Last blog post on the application process now. In 3 and a half weeks time I shall be blogging from RTS on RAF Halton.
So, the final interview. For a start it's a whole lot shorter, simpler and less formal than the first formal interview, but the same rules apply so don't let your guard down.
The main difference this time is that the interview is with an officer rather than an NCO and mostly about going through paperwork and signing things off on top of them making sure of your suitability.
When I got there I had to sit and read through all of the attestation paperwork to make sure I understood it all and my details on it were correct. It's long, it's boring and it doesn't make a whole bunch of sense first read through if you are skimming. Basically it says you're signing up for x years, you can leave after y years but have to do z years in the reserves. And something to do with being called up for war and RAF law, etc etc.
After that I was called into an office and the interview began. Mostly we talked about the things that were bought up in the last interview, fitness being a big thing for me and what I'm doing to improve. I was asked a few questions on my training and what I was looking forward to, basic questions to make sure I knew what I was getting into. Finally we talked about my trade, mostly about Tactical Comms Wing as I mentioned that being a role I'd quite like, and going forward etc.
Final part was a quick run through of a few things to make sure nothing major had changed in my personal circumstances and that I'd understood everything I'd had to read before hand.
That done it was on to the paperwork signing. There's lots of things to sign and fill in, the provisional offer of service being the most important, and then you get lots of bits of paper to take home (including a certificate that I was told "mums love", and mum was impressed with it) and sent on your way with a congratulations and 'don't get injured'.
It's as simple as that, nothing too taxing but keeping genned up helps of course. Personnally I came out with a head twice the size as when I went in but I won't go into detail about how the AFCO think I'm amazing.
To celebrate, I went straight into work to hand my notice in, followed by a night playing ice hockey, just to test the 'don't get injured' thing.
And that's it on the application process. As of now I'm done with that and I've blogged on every part along the way. Unless anyone has any burning desire to know any thing in particular I may have missed off (I am planning on a post about boot care) the next time I'll blog like I have been will be either whilst I'm prepping to leave or on Day Zero of RTS.
Tuesday 26 January 2010
Friday 22 January 2010
Fitness Testing
So now I've managed to pass the MSFT level required to start training I'm almost home clear.
I found everything about the MSFT (or bleep test) to be a complete ball-ache. It's not easy to train for without just doing the bleep test inself. And I don't recommend that for your joints sake. I was given some pretty good tips by various people that helped a fair but with my training and testing and I think I should share that here.
Training wise, I've been doing an hours CV workout at least 3 times a week. I've been keeping it low-impact (bike, X-trainer etc) to save my joints as much as possible but I also have two treadmill programs I've been using.
One starts at 8.5km/h and get 0.5km/h faster every minute. The theory being that this is pretty much the speeds required on the bleep test (just without the turn and such) so the increasing effort would help with the nature ofthe test.
The second one makes you look like a complete muppet when youre running it. basically it's short interval training designed for increasing your anaerobic performance. Mine was a 11km/h jog for 30s, then a 15s sprint, back down to jog for 30s, faster sprint, jog, faster sprint etc etc etc. You look crazy and it's very hard work but definately worth the pain.
The only other thing to train for is the turn part, I was given various techniques for saving your knees and ankles but they tend to include looping which increases the distance you have to run. The best way is to sprint through the middle, slow down using quick but shorter steps then just tap the line with one foot, drop your hips, pivot and push off hard.
On the day the only real advice is to just go for it. Depending on the PTI running the test, you may or may not have to stop at the line on later levels if you reach it before the beep. At Halton you must stop, but when I retook it the PTI yelled at me to keep running whenever I waited at the line on level 8.
The last trick is to use the 'warning' calls to your advantage. Everytime I've run the MSFT I've been told you have 2 warnings and on the 3rd you're out. Make sure you sprint to make the line before your 3rd strike as some places will count your score as the shuttle before you started struggling. Making the shuttle on your last warning negates this and usually gives you the energy boost to get a few more in.
The press-ups and sit-ups are fairly simple. If you can't do them all I can advise is doing alot more weights and manning up a bit. Needless to say I banged them out no problem.
Very boring post from me but I have one left to do for the final interview section and then, in four weeks time, I'll be blogging from RAF Halton on recruit training. So things will get much more interesting.
I found everything about the MSFT (or bleep test) to be a complete ball-ache. It's not easy to train for without just doing the bleep test inself. And I don't recommend that for your joints sake. I was given some pretty good tips by various people that helped a fair but with my training and testing and I think I should share that here.
Training wise, I've been doing an hours CV workout at least 3 times a week. I've been keeping it low-impact (bike, X-trainer etc) to save my joints as much as possible but I also have two treadmill programs I've been using.
One starts at 8.5km/h and get 0.5km/h faster every minute. The theory being that this is pretty much the speeds required on the bleep test (just without the turn and such) so the increasing effort would help with the nature ofthe test.
The second one makes you look like a complete muppet when youre running it. basically it's short interval training designed for increasing your anaerobic performance. Mine was a 11km/h jog for 30s, then a 15s sprint, back down to jog for 30s, faster sprint, jog, faster sprint etc etc etc. You look crazy and it's very hard work but definately worth the pain.
The only other thing to train for is the turn part, I was given various techniques for saving your knees and ankles but they tend to include looping which increases the distance you have to run. The best way is to sprint through the middle, slow down using quick but shorter steps then just tap the line with one foot, drop your hips, pivot and push off hard.
On the day the only real advice is to just go for it. Depending on the PTI running the test, you may or may not have to stop at the line on later levels if you reach it before the beep. At Halton you must stop, but when I retook it the PTI yelled at me to keep running whenever I waited at the line on level 8.
The last trick is to use the 'warning' calls to your advantage. Everytime I've run the MSFT I've been told you have 2 warnings and on the 3rd you're out. Make sure you sprint to make the line before your 3rd strike as some places will count your score as the shuttle before you started struggling. Making the shuttle on your last warning negates this and usually gives you the energy boost to get a few more in.
The press-ups and sit-ups are fairly simple. If you can't do them all I can advise is doing alot more weights and manning up a bit. Needless to say I banged them out no problem.
Very boring post from me but I have one left to do for the final interview section and then, in four weeks time, I'll be blogging from RAF Halton on recruit training. So things will get much more interesting.
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