This thread seems to be straying from the topic, namely, questions about becoming a pilot; let's refocus the discussion.
There are no bad flying jobs, but there are certainly disgruntled pilots. Students that are not prepared to go to any type of airframe are setting themselves up for disappointment at aircraft selection time and there are some pilots who let this disappointment sour their entire respective careers. Selection is based upon three criteria, the first and foremost being the exigencies of the CF. Next is demonstrated student performance and third is student preference. Student performance includes academics, flying, and officer development. Additionally, there is an effort made to be equitable to the gaining communities by distributing the slots as evenly as possible across a course – each course is divided into thirds based upon overall performance. The top student usually gets her or his first choice (always depending upon the needs of the CF), and then the selection board attempts to fill the other slots by drawing equally from the top, bottom and middle thirds. The only issue that muddies the water are the fast jet slots; unlike ME or RW, there are minimum flying marks required to go fast jets, particularly if the candidate is going to proceed to fighters vice staying in Moose Jaw as an instructor pilot. This requirement usually sees the fighter slots going to those in the top third or the top portion of the middle third which, in turn, means that the student distribution is not truly equitable. Additionally, no student will be forced to go fighters, i.e. Phase 4 in Cold Lake; however, students that have demonstrated the prerequisite ability may be sent fast jet to receive wings on the Hawk, with the intent to have them remain in Moose Jaw as instructors. Students are not forced to go fighters – Phase 4 and the subsequent Hornet OTU are extremely demanding and, without the motivation to succeed, virtually impossible to pass. Previous experience makes no difference to aircraft selection except in those cases where students come to pilot training from other classifications or trades. For example, if it serves the needs of the CF to send a former infantryman to TacHel, a former Navy officer to Sea Kings or a former C-130 Navigator to C-130s, then that will likely occur, regardless of the individuals desires. Personal circumstances also make no difference to the selection process, i.e. a spouse's career, parent's medical condition, personal property obligations, etc., cannot be taken into consideration without making the process unfair to the other students.
Not all students remaining in Moose Jaw as instructors earn their wings on the Hawk. Because of anthropomorphic limitations, a certain percentage of students can fly the Harvard II, but not the Hawk. Additionally, some students destined to remain in Moose Jaw as instructors, have been loaded onto a modified advanced Harvard course, which will see them earn their wings on that aircraft.
Portage Phase 1 bypasses are not necessarily a good thing. Military pilot training is aptitude and performance based; students must meet milestone standards throughout training within flying hour limitations. If they cannot, they fail. Civilian pilots can keep flying as long as they can keep paying. Students who have completed one of the Canadian Flying College courses that impose strict standards usually do well in Moose Jaw. Those that receive a bypass based solely upon flying hours have more mixed results. Usually, previous experience masks aptitude until something new is introduced, such as low level navigation portion. Prospective CF student pilots with previous flying experience can fairly accurately predict their performance at Moose Jaw by looking in their respective log books. If qualifications were obtained at or near the minimum possible times, the aptitude to succeed in Moose Jaw is probably there. If it took an individual significantly longer to attain quals, his or her learning curve / aptitude is likely going to be a limiting factor in military flight training. The wildcard in this is self-assessment is the continuity of the civilian flying; if the person could not fly frequently enough to prevent a lot of time from being dedicated to review, he or she has to honestly consider how well training would have proceeded if it had been possible to fly more often.
From the friends I have seen go to the airlines, whether their background was fighter or heavy did not seem to be that significant a factor. Over the years, I have heard all sorts of stories about who gets picked up the most – ME or fighter pilots and neither group seems to have a clear advantage. It's true the ME pilots log more hours, but the fighter pilots log more flights and virtually all of the time is hands-on as AC. The ME pilot has experience in a crew environment, but the fighter pilot's role as a wingman, element or section lead puts many of the same ticks in the box with respect to crew coordination / cockpit (or inter-cockpit resource management). Bottom line, a pilot coming off of several tours of fighters is just as likely to get an airline job as a pilot of the same age coming off of the same number of tours flying ME aircraft. Helicopters are another story all together – there are lots of really good commercial RW jobs, but the jump to an airline is difficult without fixed wing time.
aww man the french is gonna bite me, but im not sure what my vision is so that gives me hope ;D
