turtona said:
1. So i guess how does the process work? (visit recruiter, test evaluation, cfat, job offers, time frames ect)
2. Do they only recruit pilots from RMC? or what is the chance they will recruit from a civilian school
3. Do they only look for candidates that have flying experience?
4. I keep seeing people talk about DEO, ASC, air factor (what are these)?
This information is coming from a fellow applicant who has done tons of research about this already, and please note that none of my answers are official in any way:
1. Once you are ready to make your application, apply online by following the link on the forces.ca website. When your application is chosen for further processing at your local recruiting center, you will be notified via email (will be your second email) and it will be up to you to contact the recruiting center (CFRC). At this point they will tell you all of the necessary supporting documents that you will need to provide and fill out for your application to continue. Once you have given them all the documents, they will contact you to schedule the aptitude test (CFAT), medical, interview, and in the case of pilot; aircrew selection (ASC) which consists of an advanced and specialized aptitude test and an advanced medical in Trenton (Ontario). I am not familiar with the order in which these are scheduled but generally the CFAT is always first. Since you already hold a bachelors, you will not need to apply to RMC (Royal Military College) unless you want a second bachelor's degree. Everyone has a different time-frame but the general rule of thumb is be patient becuase it's going to take a while. See the application process samples thread for examples of time frames. Once you complete and pass all the steps, you will be placed on a dynamic and always changing merit list which is competitive based. Positions are generally offered in a top down fashion, i.e. the person who ranks 1st on the list will be the first person to receive an offer, etc.
2. No. Anyone who holds a bachelor's degree from an accredited University is eligible to apply. About who has better chances, RMC or civilian university, I can't answer that. I think there are a certain amount of slots allocated to each entry path every fiscal year. But I'm not sure.
3. No. I've actually read many posts from pilots on here who say that having prior flying experience may even work against you as military flying is very different than civilian flying.
4. DEO = Direct Entry Officer. This is one of the entry plans for the pilot occupation. In order to qualify for DEO, you need to of have either obtained a bachelor's degree from an accredited university or be in the last year of your studies pursuing said bachelor's degree. ASC = Aircrew Selection Center or (CFASC for Canadian Forces Aircrew Selection Center). This is one of the steps in your application process for pilot. Basically you will go to 8 Wing Trenton for one week and be subjected to two days of aptitude examinations and another 2 days for an advanced medical (the medical is actually in Toronto and you will only go there if you pass the aptitude test) + travel time. Air Factor is one of the 6 enrollment medical evaluations. The six evaluations are: visual acuity - color vision - hearing - geographical factor - occupatonal factor - air factor. For pilot you need at least 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 1 in order to qualify.
I'm sure you have hundreds of other questions. Before asking a single one, feel free to use the search button in these forums as there is a wealth of information already on here that can and will answer 99% of your questions. Also, don't be shy to drop by your CFRC and speak to a recruiter and ask all the questions you want, that is what they are there for!
Good luck!
