Air Crew Selection Centre

[tayloro]

I am just wondering about the ACS, it says you will be selected for you aircraft depending on skill or whatever, do you have any choice in which aircraft you wish to fly?

Another question kinda off topic:
I am graduating from Grade 12 in the next couple months and I plan on applying in September, I would like to one day fly an F-18. I have absolutely no previous flying experience other than realistic flight simulator games and such. I am planning on getting a Business Administration degree and I've always been an honor roll/work ethic student. Is there next to no chance of me getting to pilot the hornet or do I have somewhat of a chance if I work hard at it?

Thanks for your help

 

[Inch]

You are not selected at ACS for your aircraft type, that happens in Moose Jaw after your Basic Flight Training on the Harvard II. You do get to put your choices down, but be forewarned, 50% of the pilot slots go helicopter and you won't necessarily get your first choice. Some of it has to do with your placement on the course in Moose Jaw but a lot has to do with your individual performance, if you possess the skill and work ethic to go jets, your instructors will go to bat for you. Having said that, even if you do possess the skill and work ethic, that's no guarantee that you'll get jets.

That should answer your initial questions, have a search of the Air Force forum. I know myself and others have answered just about every question out there about the path to wings. Welcome to Army.ca

 

[tayloro]

Thanks for the quick reply inch 

I was planning on taking Business Administration but I was worried I would be stuck in a boring office job or even worse, no job.

When I first started looking into the airforce / CF I never realized it was so hard to become your selected path or even to get into the military alone.

Another thing, about the Second Language, do a lot of people attending that program no nothing about French? I have taken Grade 9 French and 2 years of Spanish but I know high school courses teach you next to nothing when it comes to speaking a 2nd language fluently. I'm worried I won't be able to learn French in 7-8 months or whatever it is they give you to learn it.

 

[Inch]

You aren't expected to be bilingual when you leave there, it's just not possible in 8 months. To become bilingual takes years of practice and continual french courses. Don't sweat it though, you don't even need a french profile until you're promoted to Major.

 

[foxtwo]

When it comes down to the line, would an Air Cadet that has received scholarships in Glider and/or Power have an advantage, since everything from "From the Ground Up" is basically roasted into our brains? And being taught leadership, drill, radio comm, nav, rank structure, and various other military related topics?

 

[navalweps]

I wish I had come across this forum a few years ago! There is a ton of rousing info out here.  I'm still "new" to the Air force but not the forces (12 yrs weapons tech). I went through ACS spring of 03, IAP 03, BOTC summer 04 and next weekend I'm off to Portage. I'll fill those interested in on all the details when I get back. Hopefully with a smile on my face.

Either way I simply wanted to add at this point that I firmly believe passing ACS, Portage, Moose Jaw... has mostly to do with how well your brain talks to your hands and feet (see multitask) . Not everyone made ACS when I went through and I don't fully expect everyone to make it this summer either. That being said, the inspiring people that didn't make ACS walked away saying â Å“Either you have it or you don'tâ ? and that was it. No excuses, no whining. ACS and beyond isn't something you can study for like an organic chem final and any one going for ACS in the near future should first and foremost â Å“Relaxâ ? and spare yourself any anxiety. Secondly, focus each and everyday your there on the goal. Lastly, improve daily. This is your one time to shine and when it's over and you look back upon it like I do... it was something never worth getting as anxious about as I did. Hope this helps those curious.

Now if I can remember my own advice these next two months I should be OK, ha-ha. 

 

[Sf2]

take my advice for what its worth (aircraft captain on a Griffon)

Aircrew selection doesn't measure your flying potential - it measures your learning potential.  I did ACS back when we sat in a little grocery store looking airplane, and flew circles in front of a painted mural.  A girl with 1000 hrs commercial failed - 2 out of 11 passed overall (including me thank god)

Don't go in there thinking you need to be an aeronautical engineer (I'm a business major) - go in with an open mind and enthusiasm.  And start studying rotary wing aerodynamics, cuz that's where you're headed....not that its a bad thing - I wouldn't trade it for an F18 slot any day.

 

[Inch]

When it comes down to the line, would an Air Cadet that has received scholarships in Glider and/or Power have an advantage, since everything from "From the Ground Up" is basically roasted into our brains? And being taught leadership, drill, radio comm, nav, rank structure, and various other military related topics?

No. I've seen people fail out of Moose Jaw and Portage that had Commercial licences, I've also seen guys that had never been in an aircraft that passed the whole process quite easily. It depends on you and you alone, not your experience.

 

[Raptor55055]

Been there and got the t-shirt (actually the post card).

ACS tests a lot of things- one of which is your determination. I did it, washed out, and got my PPL. I did it again and made it. I just finished BOTC and now am in the "pipeline".

Nothing worth having comes without some kind of fight, and if it was easy, everyone would be a CF driver. Best of luck- and remember whether you "meet the requirements..." or not, it is not a measure of who you are. It is what you do after that matters.

Cheers,

 

[Bograt]

Above post is mine.... posted on my buddy's machine.

Cheers,

 

[aesop081]

Above post is mine.... posted on my buddy's machine.

Cheers,

Hey Bograt....long time no see

 

[Bograt]

Hey Bograt....long time no see

Hey, just finished BOTP in April. I am in the SLT pattern in St. Jean waiting to get posted to Shearwater or Greenwood for either SLT or OJT. I should get the message in a couple of weeks. I have the recommendation, I am now waiting for mon gerant de carriere (how's that for french training) to approve and cut the message.

I am heading home this weekend for 6 days. My wife and I had a baby while I was on IAP. The powers that be agreed that for my QOL, its best I wait for PFT in Nova Scotia. And from what I hear in the rumour mill that is the MEGA, us baby drivers will be waiting for up to 18 months to go to Portage.

I have heard that class sizes are being reduced from 15 to 9 - because there are delays at the OTU level. (I'm sure Inch or Zoomie know whether this is correct). Also heard that CFRC have been putting the hold on recruiting drivers. But again the MEGA is a whore house of rumours.

Hopefully I`ll be in Greenwood in a couple of weeks. I'm sure I owe you a beer for some wise ass comment.

 

[aesop081]

Bograt...pm inbound

 

[Inch]

I have heard that class sizes are being reduced from 15 to 9 - because there are delays at the OTU level. (I'm sure Inch or Zoomie know whether this is correct). Also heard that CFRC have been putting the hold on recruiting drivers. But again the MEGA is a whore house of rumours.

I haven't heard that. The new pilot course here started this past Mon, 2 of the guys got their wings a month ago. So there appears to be the standard 1-6 month wait for the Sea King OTU (since the OTU only runs courses for 4-6 students and Portage only sends 1 or 2 guys per course to 12 Wing, if you're the first one waiting it's closer to 6 months), though that may get longer as we continue to battle serviceability problems due to the difficulty in getting parts.

I really haven't heard what's going on in the rest of the communities, I doubt there's much of a wait for the Griffon OTU, though the guys I got my wings with ended up waiting 6-8 months.

 

[TheCheez]

There are 73 pilots going to Moose Jaw this year (including the ones that have started since January)
There are 83-85 going next year.

There are ~160 OJTs hanging out in the system right now. You shouldn't have a problem getting into Greenwood and depending what our Gerant the Carriere says I may be joining you there sometime this summer.

At Portage the farthest I know ahead is that guys that came out of BOTC in December are scheduled in until spring 2006 and it could run later if the handover doesn't go smoothly.

The information does get out of Winnipeg eventually so just relax and find something interesting to do for awhile cause there's no way for you to change it.