In the Tornado GR4, the use of Combat (or max reheat) would use 700 kgs of fuel per minute and the jet only carried 7 tonnes вЂ“ a pilot can use all of the fuel in just 10 minutes! Combat power is used in air combat and, at the rate it is used, it can catch people out.ДЄnd itвЂ™s always the hostile aircraft who tends to run out of fuel first when practising air combat вЂ“ this is because they are permanently engaged in the fight and the throttle is left open for the entire engagement the other two aircraft just take it in turns to fight the hostile. In order to overcome the drag that is caused by these devices, combat flap, slats or wings etc, a pilot will require as much power from the engine as they can get.

Lift creates drag and this is called вЂlift-inducedвЂ™ drag. When in combat, a pilot is required to вЂmax performвЂ™ his own aircraft and, to do this, they will use any lift augmentation devices that might increase the turn rate whilst simultaneously trying to minimise drag. If you are conducting some upper air exercises, again, fuel planning is not too difficult and you can recover home with an excess of fuel, the result of the aircraft burning less fuel at height and with the use of mid-range power settings.Д«ut one of the most demanding scenarios for any pilot comes during вЂair combat manoeuvringвЂ™ or ACM. This way you can check that your fuel airborne matches the fuel you calculated in the planning phase when you were on the ground and your head wasnвЂ™t trying to do a million other things. If you are flying a low-level navigation sortie, intending to pull up and fly home some 100-odd miles away from your base airfield, you calculate your required fuel to get home on the ground before you even get airborne. Think of it as driving past a fuel stop in the hope of reaching another one even though your carвЂ™s fuel light has been on for the last 10 miles.Д®xcept there is no hard-shoulder to park in should you get it wrong.ДЄnd the penalties for making mistakes become harsher depending on the discipline being flown. In order to maximise the training value for the student pilots you have to stay in the air for as long as possible and that often means running your fuel down to frighteningly low levels. ItвЂ™s a daily occurrence when you are flying to one of the most tightly packed flying schedules in the world. вЂJester 3 is bingo, RTB.вЂ™ I called over the radio, letting the other two aircraft that I was with know that I was heading home and on minimum fuel. This stage is unique to officers and takes place over a day and a half.I decided that I was not going to die today.ДЄnd with that I closed the throttle and, as the nose of my fighter jet lazily dropped below the horizon, I rolled out on a rough heading for home. YouвЂ™ll have a short interview to assess your suitability for a career in the Royal Navy, and to ensure youвЂ™re ready for the Admiralty Interview Board (AIB) This involves completing a 2.4km run on a treadmill within a certain time, at a fitness centre near you These are quite comprehensive and must be completed by one of our Ministry of Defence-approved doctors

YouвЂ™ll be tested on:В Verbal Reasoning, Numerical Reasoning, Work Rate, Spatial Reasoning, Electrical Comprehension and Mechanical Comprehension.ДЄ formal interview to talk through your suitability for the role Once youвЂ™ve registered your interest, weвЂ™ll be in touch to discuss your options

Once youвЂ™ve confirmed your eligibility, the joining process is as follows:

Max height for fighter pilot