Question need some help...

[Canada14]

Hi,

      Was looking at joining the air force since I love flying, I wanted to know how many hours pilots log in say a month? Ive already got my private pilot licence so the medical stuff isnt in my way. Is there certain test they make you do before you join and is there a certain score you must get on them I assume it must be high.? Once you say pass and medically cleared, what is the length of time they will accept you,  a year , 5 months and idea? Think they would take people since the population of the army is quite low 


Last question is when you join as a pilot, do you get the option of what planes/helicopter you will be handling or there assign you to a certian plane/heli and you fly that for time being...?

Thank for all the help appreicate it... 

 

[aesop081]

Hi,

      Was looking at joining the air force since I love flying, I wanted to know how many hours pilots log in say a month? Ive already got my private pilot licence so the medical stuff isnt in my way. Is there certain test they make you do before you join and is there a certain score you must get on them I assume it must be high.? Once you say pass and medically cleared, what is the length of time they will accept you,   a year , 5 months and idea? Think they would take people since the population of the army is quite low  


Last question is when you join as a pilot, do you get the option of what planes/helicopter you will be handling or there assign you to a certian plane/heli and you fly that for time being...?

Thank for all the help appreicate it...    

If you think that because you are medicaly fit for a PPL that you are medicaly fit for military pilot,, you are in for one hell of a shock.

 

[Canada14]

I didnt say I was medicaly fit for air froce. I said I had my medical done and no health problems. There a big difference from flying a Cessna 172 and F14

 

[Zoomie]

I highly recommend that you conduct a thorough search of this forum.  All of your questions have been addressed and answered in detail.  I also suggest that you visit www.dnd.ca and find out what the Canadian Forces are all about, as your facts are slightly skewed and need addressing.  (ie.  who flies the F-14 anymore - Iran maybe...  the USN is moving towards the Super Hornet)

 

[Inch]

Ive already got my private pilot licence so the medical stuff isnt in my way.

aesop was referring to this sentence. Having a PPL does in no way mean the medical stuff isn't in your way, do you have a Cat 3 or a Cat 1 medical? If it's a 3 that means you can't even have a CPL and trust me, the CF medical standards for pilots are quite a bit higher than Cat 1 standards let alone Cat 3 standards.

Follow Zoomie's advice and search, I know the two of us as well as some other pilots have answered all your questions already.

 

[ArmyAviator]

Guys, don't be so hard on this young'un.   Canada 14, there are several things you will want to consider.  First off, what university courses do you want.  With very few exceptions you will need to get a degree to enroll as an officer and pilot in the CF.  If your marks are good enough and you are keen the military can provide the education for you under the ROTP programme.  You would most likely go to RMC (Royal Military College in Kingston ON) and spend four years there.  During the summers you will accomplish various trade specific and general officer training.  These include for pilots, Second language, Primary Flying selection at Portage, and SERE (survival, evasion, resistance, and escape) training.  After that off to Moose Jaw for basic flying.  There you will be asked for your preferences for what type of aircraft you would like to fly.  Just remember that the needs of the service are overriding and you may not get what you ask for.  For example, over 50% of the cockpits are helicopters.  This means that you have a greater than 50/50 chance of ending up back at portage for the basic helicopter school.  There is  the multi-engine and jet courses.  During the advanced flying, Multi, helo, or jet, you will be asked once again on your preference and selections will be made with that in consideration.  Right now if you do well and want tac hel or fighters you have better odds than if you want Hercs and or Search and Rescue helicopters.

Flying hours vary on aircraft type and whether or not you are deploying on a mission.  The lowest are the fighters who avg about 200 hrs.  (Sea Kings might be lower right now but this is not due to allocation as much as it is serviceability.)  The high timers I think are still the Herc guys but it varies.  We had guys on the Tac Hel squadrons get over 500 hrs in a year when we deployed to Kosovo (including all the prep time etc.)

Pop into the local recruiting office and make an appointment to talk to a recruiter.  Check out the DND web site mentioned by Zoomie.  Good luck 8)

 

[Inch]

ArmyAviator, you're right.

As ArmyAviator mentioned, amount of hours per month depends on airframe. Legality of it says no more than 100 hrs in a month for rotary and I believe jet types as well. Sea King pilots will get around 40-50 hours a month when deployed and about half that if they're lucky back ashore. However, serviceability is the limiting factor in how much we fly and occasionally weather, lately we've had 7 of 14 serviceable if you can believe it so lot's of flying the last few weeks.

If you join ROTP, you'll sign a 9 year contract. Most DEO's that I know also signed 9 year contracts. The difference is the ROTP guys cannot leave if they wanted to since it's obligatory service for having school paid for. Specifically for pilots, it's 7 years mandatory service after you get your wings and this applies to all pilots regardless of the airframe that you're flying. In my case, I had 5 years in when I got my wings, thus I'll have 12 years in before I can leave.

ArmyAviator was bang on, you will put in a request for what you want to fly but ultimately the needs of the CF come before your preference.

Good luck.

 

[foxtwo]

Last question is when you join as a pilot, do you get the option of what planes/helicopter you will be handling or there assign you to a certian plane/heli and you fly that for time being...?

Hey bud, I'm in the same boat as you almost, except I'm 14 so I don't have my PPL yet. But regards to this question, I was told by a recruiting dude that you don't choose your aircraft, the aircraft chooses you.

