learning about our aircraft. At the end of this stage, you’ll go through grading. This is a set of tests that determines your suitability for your specialisation.

There's also a swimming test, so if you can't swim, make sure you learn by the time you join us.

Once you’ve completed grading, you’ll begin your General Observer Training at RNAS Culdrose. During this time, you’ll the required number of flying hours under your belt, and gain an in-depth understanding of Naval flight. After that, you’ll specialise in a particular type of helicopter, spending a further year gaining hands-on experience.