Pilot life after CF

[Chou]

I was just wondering the process one would go through after serving your initial ~9 years as a 1. Fighter 2. Helo 3. Multi to reintegrate oneself into the civi commercial aviation world.  I know there has been some discussion on this but I still have some questions.

1. Fighter Jets: 
Assuming one gets ~200 hours a year(too high?), one may finish off with 1000-1400 hours depending on your desk tour.  What do airlines think of single seat fighter jet time?  Are you really at a disadvantage when compared to a Helo guy? If yes than why? Once hired by an airline company how long is your training period in comparison to 2. Helo and 3. Multi?  ???

2. Helicopter:
Not too sure on flight hours here, 300-400 a year? That puts you in the 2000+ range after 9 years.  Are you just as competitive as a Multi guy?  I know a bunch of reserve griffon pilots who fly for air Canada.  Is the switch over easy to do?

3. Multi engine:
I would think airlines are all over these guys like whinnie the pooh on honey.  True? 

Thanks

 

[Loachman]

The reserve pilots flying Griffons on their off-time from Air Canada are former military fixed-wing pilots. 400 Sqn, 438 ETAH, and most likely 408 Sqn each have a Jet Ranger for ab initio helicopter training and a cadre of instructors for that and the CH146.

One is only allowed to count a couple of hundred helicopter hours towards one's ATPL. A helicopter pilot would still need about 700 hours of pilot-in-command, multi-engined turbine time if I remember correctly. As far as I know, the number of pilots with which one has flown at any one time has nothing to do with one's attractiveness to the airlines; it's the number of engines, and two or more count the same.

 

[SupersonicMax]

Is the Hornet considered centerline thrust (ie :  IFR Group 3 for civies)?

Max

 

[Inch]

Is the Hornet considered centerline thrust (ie :  IFR Group 3 for civies)?

Max

Does it yaw if you lose an engine? If it does than it's not centreline thrust.

 

[Globesmasher]

Is the Hornet considered centerline thrust (ie :  IFR Group 3 for civies)?

Max

No it is not.

 

[SupersonicMax]

Thank you Globemasher for the right to the point answer

Max

 

[zorro]

Interesting....

Now what about Helo guys that have put in their 20some years and pension out.....are they attractive prospects for police forces? I know here in Toronto they've got one or two choppers...........must be pretty competitive for those types of positions...but with that much military training I don't see how one wouldn't be snapped up.

Could make for an interesting application of the skills you develop from military helo training in your post-military life.

Thoughts?

 

[TCBF]

"Good Morning!  Welcome to Wal-Mart!"

:

Just kidding...

Tom

 

[Yrys]

I don't see how one wouldn't be snapped up.

(civi here)

I don't see how an employer would snap anybody however much that person
has experience if he doesn't have a job opening...

A civil friend of mine took nearly 10 years to get a job as first officer, and she told
me that it is worst for helo pilots... How many people travel by helo ?

 

[daftandbarmy]

There's always heli logging and fire fighting out in the west, as well as flying for the mining and 'energy' companies. Failing that, I hear Blackwater's hiring.

 

[volition]

First, there is never a shortage of experienced helicopter pilots. Second, if it took your friend 10 years to get  a first officer job in the helo world, I might evaluate the company, or skills of the pilot. I have many friends that starting from 0 to second chair in 2-3 years. Transport Canada hires helo pilots, TV stations, schools, EMS, Police, Fire suppression, etc. The reason it could be harder in the helo world at first is; after the commercial license(100 hours), you cannot get your instructor's rating until you got 250 hours PIC. So From 100 to 500 hours could be your biggest hurdle!! After that you can get jobs every where with the sales of helicopter going up every year. The ratio for helicopters in Canada, and the number of pilots that gets license every year, is the same as fixed weenies. Thanx, and that's my 2 cents!

 

[I_am_John_Galt]

There's always heli logging and fire fighting out in the west, as well as flying for the mining and 'energy' companies.

