Location: Not a huge sand box but very nice winters anymore
Age: 43
Posts: 464
Easy, recceguy is completely wrong!!
The CF provides a pension to anyone who serves more than 2 years of regular service. However, you have to have served (now) 25 years of full time service to receive an immediate pension i.e get a pay cheque from the day you leave otherwise you can only collect the pension when you turn 60.
My pension will be something in the order of $50'000 after 25 years of service, which in the day of a defined contributions vice a defined benefit pension is awesome.
As I mentioned in an earlier post I'm 42 and still flying. I have no reason to believe that I cannot continue to fly until I retire. I can still serve for another 13 years and then retire at 55. By that time my pension will be close to $60'000 and indexed!!
There is alot to be said for flying in the airlines -big metal, days off etc etc and there are many very professional pilots doing that job. However, I'll take the 420kts at 250 agl any day because it's just too much fun.
I second what PC-9 says - stay away if the CF is nothing more than a way to the airlines...you'll be likely to fail out if you don't have any dedication to serving.
That being said, the lifestyle is great, pay is great, flying is fun and trg is better than any civilian trg I've received. When you do decide to leave, the pension is very good and the airlines love guys with mil experience.
And you get to get smashed with PC-9 every Friday in the Mess at Moose Jaw...what could be better?!?!?!
For the record, the compulsory retirement age in the Canadian Forces is actually 60 and your flying status is only limited by your medical status. I, and many of my mates, flew well into our late 50s.
Exactly. The rampant alcoholism is something to be considered as well.
Wow. Where did that come from? The remark I made above was a joke aimed at a colleague, and certainly not indicative of the state of the union at Moose Jaw or in the CF. To set the recored straight, alcoholism is no joke and is certainly not "rampant" among the pilot community as you would suggest.
Are you a pilot in the CF? Something tells me you're not nor ever were (unless you flunked out) to make a statement like that. Perhaps you should keep such opinions to yourself....
Location: Not a huge sand box but very nice winters anymore
Age: 43
Posts: 464
Ya, I don't think I have a drinking problem at all. I go to the mess, I drink and then I fall down....no problem! Besides AA is for quiters!!
All teasing aside ahramin, you are demonstrating ignorance on a very grand scale. One of the best things I could ever think of doing is sharing a couple of cold barley suds with fellow warriors and aviators. That is a special moment you will never understand.
flying 400kts on 250agl sounds fun. But how do I know if I like it? I tried aerobatics before and I liked it. Does that mean I'd like mil flying? How do I know if I am suitable for CF before I go to a recruit officer?
CM6966,
I'm not sure what you know about the recruiting process, but it is designed to weed out the suitable candidates from the unsuitable ones. The CF is not in the business of throwing away money on trainign people that can't cut the lifestyle. (Not a perfect process, but generally does the job)
You sound very unsure of what you want. If your goal is simply to fly for the airlines, the CF is NOT for you. That's been said to you many times in this thread.
There is AMPLE information availabe through recruiting offices. There is no rule that says you need to join as soon as you finish school. I'm sensing you have a lot of "growing up" to do yet, and perhaps you need spend a few years figuring out what you really want to do before you make that kind of committment.
CM6966. I disagree with YHZ Chick. Her comments remind me of why I left naval aviation and "grew up" with the likes of saudi-pc9 in Moose Jaw. Airlines aren't the only options after flying in the CF. Following mandatory service after completing pilot training you can certainly leave and try things as a civvie pilot. If it doesn't work out or if you preferred the CF it has been quite common recently for pilots to re-enrol. I'm sure saudi-pc9 can attest to that. I loved my 21 yrs in the CF and look forward to trying the airlines someday soon if I can grow up.
SBfour, having been in the CF, obvioulsy you are well aware that the OP may not be trained to fly fixed wing. He has clearly stated that his goal is to join the airlines. He has also stated he is unsure if he would enjoy the CF lifestyle.
The CF cannot, and will not, promise him on enrollment that he'll fly fixed wing. he could easily find himself flying Griffons or Cyclones (the optimist in me shining through).
He needs to research this, decide what his goals are, and then make a decision (like any adult would do when contemplating a major life change).
I think there are few piloting jobs in Canada that are better than flying with the CF. Commercial aviation is a long, tough road (see the Colgan reporting in the MSM--I've never seen the Average joe rally around pilots like they are doing in the comments on various new sites, upset about the hours, the low, low pay, etc etc) and to be honest, i don't know why anyone would choose it given the current state of the industry.
Every CF pilot I know is happy where they are (thoguh there are gripes about equipment of course), even the ones who wanted to fly fixed wing and found themselves in helos.
But the CF should never, ever be viewed simply as a one-way ticket to the airlines. That was my point.
The CF has always been a stepping stone for some pilots to continue with a career in the airlines. The system is set up to encourage it. Not everyone is expected to stay in uniform for 35 years. I think there is a 7 year obligatory service after pilot training. After that time some will leave, some will get promoted and some will stay on as line pilots. It is all part of the plan. If there is a remote interest by a 20 year old to join the CF to be a pilot then I suggest he/she goes for it. It makes no difference at all what that person thinks they will be doing at the end of the contract. It is up to the CF to retain that person's services once they are trained and doing the job. A former army CDS once told me that pilots have been and always will be a disloyal bunch...
Go for it CM6966. Join the CF. Live the dream!
I remember back when the current WComd of CYAW had big dreams of flying the hornet and possibly flying in the airlines. Pilots sometimes do grow up.
I'm a U.S. citizen but my mother is Canadian, so I believe I'm eligible for citizenship. I'm 21 years old at a state university in a respected engineering program. If I pull off a nice GPA (>3.5) and obtain citizenship, what are my prospects for flying? I've got at least 20/20 vision and I'm in good shape. Would the Air Force care if I've lived in the States all my life? Also, I've got a pilots license if it matters. After I got a taste of it, I really think I'd like to make it a career.
Also, does the Canadian Air Force guarantee a chance to at least start the "weeding out" process? Because only the Marine Corps does in the U.S., and it's especially hard to qualify.
What I'm wondering is if you're guaranteed a slot in flight training if/before you join. With the Marines, prior to joining you can apply for their flight program, and they'll do all the tests beforehand to see if you're qualified, then you are guaranteed a shot at pilot school. I've looked around a bit the Canadian Air Force, I didn't see anything say whether or not this is the case.
I am after some advice / guidance from anyone currently serving with the CF.
I am a member of the Australian Regular Army (rotary-wing pilot trainee) looking to transfer to the CF. I understand that it is a requirement for applicants to be Canadian residents but was wondering if the CF will sponsor the residency of an applicant from a Commonwealth country with previous military experience?
Prior to joining the Army I was a qualified FA-18 Avionics Trade supervisor with the Royal Australian Air Force. I would be happy to join as an Avionics technician with the aim of remastering to pilot at a later date but would prefer to join straight away as a pilot.
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