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Good day all. I am currently applying as a DEO pilot (completed aircrew selection in Trenton), and while hoping for great things, I would like to take this time to look further into some scenarios where the unintended happens (as they say, hope for the best, plan for the worst). This is for my own sake, and my parents are also understandably worried, so I am trying to educate and prepare myself and them for different outcomes along the way.
I understand bits and pieces of some of this information may be scattered around these boards, but I thought it would be a good idea to 1. Get the most up-to-date information, and 2. Bring it all together to create a resourceful thread. I hope this will pick up and serve as an informative source not only for myself but also other candidates like me. On to the questions:
What are the more recent flight training timelines? It seems people have all experienced different timelines over the past few years. How is it looking these days? Is the system fixed, or backlogged again?
What are the recent failure rates from all 3 phases of flight training?
What happens to candidates that fail at any phase? Are they free to discharge back into the civilian world? Or are they obligated to stay and serve out the contract? Can they choose to stay willingly and train for a different RCAF trade? Or even an Army or Navy trade?
As pilot medical standards are high, what happens to pilot's career if he is no longer able to meet the medical standard to fly, either during training or service after wings? Can the pilot keep his rank and train for a different trade, e.g. ACSO or something else entirely? Or is he assigned to a desk for the balance of his mandatory service term? If he's further along in his service and a desk job becomes his only option, can he attempt to pursue a promotion to a higher rank, more responsibility, etc? At the end of the day, can he still be of useful service instead of liability?
Age. I am turning 28. Not old but not as young as I could have applied. I've read lots already that age is of no concern career-wise as long as you are still healthy and can still "hack it". (I imagine fighter stream would probably be an exception though, as I understand it's very taxing on the body, and younger bodies tend to be more suited. Not that anyone should bank on becoming a fighter pilot given the odds of it, but just saying.) My concern is more in terms of things like family life and CF career balance around this age. I am single now, and I imagine first several years would be dedicated to intensive training and frequent change of location, landing myself somewhere in mid-thirties with the likelihood of still being single. From experience, any words of advice on career/family balance around this age?
This is all I have so far. Feel free to add more questions and answers. All advice welcome, especially from the experienced pilots. Thank you all very much.
I understand bits and pieces of some of this information may be scattered around these boards, but I thought it would be a good idea to 1. Get the most up-to-date information, and 2. Bring it all together to create a resourceful thread. I hope this will pick up and serve as an informative source not only for myself but also other candidates like me. On to the questions:
What are the more recent flight training timelines? It seems people have all experienced different timelines over the past few years. How is it looking these days? Is the system fixed, or backlogged again?
What are the recent failure rates from all 3 phases of flight training?
What happens to candidates that fail at any phase? Are they free to discharge back into the civilian world? Or are they obligated to stay and serve out the contract? Can they choose to stay willingly and train for a different RCAF trade? Or even an Army or Navy trade?
As pilot medical standards are high, what happens to pilot's career if he is no longer able to meet the medical standard to fly, either during training or service after wings? Can the pilot keep his rank and train for a different trade, e.g. ACSO or something else entirely? Or is he assigned to a desk for the balance of his mandatory service term? If he's further along in his service and a desk job becomes his only option, can he attempt to pursue a promotion to a higher rank, more responsibility, etc? At the end of the day, can he still be of useful service instead of liability?
Age. I am turning 28. Not old but not as young as I could have applied. I've read lots already that age is of no concern career-wise as long as you are still healthy and can still "hack it". (I imagine fighter stream would probably be an exception though, as I understand it's very taxing on the body, and younger bodies tend to be more suited. Not that anyone should bank on becoming a fighter pilot given the odds of it, but just saying.) My concern is more in terms of things like family life and CF career balance around this age. I am single now, and I imagine first several years would be dedicated to intensive training and frequent change of location, landing myself somewhere in mid-thirties with the likelihood of still being single. From experience, any words of advice on career/family balance around this age?
This is all I have so far. Feel free to add more questions and answers. All advice welcome, especially from the experienced pilots. Thank you all very much.