They never seem to be able to get enough pilots: I met a couple of operators (heli-logging) a few years ago who told me that they "love" ex-mil types ...

 

[daftandbarmy]

They never seem to be able to get enough pilots: I met a couple of operators (heli-logging) a few years ago who told me that they "love" ex-mil types ...

Yup. I know alot of loggers - owners and operators - and they need pilots and pay well. You also get to do stuff with an S61 (i.e., Sea King) or an A-Star on a daily basis that you'd be cashiered for in the military!

 

[zorro]

Another question....

After receiving military training, is there any program that exists where one could transfer their hours towards a civilian rating?

For example, if someone has 0 hours in the civilian world, but has accrued 1500 hours on a multi-engine in the CF, can you transfer these hours/training towards say....a PPL? Or even a commercial license?

.........It would be seem backwards to make someone with this kind of training have to go through the civilian system to acquire a related rating...

 

[AJFitzpatrick]

Just wanted to say that my uncle (Ex-CF-188 pilot) moved pretty quickly into a commercial job (MD-80). Mind you that was more than 15 years ago.

 

[Loachman]

Now what about Helo guys that have put in their 20some years and pension out.....are they attractive prospects for police forces? I know here in Toronto they've got one or two choppers...........must be pretty competitive for those types of positions...but with that much military training I don't see how one wouldn't be snapped up.

Toronto does NOT have a police helicopter. It only conducted a six-month trial using two Bell 206 Jet Rangers and a handful of pilots, many of whom were reservists or ex-military, under contract from Canadian Helicopters in 2001. Two criteria for the job were plenty of night time and an instrument rating, neither of which are terribly common in the civ helicopter world. It never became a permanent operation, unlike in York and Durham Regions. I would not go after the job if it was revived - too much lefty political interference. I did the Peel Region trial prior to that. Much harder work, but more rewarding and no political interference.

 

[I_am_John_Galt]

Another question....

After receiving military training, is there any program that exists where one could transfer their hours towards a civilian rating?

For example, if someone has 0 hours in the civilian world, but has accrued 1500 hours on a multi-engine in the CF, can you transfer these hours/training towards say....a PPL? Or even a commercial license?

.........It would be seem backwards to make someone with this kind of training have to go through the civilian system to acquire a related rating...

Transport Canada has people that convert military hours to civilian equivalent: check with them.

 

[Loachman]

Another question....

After receiving military training, is there any program that exists where one could transfer their hours towards a civilian rating?

One hour equals one hour. One writes the exam, provides proof of medical, pays the nice lady, and gets a commercial licence. I didn't bother getting an ATPL(H) as it wasn't required for the cop job.

 

[Loachman]

Just wanted to say that my uncle (Ex-CF-188 pilot) moved pretty quickly into a commercial job (MD-80). Mind you that was more than 15 years ago.

A completely different industry than the helicopter one. Job security isn't great for the newer guys, either. I've seen a couple of rounds of layoffs.

 

[Inch]

They never seem to be able to get enough pilots: I met a couple of operators (heli-logging) a few years ago who told me that they "love" ex-mil types ...

That's because we all have medium to large helicopter experience. I have almost 600 hrs on S-61s and 115 hrs on Jet Rangers. 99% of civvie pilots have an abundance of Robinson time, but very little, if any at all, turbine large helicopter time. Kinda hard to turn down a 1000+ hr Sea King pilot in favour of a 500 hr Robinson R22 pilot with the same licence.

On the transfer question, have a read of part 4 of the CARS, under every licence there is a "Credit for DND Applicants" section detailing what a miltary pilot must do to get the licence. As Loachman said, hours are hours, doesn't matter where you get them as far as Transport Canada is concerned. The military does care however, none of my civvie time counted for jack when I went through pilot training, all it did was make the learning curve a little shallower for me since it wasn't all totally new to me.