leave the RAF and go back into motorsport...?!?

[halecmini]

Hi everyone, wondering what you thought...of my latest plan...?!?

Just thinking about a change of carrier, I am currently in the RAF trained as an airframe technician working on puma helicopters. I have been in the RAF for 3 1/2 years. It is a good life and I enjoy it, but the work isn't much fun, I prefer more of a challenge, and making things. Don’t think it's the carrier for me....

I have been brought up in racing and engineering background, from as early as I can remember I have helped my dad and brother fixing and building their racing cars, and bikes. I have also been working for Pete Chambers for nearly 5 years building, setting up and helping to run the formula fords and other cars. I am a very competent mechanic with very good hand skills and intuition.

Would like to eventually work in a F3, F3000...Maybe even F1... what are your thoughts??? Should I leave the RAF and give it a go?

[halecmini]

oh and i'm only 20 btw....

[kickstart]

I spent 7 years in the Royal Marines and I can tell you it was quite a shock when I left. Assumed it would all be sweetness and light in civvy street - not true. Thing I missed the most and still miss was mates. In the forces there are so many people of the same age which makes for lots of fun. You may find working outside rather different, I remember that the first place I worked in after leaving the mob, the youngest bloke after me was nearly 50 . Plus you know that you will be paid each month - no question.
If I were you I would stay in a while longer and spend your spare time engaged in racing.
I know this will make me sound like a very old man, but my mate who stayed in the Marines for 16 years and left by the age of 34 has got a very decent index linked pension.
Whatever you decide to do think carefully and do not make any rash decisions which you might later regret.If you are serious about working in racing full time, why not try and see if you can get a job offer which pays a decent wage first.

[halecmini]

i have been offerd a full time job with a team for the same money as i'm on in the RAF. I have spent the last 3 years engauged in racing, i get every weekend off and any other spare time and come home and help out with either pete or dad..rebuilding my jedi or motocross bike...plus the friend thing.. being at home is still good for mates..!?!

[Mackmot]

Motorsport is too full of ****, its all politics and who you know. Its addictive but ****. I have been thinking about joining the RAF as an Inteligence Officer but I love motorsport too much and it is my life.

Problem is that there are not enough jobs in motorsport at the moment and its a real ****fight to get in there with anyone. If you have been offered one then that is get but its always going to be on a knife edge and you could lose it so easily. All it takes is one driver to get bored or fed up and you lose your job.

If I were you I would stay there, do a bit of work in your spare time volunteering in something like TGP or Euroboss and then wait to see if the industry picks up again.

[Try not to dodge the autocensor, Mackmot]

[StephenRae]

Motor sport is a precarious existance...Mackmot sums it up well...Find out how much it will cost to replace your 'fringe benefits' healthcare pensions expenses, deduct them from the wage offer and see how it compares.
If you were to stay where you are perhaps you could go for more qualifications in maybe data management or aerodynamics, it would improve your promotion prospects and would equip you with skills directly applicable to motor sport at a higherlevel.......good luck.

[dantley]

Daveo

Don't forget your own racing / Motox, you wouldnt have much spare time and from what i've seen heard from even FF / F3 mechanics and as Mack' says it becomes your life and not the best pay, work for PCMR for a year, by doing that at British FF your be around F3 teams, get something more on you CV nd maybe then look towards F3 number 2's, remember old Ian, how #### he was he had offers as number two mechanics for F3 teams such as fortec, as you know he wouldn't have gone anywhere as he had no idea but you could !!

Anyway, fancy a bike ride on the Malverns this weekend?

SAF

[JimW]

Does your RAF service lead to a civilian recognised qualification at some stage? If so I'd suggest sticking with it until that stage or 5 year's service. Gives you something to put on the CV.

Unless you hate the job/service life of course.

Good luck.

Jim

[Ignition]

it will give me a b tec, and an gnvq level 3 in aircraft engineering matainance, have done most of the course just need to finish off the distance learning... which i will complete before i leave, might even do my hgv... as they will pay for that too...like dantley said ian got a few offers and he was absolutely useless, i am pretty confident i would be a very useful asset to a team.....decisions decisions...

[Ignition]

ignition is halecmini by the way old boys

[Ignition]

but only for tonight..

[Sheila M]

For once I am in full agreement with Jim W on this. I think you'd be better off staying with the RAF for a while and do the motorsport thing during your off duty time. That way you still have the security of a "proper" job and also find out whether you would prefer to leave and go into motorsport.

As you said, you are only 20 and you have years ahead of you to do everything you want in life. Stick with the qualification thing first though!

[halecmini]

I am sure that i want to leave and go into motorsport, it's just finding the right time, i have been thinking about it for a long time now... on the qualification side of things, all my training has covered aerodynamics, compsite materials, hydraulics, structures, electrics, and almost every other aircraft system in use today.... all of which is relivent to the racing cars....but again i do enjoy my weekends off, so i can do what i want to do... with no real comitments...(if that makes sense)....!! I honesty don't know what to do now, almost everyone i have spoken to face to face has said, yeah do it, leave... but everyone on here has said no.....

thankyou all for your comments btw they are much appreciated!! dc

[listernoble]

At the end of the day you must do what you want to do in life.
I've had an exciting,interesting,stressful,worrying,frightening and fulfilling life.
Never asked anyones advice,just did it.By the time you have all the advice it's too late.
Sometimes it worked out,sometimes it didn't,but overall yes, it has been great.
Other people can't know what goes on in your head,so grab life by the neck and do it.
If you keep asking these questions,stay where you are because you are not ready to move.
Lister

[ss_collins]

halce go motor racing... but you would have to train lots...

Motorsport is hard to get into, you will have to work up through the ranks - low pay, hard work, silly hours etc...

but its really rewarding, the highs are huge and the lows nasty and frequent sometimes. But if you are only 20 and want a challenge - get reading MN and AS on a regular basis and scour the appointments, or speak to an agency like ACR solutions / Action resources.

[halecmini]

thankyou everyone, i will take on board what you have all said.I'm off back to work on thurs... am just gonna see how it goes... at the end of the day i am only young, and have just got my jedi and really want to give it a go this year, if i was working for a team i wouldn't be able to race... so i have decided just to leave things for abit so i can concentrate on myself, and i feel that it is also going to be very useful for me to be putting everything that i have learnt into practice.... on the track!
and again it will look good on my cv... no need for rash decisions, not whilst i can take my time and still get paid!

thanks again, and i will keep you all updated either way!
dc