Career Choice Advice

[frenchfrog]

Hi there,

I was really hoping to be a Pilot. My CFAT score was good, just not competitive. I'm racking my brain here because I'm facing a hard choice. Do I wait to see if 2014 has a lack of Pilot applicants and hope I can squeeze myself into the program, or do I simply choose a whole different field, and by doing that I can join ASAP?

My degree is a Bachelors of Arts, so I'm not eligible for a few career paths. I guess the real question is this: I've always wanted a military career, now I know I can be an Officer, I wanted to be a pilot for my country, would I be just as happy doing something else and if so, what are my choices? 

I'm not asking for anyone to figure my life out for me, just suggestions so I know I'm doing the right thing in the end.

Thank you all in advance

 

[Griffon]

Don't wait until next year hoping for a shortage in pilot applicants, it won't happen.  Well, it could...but I think you'd have better odds with the lottery.  No idea if you'd be happy with anything else in the CAF, only you can really answer that question.  Use those research and critical thinking skills you got through your BA and find out! You obviously know where the RC is, and there's also www.forces.ca...your CAF options can be found there.

 

[Sarah_H]

Pilot is extremely competitive. And the selection process can be brutal. My brother went through the selection process in Fall 2012. Out of the group of 15 or so that went to Trenton and Toronto for testing, only 2 or 3 were deemed fit and qualified for pilot. My brother also had a leg up in the application process because he had his pilot licence and a BA in Commercial Aviation Management.

If you want to be an officer, I'd suggest maybe looking into something other than Pilot. Just go through all the careers on the forces.ca site, watch all the videos and do some research. And you need to ask yourself "will this make me happy 5, 10, 15 yrs from now?" At the end of the day, it's your life, it's your choice.

 

[DAA]

I was really hoping to be a Pilot. My CFAT score was good, just not competitive. I'm racking my brain here because I'm facing a hard choice. Do I wait to see if 2014 has a lack of Pilot applicants and hope I can squeeze myself into the program, or do I simply choose a whole different field, and by doing that I can join ASAP?
My degree is a Bachelors of Arts, so I'm not eligible for a few career paths. I guess the real question is this: I've always wanted a military career, now I know I can be an Officer, I wanted to be a pilot for my country, would I be just as happy doing something else and if so, what are my choices? 
I'm not asking for anyone to figure my life out for me, just suggestions so I know I'm doing the right thing in the end.
Thank you all in advance

If your CFAT score was "good enough" then the question you need to ask is "What are my chances of being loaded on Aircrew Selection?"

CFAT scores are not a realistic guage of whether or not you can fly aircraft, that's what Aircrew Selection does.  So I would guess that there are people out there, who may have scored extremely high on the CFAT and failed Aircrew Selection and those who scored low on the CFAT that excelled at Aircrew Selection.

If you want to be a Pilot, stick with it.  Could be a bit of a wait but you never know.

 

[Griffon]

If your CFAT score was "good enough" then the question you need to ask is "What are my chances of being loaded on Aircrew Selection?"

CFAT scores are not a realistic guage of whether or not you can fly aircraft, that's what Aircrew Selection does.  So I would guess that there are people out there, who may have scored extremely high on the CFAT and failed Aircrew Selection and those who scored low on the CFAT that excelled at Aircrew Selection.

If you want to be a Pilot, stick with it.  Could be a bit of a wait but you never know.

Question: If frenchfrog didn't have a "competitive" CFAT score, would he even be sent to Trenton? I also don't know what the TSD score was, or how that factors in to who goes to CFASC...perhaps you could shed some light on that.

 

[DAA]

Question: If frenchfrog didn't have a "competitive" CFAT score, would he even be sent to Trenton? I also don't know what the TSD score was, or how that factors in to who goes to CFASC...perhaps you could shed some light on that.

Given the high failure rate of Pilot applicants to the CF at ASC, BMOQ, Flt Trg, he probably should be sent.  It's a price that has to be paid to meet the requirements.

Using the term "competitive" in any context for a Pilot or AEC applicant, prior to completion of Aircrew Selection is probably not the smartest thing to do but it happens.  CFAT and TSD do play a part in the selection process but ASC results can be the big X factor.

