In response to a number of PM’s I have received over the past couple of days regarding advice on Civil Aircraft Maintenance Licensing, CV's, Tools etc. I thought the following post might be of some use.
Introduction
First of all you really need to decide where you future lies, RAF or Civil Aviation. If you are serious about leaving you must be 100 percent committed. Formulate yourself an ‘escape plan’ and stick to it religiously. Make sacrifices where necessary to achieve your aims.
Start by having a look at
www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=137 and click on the Engineering Licensing link.
Read everything there is to know about licensing and pay particular attention to the Engineers Licensing Guide Document (ELGD) which is downloadable. Start to familiarise yourself with the terminology, knowledge requirements, exam requirements, procedures and regulations.
Study Options
Start studying for your Part-66 B1 or B2 licence ASAP, do not delay. There are plenty of training providers out there offering short modular courses or distant learning packages. These include:
www.licencebypost.com
www.barry.ac.uk
www.lrtt.co.uk
www.newcastleaviation.co.uk
www.airservicetraining.co.uk
www.oxfordaviation.net
www.totaltrainingsupport.com
www.part66now.com
A good number of these providers are ELC registered so you will be able to offset some of the cost of courses, books, training notes etc. I used my yearly education allowance to pay for the CAA exams and even managed to con them into paying motor mileage by submitting a F1771. That may still be possible, I don’t know? The bottom line is screw the mob for whatever you can get, make them pay for your future outside.
Studying for and successfully obtaining a licence is not easy. Do not assume your RAF training will suffice because it won't. It takes discipline and many hours ‘burning the midnight oil’ just to pass the exams. Short modular courses can make life easier but they are expensive and require you to attend full-time which will mean using up leave.
Draw up a plan in the order that you want to do the modules. Whilst no modules are easy, from personnel experience I’d advise you to start with some of the smaller subjects such as Maths and Physics. This will ease you back into a learning frame of mind and give you some idea of the exam format used by the CAA.
Don’t wait until you are ready to take the exam before you book it. Waiting times can be up to 4 months so chances are you’d have forgotten everything by the time you come to sit it. With this in mind it is worthwhile block booking exams, say one (possibly two) every 2-3 months. This will give you sufficient time to prepare. Turn up unprepared and you will fail miserably so having already paid for the exam, it will force you to study. Nobody likes throwing money down the drain.
Experience
When you eventually leave the RAF you will have to work as an unlicensed mechanic on the tools until you’ve accrued sufficient civil aircraft maintenance experience to satisfy the CAA. This is currently 1 year minimum for ex military but may be longer dependent on your circumstances and background. If you’ve been working in bays for years it is deemed off aircraft and the experience requirement can increase considerably.
Start compiling a comprehensive log book of your military experience. I used the F7502 PDR, it may still be in use? Document every job no matter how trivial. Get it authenticated by an Engineering Officer prior to leaving. The CAA want proof of your military experience for licence issue, simply stating I was on TriStar's or Tornado’s for x amount of years is not enough.
The first thing that immediately becomes apparent after making the transition to Civil Aviation is how much you ‘don’t know’ about fixing aeroplanes. There is nobody around to show you the ropes out here in the real world. You are expected to get on with any job with minimal supervision. The learning curve is vertical. X amount of years in the mob means jack **** and any status or responsibility once held becomes irrelevant overnight. You will have to start all over again, get qualified and prove your worth.
There is no such thing as single trades in Civil Aviation. You are either B1 (Airframe, Engine, Electrics & limited Avionics) or B2 (Avionics). Over recent years the RAF has started to come inline with the likes of multi-skilling, however, some 6 week mickey mouse course at Cosford does not make you a competent Dual Trade Technician. Get as much experience of the other trades as possible before you leave.
CV's
With regards to CV’s, try to avoid the most common mistake service personnel make when writing one - excessive use of military jargon. A/F’s, T/R’s, Primary Star, I/C Tea-Bar, LITS, Lean etc. means sod all to civilian employers. For NCO/SNCO's a couple of brief statements about your supervisory and management capabilities/responsibilities will suffice. The interview will be the time and place to expand on this if and when you are asked. Remember, you will be applying for a Mechanic's vacancy initially so tailor your CV accordingly. Employers want to know that you can change components, do routine servicing, diagnose and rectify faults, carry out functional checks, ground run engines etc. Try and kept it short, two pages maximum. List your training and qualifications that are relevant such as TriStar Q course, NVQ Level 3 in Aircraft Maintenance or EASA Part-66 modules. Leave out the Sea Survival, Introduction to Lean, Basic Fire-Fighting and all the other irrelevant military related crap.
Resettlement and Terminal Leave
Use your resettlement time wisely. If you are planning on making the transition to Civil Aviation why waste it on Fork Lift, Plumbing or Computer courses. Use it to do a short modular course for a difficult subject such as Air Legislation for example. Better still, save up all your leave and use the resettlement and terminal leave as a form of work placement. I did exactly that and it allowed me to start employment 9 weeks early. I got two wages for a couple of months which covered the costs of my house move.
Tools
You will require your own tools out here. Start collecting now and buy the best that you can afford because they will get used and abused with regularity. EBay is a good place to start. Snap On spanners, ratchets and sockets can be found going cheap. Do not dismiss the Halfords Professional range either, some of their stuff is excellent quality and comes with a lifetime guarantee. For any folk that go on detachment to the US have a look in Sears
www.sears.com They sell Craftsman hand tools that are Snap On quality for a third of the price. If anybody requires a recommended list of tools to buy send me a PM.
And finally....
It’s a good world out here and there are plenty of opportunities for folk with the right attitude and a bit of get up and go.
Good Luck!
DT_Xtremez_30: