Flight Operations Assistants provide accurate flight information about RAF and civilian aircraft operations. Working with IT and communications systems, you’ll play a key role in helping aircrew to plan and carry out their missions safely.

You could be listening to radio messages between pilots and Air Traffic Controllers and updating real-time flight data systems. Or it could be your job to use local knowledge to give advice to visiting aircrew about their flight plans. You could also be responsible for conducting handovers of aircraft from one air traffic control area to another.

Like most people in the RAF, you’ll probably move jobs every few years, and each job is known as a

• an air traffic control tower on an RAF base;

• a civilian air traffic control centre in London, at Prestwick near Glasgow or at

Swanwick near Southampton; or

• the station/squadron operations room on an airbase.

Within your first few years, you’ll probably be detached overseas for anything from a few days to a few months. You could find yourself working in the operations room of an airbase overseas and updating your squadron’s daily flying programme. Or you could be based in the air traffic control tower, with responsibility for making sure everyone is aware of all the aircraft flying to and from the airfield.

For your first tour, you may be employed within either air traffic control or the operations room of an airbase in the UK, where you’ll help provide accurate and up-to-date flight information. It’s also a chance for you to gain a practical understanding of aircraft operations.

Your training

Your career will start with nine weeks of recruit training at RAF Halton in Buckinghamshire. The course is designed to help you adjust to a military environment. As well as fitness and military training, you’ll also learn about the RAF lifestyle.

Flight Operations Assistant 209A

The next step is a specialist training course at RAF Shawbury in Shropshire, which lasts about two months. You’ll be taught the basic theory and regulations of air traffic control, and the course also covers signals, meteorology and navigation. By the end of the training course, you’ll have an understanding of the job of the Flight Operations Assistant, and you’ll have practised carrying out your role using flight operations simulators.

At the end of the course, you’ll get your first posting.

As your career progresses, we’ll continue to train you in new skills. You’ll have the opportunity to complete a Foundation Modern Apprenticeship in Providing Aircraft Operations on the Ground. As your career develops, you may also choose to do NVQ Levels 3 and 4 in Controlling Aircraft/Airport Operations.

Your future

You’ll initially join the RAF for a period of nine years. After a year, you’ll be eligible for promotion to Senior Aircraftman/woman if you pass a trade ability test. Further promotion to the rank of Corporal and beyond is by competitive selection.

The NVQs and Apprenticeship you can earn are as valuable in the civilian world as they are in the RAF – which means that whenever you decide to leave the RAF, you’ll be well placed to find a job in civilian airport operations.

Entry qualifications

16–29

You must have a minimum of GCSE/SCEs at Grade G/6 in English language and maths.

You must have at least a provisional driving licence.

You must pass a test at the AFCO.

You must have been a British citizen or holder of dual British/other nationality since birth.

Flight Operations Assistant 209A

Whether or not you were born in the United Kingdom, you should normally have resided there for the three years immediately preceding your application.

The RAF values every individual’s unique contribution, irrespective of race, ethnic origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation or social background.