I think what we could be seeing, is an anomoly with the new selection process that i've heard about, which I am led to believe decides who goes beyond the CFAT/TSD process.

If you "implode" on written tests, you could very well be cut out, regardless of your civilian qualifications.   

 

[RectorCR]

If your CFAT score was "good enough" then the question you need to ask is "What are my chances of being loaded on Aircrew Selection?"

CFAT scores are not a realistic guage of whether or not you can fly aircraft, that's what Aircrew Selection does.  So I would guess that there are people out there, who may have scored extremely high on the CFAT and failed Aircrew Selection and those who scored low on the CFAT that excelled at Aircrew Selection.

If you want to be a Pilot, stick with it.  Could be a bit of a wait but you never know.

When I wrote my CFAT I was told I scored almost perfect...I did not pass ACS.
And I can think of at least a few people from when I went to ACS that said they didn't do amazing on CFAT, who subsequently passed ACS.
Also keep in mind that passing ACS and having a competitive ACS score are two seperate things.

 

[Lilswitche]

I would advocate to disregard most of what people would describe as "your odds"; if you're passionate about becoming a Pilot, don't be afraid to keep going with it.  You have 2 other choices on your application regardless.  I don't know what this year's DEO numbers look like, but from previous years, they hired more DEO Pilots than any other Officer trade. There were platoons in St-jean that were 95% Pilots.

From my own experiences, I scored VERY high on my CFAT/Interview, I crushed the AEC and ACSO tests but I failed the old ACS.  It's its own little world.  Also, after speaking with the captain and major that run the ACS in Trenton, I'm of the impression that the new test is much more forgiving.

 

[frenchfrog]

I would advocate to disregard most of what people would describe as "your odds"; if you're passionate about becoming a Pilot, don't be afraid to keep going with it.  You have 2 other choices on your application regardless.  I don't know what this year's DEO numbers look like, but from previous years, they hired more DEO Pilots than any other Officer trade. There were platoons in St-jean that were 95% Pilots.

From my own experiences, I scored VERY high on my CFAT/Interview, I crushed the AEC and ACSO tests but I failed the old ACS.  It's its own little world.  Also, after speaking with the captain and major that run the ACS in Trenton, I'm of the impression that the new test is much more forgiving.

Wow thank you everyone for the comments, everything said is actually helpful in my decision making. If I point out the recruiting sgt suggested I apply for ACSO since that would be more of my caliber, does this make a difference to anyone's comments and opinions?

 

[Griffon]

Wow thank you everyone for the comments, everything said is actually helpful in my decision making. If I point out the recruiting sgt suggested I apply for ACSO since that would be more of my caliber, does this make a difference to anyone's comments and opinions?

It's your decision, make it.  You're applying to become an officer in the CAF, decisiveness is a requirement.  If you don't know enough information about the occupation to make the decision as to whether you would be interested in it, then research it.  If you still want to apply for pilot, do so.  If you'd also be interested, and I mean really and truly interested, in joining as an ACSO, write that down to.  But these are choices that only you can make, we don't know your personality, interests, strengths.  Only you really know those things.

 

[George Wallace]

:goodpost:

Well put.

 

[frenchfrog]

It's your decision, make it.  You're applying to become an officer in the CAF, decisiveness is a requirement.  If you don't know enough information about the occupation to make the decision as to whether you would be interested in it, then research it.  If you still want to apply for pilot, do so.  If you'd also be interested, and I mean really and truly interested, in joining as an ACSO, write that down to.  But these are choices that only you can make, we don't know your personality, interests, strengths.  Only you really know those things.

As I pointed out in the very first post, I'm not asking for someone to tell me what to do, just asking peoples experience and opinion, so I can formulate a better opinion for myself. Telling me it's my decision.... is redundant at this point. Otherwise I would of done whatever the recruiting sergeant said to do. I'm merely asking for opinions and suggestions (see the redundancy here)  based on other peoples opinions and life experience.

 

[The_Falcon]

Given the lack of interest from pilots/SMEs to enter this thread, and the fact we already have numerous threads of which you can avail yourself of information, I am locking this before we have a flame out and this thread spins out of control.

locked.