 

[Bo]

In my case, I had 5 years in when I got my wings, thus I'll have 12 years in before I can leave.

Sorry to hijack this thread but 5 years to earn your wings??? Is this common in the CF or was your case special (delays, leave of absence, etc.) ? The recruiting form "says" 2 years while most guys on this forum say 3-4 years.

 

[Inch]

Sorry to hijack this thread but 5 years to earn your wings??? Is this common in the CF or was your case special (delays, leave of absence, etc.) ? The recruiting form "says" 2 years while most guys on this forum say 3-4 years.

Nope, pretty normal. I did 8 months of school as part of those 5 years. Here's the short bio, enrolled Jun 99, BOTC I during the summer of 99, 3rd year Sault College Aviation, BOTC II May-Jun 2000, SLT Jun 00 - Apr 01, OJT Apr 01 - Nov 02, Moose Jaw Dec 02 - Jul 03, OJT Jul 03 - Sept 03, Basic Helo School Oct 03 - 02 Apr 04. Two months short of 5 years. Most guys that I went through MJ with enrolled DEO in Jan 00 so I was only 6 months ahead of them. 3-4 years is pretty standard, I don't know of anybody that got their wings 2 years after enrolling.

 

[Bo]

Thanks for the quick reply. Dumb question, what's OJT? I tried searching the abbreviations thread http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/24881/post-9336.html#msg9336 but couldn't find anything. I'm assuming SLT is Second-Language training.

 

[aesop081]

it means "on-the-job training", its what they call it when they send you somewhere to wait for your turn to go on course

 

[Infanteer]

I always thought OJT to mean learning by doing - ie: learning to to section attacks by leading a section instead of going on course....

 

[aesop081]

I always thought OJT to mean learning by doing - ie: learning to to section attacks by leading a section instead of going on course....

Not all the time my freind..not all the time !!  I was on OJT at 403 sqn from april last year to september and what my job consisted of was to be "self loading ballast for the pilots.  Alot of people on OJT have menial jobs n units, sort of "gainful employement" until they go on some MOC training or other endevour.

 

[foxtwo]

Hey guys I had an important question. In high school you can earn a credit (up to 4 I think) by doing an apprenticeship program through working with a professional. For example, let's say I want to be a Photographer. I can spend one whole semester with a Photographer being his/her apprentice without pay. Is there anyway I can do this through the CF in any element? It sounds great to me and would me being a Cadet give me an advantage?

 

[Inch]

Hey guys I had an important question. In high school you can earn a credit (up to 4 I think) by doing an apprenticeship program through working with a professional. For example, let's say I want to be a Photographer. I can spend one whole semester with a Photographer being his/her apprentice without pay. Is there anyway I can do this through the CF in any element? It sounds great to me and would me being a Cadet give me an advantage?

I don't know about other trades, but it's quite a paper trail to take civilians flying in CF aircraft. Not to mention that we're not flying all the time so it'd be pretty boring. I just can't see it working in most instances in the CF, people are constantly on the move, either in the field, at sea, on courses, etc, and it'd be impossible to take someone with us on all that stuff, not to mention that you've got to eat and what not which no one is going to pay for out of their budget.

There is a Militia Co-Op program, I don't know all the details on it, but basically you're enrolled in the reserves and you do your BMQ in the afternoons and on weekends vice going to class at your school.

 

[foxtwo]

There is a Militia Co-Op program, I don't know all the details on it, but basically you're enrolled in the reserves and you do your BMQ in the afternoons and on weekends vice going to class at your school.

Oh really! Thats amazing. I'm going to go do a bit more research in that, and I'll post it up here so other people can see it whom are interested. And about the flying... I know it would be a whole lot of paper work, insurance oh god just the thought of it all! I was basically thinking of something more of the Army element, and how I can sort of help them out- working for free and stuff. Maybe being like kitchen duty on exercises. Anything this close to the reserves is gold to me. Other than that, I'll go check out some sites and report back.

 

[aesop081]

Oh really! Thats amazing. I'm going to go do a bit more research in that, and I'll post it up here so other people can see it whom are interested. And about the flying... I know it would be a whole lot of paper work, insurance oh god just the thought of it all! I was basically thinking of something more of the Army element, and how I can sort of help them out- working for free and stuff. Maybe being like kitchen duty on exercises. Anything this close to the reserves is gold to me. Other than that, I'll go check out some sites and report back.

If nothing else kid, you are eager and motivated.......good luck, its nice to see ! 

 

[foxtwo]

LOL after my last search aesop081, my motivation in researching that stuff has hit rock bottom. I don't know if I spelled it wrong, or am just to stupid when it comes to internet, I couldn't find one damn thing.  :-\

But it's okay, Inch if you can- or anybody else that knows more in this field can elaborate on this a bit for me please? I'm sure many other people in high school are also eager to find out different methods or earning credits through the CF.

Thanks for all your help guys, if it wasn't for you, and me not finding this sight, I would have still set up my life plan revolving around being a Pilot, and if I didn't make the ACS would be shattered.  ;D

 

[Inch]

Search on here, I know it's been the subject of a few threads. Have a look at the Recruiting FAQ, it may be in there.

Try this one for starters.

http://army.ca/forums/threads/18014.0.html