You don’t have to be particularly good to get into VA. However, as always, its who you know. Squadron leader or Ex ‘ Arrows? Yep you can come & have a jolly good time ‘ ole chap.
Think you’re a bit confused old girl but it’s nothing of the sort at VAA. Ex-military without a rating (330 usually) or some Boeing heavy jet time you won’t even get a look in, regardless of rank, squadron or any other military affiliation you care to pluck out of your backside. There is no secret handshake or nudge-nudge-wink-wink to get past the VAA recruitment machine. The type rating is the only king here - which is sad because we pass over some very talented (but unrated) people (civil AND military) in favour of some perhaps markedly less suitable people who just happen to have a rating.
As for standards, anything you seek to attain is down to you. If mediocre is the standard you set yourself then crack on; just do it safely. Ideally though the recruitment system would weed out The Seekers of Medocrity at the CV sifting stage. Sadly that isn’t always the case.
Anyway, you go careful with the condiments you’re having with those chips of yours; they seem to be making you salty....