"So You Want To Be A Pilot" Merged Thread 2002 - 2018

[Corey Darling]

You wont receive an offer for a specific job until after that one year of school. They look at all your grades, and everything else you've done up to that point, and make their decision then.

if you dont like what they have to offer, you can choose to walk with no obligation.

 

[BarthJD]

So do they pay for school before making you a specific offer, or do they just reimburse you once you've actually sworn in?

 

[thatcadetkid]

At the moment I am currently 15 and a member of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets and still in high school. Once i come out of High School I wish to start a path on becoming a Pilot, I have read several forms saying that i can start as a Bush Pilot, or go through the military and jump to the top. Yet i have searched many Universities and found most of them don't really help much so I am wondering which Royal Military College I should join and the courses i should take to become a Pilot. But not necessarily a CF-18 Pilot, just a pilot of some sort, I love flying but in a CF-18 as I understand can be pretty dangerous as its quite complicated machine in a tight space and with ALOT of thinking, and partially on unconscious level. So simply a means of joining a College for the Flying Program, or any College to open up a path towards becoming a pilot for a Company.

As well, I am going to get my Glider and Power License through Cadets (I Hope). Yet some companies still demand for a degree in Physics. Also I hear that to get into RMC, you need a very high average, but there are some acceptions granted to Cadets, and I was wondering if this was true on some sort of basis.

I Thank You All For Your Kind Support
A. Lampert
778 Banshee RC(Air)CS

 

[Michael OLeary]

Welcome to Milnet.ca.  As you start reading here you will find many threads specifically dedicated to the dream of becoming a pilot.  I would suggest becoming very friendly with the search function.

 

[SupersonicMax]

At the moment I am currently 15 and a member of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets and still in high school. Once i come out of High School I wish to start a path on becoming a Pilot

Good!  I was in your shoes 10 years ago and I got my CF pilot wings last month!  Don't let anyone tell you you can't, because it's not true. 

I have read several forms saying that i can start as a Bush Pilot, or go through the military and jump to the top. Yet i have searched many Universities and found most of them don't really help much so I am wondering which Royal Military College I should join

You WILL need a degree of some sort (any degree) to become a pilot in the Canadian Forces.
You have a few options:

1-Do your degree the civy then apply for pilot;
2-Apply for ROTP (Regular Officer Training Plan) for pilot.  Basically they pay your education (degree) and give you a salary while doing it then you go on pilot training.  Your degree can be at RMC or somewhere else.
3-Do your flight training the civilian way at an accredited school then apply in the CF under the CEOTP (Continuous Education Officer Training Plan).  Basically, once you're enrolled, you have 9 years to complete your degree (in anything, pilot training doesn't count towards any degree).

I personally went option number 2 and went through RMC.  It took me a total of 8 years, 1 month and 8 days to get my wings (from enrolment)

But not necessarily a CF-18 Pilot, just a pilot of some sort, I love flying but in a CF-18 as I understand can be pretty dangerous as its quite complicated machine in a tight space and with ALOT of thinking, and partially on unconscious level.

Any kind of flying will be a LOT of work, lot of thinking and will be dangerous. Every aircraft the CF operates are quite more complicated than the typical small charter turboprop that you will find at your local airport.  The training isn't easy (far from there) but it is very challenging.  But you are right, fighters are quite more space restricted than multi or helos.  However, everybody has to go through the Harvard II which is somewhat small as well.

As well, I am going to get my Glider and Power License through Cadets (I Hope).

 


Good, I did my Glider Pilot License in 1999.  Never got to do the PPL, I enrolled before... At age 16.

Yet some companies still demand for a degree in Physics.

Never heard anything like that.  I've been involved in aviation for 13 years.

Also I hear that to get into RMC, you need a very high average, but there are some acceptions granted to Cadets, and I was wondering if this was true on some sort of basis.

You will need to compete against quite a bit of people.  You need good marks but not incredibly high marks.  Lots of people in my year were in the mid-70s and got accepted at RMC.  The pilot trade is also very competitive.  I'm not sure if they select people with their marks.

Never heard of ANY exception because you were cadet.  It may help you get more points on the board, but it won't give you a free pass.

Max

 

[Strike]

Most of your questions have already been asked and answered.  Along with this thread, take a gander at:
merged into this thread- Moderator
It may be a little long winded, but you may get some questions answered that you never even thought of asking.

 

[Griffon]

Has anyone heard recently about possible In Service Selection slots for Pilot?  I am an AVS tech in Cold Lake, have worked on F-18's for the last 6 years, and have just recently had LASIK done (as it is now accepted for the pilot occupation).

So before I joined the military, all I wanted to do was fly military aircraft.  Since that wasn't an option 8 years ago, I went AVS to get on the aircraft as soon as possible.  The biggest benefit of that career choice IMHO is that I have logged about 10 hours in the back seat of a Hornet since I arrived here.  April 08 rolls around, and out comes a CANFORGEN saying that certain refractive surgeries are now accepted for the pilot occupation, so I go out and get it done, and have had no issues from it.  So I have started all my paperwork for UTPNCM and CEOTP, but am doing so under the assumption that one of them might be open this year.  So my question is this -- Has anyone heard of any CEOTP or UTPNCM openings for Pilot this year, or am I just spinning my tires here???

