Becoming a PTI
Becoming a PTI
The RAF is the only service where you join straight away as a PTI, but it is a very popular choice so it is a very competitive selection.
Being a female is not a problem - you do the same tests as males but are not expected to reach the same standards fitness wise.
You used to have to play County level at 1 or 2 sports but that is not the case now, although some AFCOs may still tell you that. As well as being good at sports, you need to be fit and as someone else has said previously, you will be evaluated for your potential leadership skills. You have to be a reasonable swimmer, at least good enough to be a competent lifeguard, and do a passable impression of competence at front crawl, back crawl and breast stroke. You will also be evaluated for your coaching/ teaching ability, not just your sporting ability.
Do you have any teaching/ coaching qualifications and/ or experience? If not try and get some, even if it is just teaching football to younger players at school/ college/ your club. Can you take the warm ups at your own football/ hockey training sessions. This is very important because the job of a PTI is to encourage others to play sports and keep fit, not for you to play sports and keep fit and it shows that you have a commitment to fitness in others, not just yourself.
The fact that you play raquet sports and hockey is a help but make sure that you know one end of a rugby ball from another and can spin pass it, can volleyball serve and set/ dig, and can bowl a cricket ball.
If you get past all the AFCO aptitude tests you will be asked to complete at 2 day selection test known as a vetting at RAF Cosford, near Wolverhampton.
They will test your fitness 1.5 mile run/ shuttle run/ gym tests. They will test basic skills in football hockey volleyball rugby badminton tennis cricket (there may be one or two more but I think that's it). You will take part in leadeship tasks and do some teaching (take a warm-up or something along those lines) and also teach one of the skills that you did earlier. You also have to do a swimming test, paddle a kayak up and down the pool and climb the indoor climbing wall. Oh and a proper interview (why do you want to be a PTI? What do you know about what a PTI does?). On that note is there an RAF Station near you where you could visit the PTI sectiion - shows good initiative and will actually tell you what PTIs do, which contrary to popular belief, is not play sport all day!!!
After that they will tell you the result. But passing is not necessarily a guarantee of a place because others may pass better than you. It just depends on how many people pass and how many places there are.
With regards to Raynauds, I have no idea whether it will be a bar to you entering the RAF as a PTI, but most likely you will have to mention it on your application form and will be required to see an RAF medical specialist. Don't try to hide it and then get found out having lied on your application later. I can't see how it would affect your ability to do the the PTI job apart from when you are doing Adventurous Training maybe. Just to note though, that the decision about whether it is a bar to entry will be made before you go to the vetting - and the PTIs doing the vetting will have no knowledge of you having it, so it will not factor in their decisions.
So in summary:
Try and arrange a visit to a PTI section
Practise sports skills in those sports i mentioned - try and have a go at climbing and kayaking if you haven't done so already.
Make sure your swimming is up to scratch - and practise lifesaving techniques
Get some teaching / coaching practise in, and even better qualifications.
Finally don't be too disappointed if you do not get in first time, many people do not pass first time but go back and do well on the second attempt.
Hope that helps
MuscleMech
