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

[I_am_John_Galt]

I see there is a high need for pilots right now. I have been civy trained to get a PPL and am currently a Reservist with the Combat Engineers. My question is, I don't yet have a university degree, am starting first year in Ottawa in September, is there a way to begin the process now and do some training in my summers and go full out once I get the degree. Second semi related question once you get your wings is the aircraft to the pilot, as the rifle is to the infanteer i.e. the aircraft your assigned is yours for career baring mechanical problems of course? Thanks for any info.

ROTP - Civi U ... talk to a recruiter at your local CFRC!

 

[Loachman]

There are far more pilots (and other aircrew members) than aircraft. You don't get to paint your name on one.

In the Tac Hel world, hels are configured for applicable missions (generally set up to seat eight troops, though) so one gets whatever's suitable, serviceable, and available for one's trip. Inspection and maintenance cycles are another big factor, as there will be "push" aircraft and "hold" aircraft in order to maintain an aircraft stagger so that a unit does not end up with too many machines stripped down for major scheduled maintenance, or to ensure that there are enough serviceable airframes for a surge activity such as an exercise or G8 summit, for example.

Pilots like COs, DCOs, Flt Comds, Ops Os etcetera should be spending more time commanding, supervising, and planning but even line pilot positions (should) exceed cockpit seats to account for shiftwork, leave, course, deployment, sickness, and malingering.

 

[C1Dirty]

174 feet long, with a circumference of about 95 feet and weighing in at 585,000 lbs

That's a pencil-like ratio.  It's all about girth and the four fans of freedom (not to be confused with the 140's four fans boredom).

So are the 177's still on track for a late summer arrival?  I'm almost as excited as the perimeter fence to see those bad-boys arrive.  Are they taking pri fi bookings yet?

C1D

 

 

[aesop081]

(not to be confused with the 140's four fans boredom).

Oh please.......you just wish you were able to fly at 300 kts, 200 feet above the water, screaming towards suface ships or doing 60 degree bank turns at 300 feet hunting a submarine in total darkness.....

;D

 

[C1Dirty]

I hear the terrain over the ocean is quite challenging...

Sorry for the highjack Lear.  As mentioned, if you're starting at UO, call the recruiting centre and have someone else pay your tuition.

 

[ark]

The pilot trade is desperate for pilots .... period.
Like many other CF trades attrition last year was higher than expected and attrition this year looks to be as bad.

The economy is good right now and many of the guy/gals are releasing at the end of their SSE and IE with some very nice severence packages and walking over to the airlines.  It is simply a sign of the times and the grass on the other side of the fence is greener for them for personal and other reasons.

I have been pressing many of my colleagues here in Trenton who are navs in the air mobility community and who see a possible slow demise to their trade (CC-130J and CC177 coming on line) to OT to the pilot trade.  Many are doing just that.

Right now the PML is woefully below where it should be so if I were you and if you were keen on becoming a pilot I would be engaging with whatever personnel services I could to find the quickest and best way to come over .... be it an OT, or be it releasing from the reserve force and then re-enrolling into the reg force.  I don't know what the best solution or answer is, not my jurisdiction .... but believe me when I say our manning level is critical right now.

The CF needs pilots .... and many other trades too for that matter.

It is nice wanting more people but are there any initiatives in place to accelerate training for the newcomers?

 

[Zoomie]

It is nice wanting more people but are there any initiatives in place to accelerate training for the newcomers?

Incentives?  Other than being highly trained and guaranteed job security?

Training can't be accelerated any more than it already is.  If you really want those shiney CF Pilot's Wings, you have to stick it out through thick and thin.  If this program was easy, everyone would be a pilot.

Your OJT can be a rewarding experience while waiting for training.

 

[J_Muir]

Incentives?  Other than being highly trained and guaranteed job security?

Training can't be accelerated any more than it already is.  If you really want those shiney CF Pilot's Wings, you have to stick it out through thick and thin.  If this program was easy, everyone would be a pilot.

Your OJT can be a rewarding experience while waiting for training.

