A Career In The RAF

Wednesday 10th March 2010 - 13:28:05

Women at work, a career flying in the RAF

Women RAF Career

With equality a major factor in the worplace FemaleFirst have been looking at the careers that have only relatively recently become accessible to women.

Here we look at a career flying in the R.A.F. with two high flyers telling us in their own words how they became interested in the RAF, their passion for flying and the ups and downs of the job.

Reserve Flight Lieutenant Laura Hodson

It was at university, while studying for a degree in nursing, that Laura Hodson got a taste for the high life. As a member of the University Air Squadron, Laura gained a real insight into the Royal Air Force and sparked her passion for flying. Since graduating, Laura has been gaining valuable experience as a nurse in NHS and has managed to combine this with her other job as an Aeromedical Evacuation Nurse in the RAF Reserves.

Laura Hodson had always been interested in a career in the RAF and when one of her friends became a pilot, he suggested training as an Aeromedical Evacuation Nurse. Laura was instantly taken with the idea and decided to study nursing and join the University Air Squadron to get some flying experience.

Whilst at university Laura applied to join the RAF, but was advised to gain some prior experience in the NHS and join at officer level after that. So, aged just 23, Laura joined the RAF Reserves.

Laura says: "Initially I joined the NHS to gain the necessary experience to join the RAF as a Nursing Officer. I’ve since decided to continue my career as an A&E Nurse but I get an enormous satisfaction from my other job as an Aeromedical Evacuation Nurse in the RAF Reserves."

Laura joined the Reserves as a Corporal and has since been promoted to the commissioned rank of Flight Lieutenant. Her training in the RAF has consisted of basic recruit training and a Junior Management Leadership Course (JMLC). She has also independently completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Tropical Nursing at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, which was useful in preparation for her deployment to Afghanistan in 2007.

Laura says: "Going to Afghanistan was one of the main reasons I wanted to be in the RAF. I wanted to experience the pressure of working in an Aeromedical Evacuation role in the field. The role involves treating personnel overseas and then ensuring their safe return back to the UK for recovery. It’s a very stressful job, and sometimes you can be working really long hours with no sleep. There isn’t anything like the feeling of knowing you’re saving lives and helping the troops to do their job."

"While I was out in Afghanistan, we had to do a massive airlift operation from Kandahar. We had 18 patients in total, two of which were in a critical condition. They were all suffering from gunshot and shrapnel wounds. We needed to get them onto a C17 and get them back to the UK. There’s a lot of pressure but we worked as a team and gave each other a boost when things got tough.  It was a far cry from my life in the NHS because it was hot, noisy and sometimes you had to work with limited equipment - but an all round brilliant experience."

Laura is currently attached to an Air Squadron at RAF Lyneham where she works one weekend a month, training Medical Assistants and other nurses, as well as refreshing her skills in Aeromedical Evacuation. She also stays prepared for deployment with regular military training provided by the RAF Regiment and once a year goes on extended training for two weeks. This year Laura will be building a base camp on the Isle of Wight- a task required of her whilst on operational duties.

In her spare time, Laura enjoys spending time with her family, and going out with her husband. Through her role as an RAF Reserve, Laura gets to experience life on the front line, as well as keeping her normal job. She says:

"I really enjoy being able to balance two lives. One weekend a month I go away with the RAF for training, but the rest of the time I work as an NHS nurse, spend time with my husband and family and living a normal life. My parents are really proud of me and so is my husband who is really supportive of my career as an RAF Reserve."

"I’d recommend this route to anyone who was interested in joining the RAF. It’s a great way to experience what RAF life is like and you get to do so many new things."

Flight Lieutenant Jules Fleming, Pilot