Fly High.

An attraction for most undergraduates who join YUAS is the prospect of free pilot training. This training is given in the new Grob G115E Tutor aircraft, a carbon-fibre,twin-seat, fully aerobatic training aircraft. You can expect to fly 10 hours each year. However, there is the opportunity for students to fly more hours should other students not use up their alloted hours.  Flying training is given by fully-qualified RAF flying instructors, among the best in the world. and the syllabus is identical to that flown by every pilot entrant to the RAF.

Indeed, if you do go on to join the RAF as a pilot it will count as the first part - about a quarter - of the training towards your wings. The syllabus includes, general handling, instrument flying, navigation, aerobatics and formation flying, and around 20% of this is flown solo. Students are encouraged to fly whenever possible.

The Grob Tutor T1 replaced the Royal Air Force's ageing fleet of Bulldog primary training aircraft. Ninety of the new aircraft are used by University Air Squadrons and Air Experience Flights at 14 locations around the country. But unusually, the aircraft are not owned and maintained by the RAF, carrying civilian registrations and serviced under a Private Finance Initiative (PFI).