I think he might mean in terms of waiting periods etc. I'm in the process of getting my initial application sent in because I know how long the process is. The one aspect of the 'whole process' is all the time I hear people spend waiting around - I wish it would all take place in a row - ie. from application to wings was ALWAYS 'x' amount of time and not 'well it could be as many as...'. I've never questioned the dedications and hard work it takes, i just wish it could be faster...I wanna fly dammit! : )

 

[I_am_John_Galt]

As he said,

Training can't be accelerated any more than it already is.

People are being loaded as quickly as they can be ... it's not like there are training slots going unfilled!

 

[ark]

Incentives?  Other than being highly trained and guaranteed job security?

Training can't be accelerated any more than it already is.  If you really want those shiney CF Pilot's Wings, you have to stick it out through thick and thin.  If this program was easy, everyone would be a pilot.

Your OJT can be a rewarding experience while waiting for training.

I was talking about initiatives to accelerate training in order to output more qualified pilots to offset attrition and not make the training any easier.

Please correct me if I am wrong, but from I can read it is not the number of applicants that is the problem but rather the limited number of pilots that can be trained each year. Guess I should have asked if there are any initiatives to output more qualified pilots each year in order to offset attrition.

 

[J_Muir]

I was talking about initiatives to accelerate training in order to output more qualified pilots to offset attrition and not make the training any easier.

Please correct me if I am wrong, but from I can read it is not the number of applicants that is the problem but rather the limited number of pilots that can be trained each year. Guess I should have asked if there are any initiatives to output more qualified pilots each year in order to offset attrition.

Yeah that's what I thought you meant too - and I feel the same way.

 

[Globesmasher]

So are the 177's still on track for a late summer arrival?

Yes, so far so good ...... Aug and Oct for the first two.

 

[SupersonicMax]

I was talking about initiatives to accelerate training in order to output more qualified pilots to offset attrition and not make the training any easier.

Please correct me if I am wrong, but from I can read it is not the number of applicants that is the problem but rather the limited number of pilots that can be trained each year. Guess I should have asked if there are any initiatives to output more qualified pilots each year in order to offset attrition.

I guess they tried it earlier this year...  They loaded 16 students courses....  Now, all the flights at the Big 2 are overloaded....

Max

 

[Globesmasher]

I was talking about initiatives to accelerate training in order to output more qualified pilots to offset attrition and not make the training any easier.

Please correct me if I am wrong, but from I can read it is not the number of applicants that is the problem but rather the limited number of pilots that can be trained each year. Guess I should have asked if there are any initiatives to output more qualified pilots each year in order to offset attrition.

ark:

You can only squash and mash so much fresh meat into the front of the sausage machine at any given time.  We simply do not have the infrastructure to train pilots any faster than the current pace that we are jamming the meat through the machine at this moment.  It is not ideal, but it is all we have so far.

 

[volition]

I'm looking of going the reserve pilot route. I have 200 hours of helicopter time; I just need an extra 300 hours to be considered. I also have 60 hours of fixed wing flying, but they don't count that at all.

 

[Loachman]

I presume that you have talked to 438 ETAH in St-Hubert regarding the HELICOP programme?

 

[volition]

Yep, you need 500 hours of helicopter time, and a degree.  :-\

 

[Loachman]

So they've added a degree as a requirement, have they? That's the first that I've heard of that, but then we've not exactly been swamped with HELICOP applicants.

The original requirement was only for a commercial licence, but most of the people that we got were community-college hundred-hour-wonders who did not work out very well. Get some instrument time as well if you really want this.

And good luck. It's not easy building up that many hours.

 

[volition]

Yea, the time building is the hardest!! I will get some instrument time, even my rating I don't mine doing that.

 

[Bo]

I recently arrived in Moose Jaw and noticed alot of foriegn students, particularly Hungarians, Italians, Brits, and Singaporians. If we're having problems pumping students out of the Jaw, why are we giving away slots to foreign students? For example, on the next course, there will be 8 Canadians and 3 Italians.

Now, I think the majority of foriegn students are training for fighters but still, they are using resources (instructors, aircraft, maintenance, etc.) that could be used to train more Canadian pilots.

I understand we make quite a bit of money by selling our services as well as keeping up good relations with our allies, but where are our priorities? With the airline industry picking up and the retirement of baby boomers, the CF is gonna be hurting for pilots pretty soon, if not already.