 

[jzaidi1]

Hey buddy,

Awesome!  You get to live and breath the life everyday!  Your CO would know much more about the process than any of us (unless you are a recruiter or the folks picking the pilots).

You are going about it the right way in my humble opinion - however I would add that starting up at RMC as a distant education student will probably help your chances even more.

I do not know how many slots are available but I've heard that CEOTP is filled up.

J

 

[EStrike101]

I've hard from someone from comox that you don't fly as much when you get the F18s slot, I think its from a member here that was showing me around in comox, I think his name was washie or welshy or something like that, but anyway he is on some kind of flight school and if youre reading this, hi how it going?

 

[Griffon]

I am very aware that hornet pilots don't get the highest hours in the CF, but that's OK.

Yes, I do want to be an F-18 pilot, but it isn't the only position I would be happy with.  It is just my primary goal in going to the pilot occ.  My motivations definately aren't to rack up a bunch of hours on an airframe, finish my contract and go to an airline in ten years.  I am very aware of the missions and training regiments of the fighter pilot, and thinking about it just makes me wish I was in a mud pit in St. Jean crawling my way to PFT.

That is not to detract from what a Cormorant or Aurora pilot does on a daily basis, it just wouldn't be my first choice.

 

[Welshy]

I like how my name pops up. My point from what i was talking to you was that a very small percentage of pilots eventually go fighter, with the majority now going rotary with multi engines coming in second.

 

[Griffon]

I don't know how current your information is from MJ regarding the ratio of pilots going into each stream, but I know that when I was talking to one of the I/P's at 410 he told me that there are fewer and fewer people who have a real drive to become a fighter pilot.  It is something that I have always wanted to do, even needed, and it is a feeling that has grown exponentially since my back seat rides and the new directive that permits refractive surgery in pilots and pilot candidates.  So I know that it will be a tough road if I get to take it, but I am just chomping at the bit to get there, and will do all I can to get my dream job.

Edited for grammar

 

[Welshy]

That's cool. I'm not trying to detract from your dream. I was just responding to EStrike101 and mines conversation. I will confirm that among my peers in the training program, the drive to go fighter is lower than most would expect. As for numbers, I believe its somewhere around 12% go fighter, but I would have to confirm that tomorrow when i get to work.

 

[Griffon]

That would be much appreciated.  You must have just updated your profile, because when I looked at it last you hadn't yet completed your flying training, and now you are listed as being at an operational unit, so I guess that answers my recency question.
great
Any other info that you could give regarding your experiences, stream ratios, current training waiting periods would be appreciated, it's all great information to know.

 

[Loachman]

Welshy - you didn't come back to us...?

 

[aesop081]

Aurora pilot does on a daily basis,

Do you even know what an Aurora does on a daily basis ?

 

[Loachman]

Chuckle...

I have this vision of you orbitting for hours, until you spot the slightest hint of a target, and then ... WHACK!!!

 

[aesop081]

Chuckle...

I have this vision of you orbitting for hours, until you spot the slightest hint of a target, and then ... WHACK!!!

Ok ok....so you know  ;D

 

[Griffon]

I do have a slight idea as to what the flying duties of an Aurora pilot are, and no the thought of patrolling the Pacific Ocean for illegal fishing doesn't really excite me the way that going up for a BFM flight does.  I know that isn't all they do, but hunting for subs or other unidentified vessels for 6 or more hours at a time doesn't really sound too thrilling either.  If there are other aspects of the role of the Aurora that I am not aware of, please feel free to enlighten me.  I would like to embark on this journey with as much information and as open a mind as possible.

 

[aesop081]

I do have a slight idea as to what the flying duties of an Aurora pilot are, and no the thought of patrolling the Pacific Ocean for illegal fishing doesn't really excite me the way that going up for a BFM flight does.  I know that isn't all they do, but hunting for subs or other unidentified vessels for 6 or more hours at a time doesn't really sound too thrilling either.  If there are other aspects of the role of the Aurora that I am not aware of, please feel free to enlighten me.  I would like to embark on this journey with as much information and as open a mind as possible.

Ok, ocean patrols are not the most exciting thing we do but every single aircraft has its less glamorous jobs.

A typical ASW mission for an Aurora tends to be 6 hours below 1000 feet ( more like 300 and below) at night, in bad weather, surrounded by warships and helicopters. Its rough, its long and its difficult. It takes alot of teamwork for the crew to et the job done. Its a big airplane to be spending that long, that low.

Other mission can find you looking for drug-smugling speedboats in Central America or the Caraibean. Its long hours but one of the most rewarding missions you can do.

You could find yourself in the middle of the Pacific, far beyond anyone else's reach enforcing the ban on driftnet fishing. Catching the bad guy is exciting alright, specialy when you know that they are the ones destorying the salmon fishery in BC.

You can also find yourself anywhere in the world. Our training takes us to places Like Hawaii, Australia, France, England, Italy and many, many more places. You get to travel, have fun and theres always someone to party with because you have your 10-man crew with you.

You get to fly alot, you get to do some real tough flying. Most people dont have a clue what we do.