@BlackPrince77
I'm just going to take this opportunity to expand on some things you have said just to keep it fair and shed a different light on it.
then you better enjoy flying a cargo plane because there's not much other choice in the RAAF
SRG operate the Wedgetail and the Orions, with plenty of travelling opportunities to go with it. South East Asia, Middle East, Hawaii etc etc. Same can be said with ALG. Those C-17 boys get to travel all over the globe, and have heard of trips to some interesting places including Europe, USA, Canada, Alaska, China etc etc, on top of conducting Operations in the Middle East... Better than flying commercial and doing the same old sectors over and over again, being a slave to the airlines route/market choices.
I'm sure you weren't mocking those aircraft types but a recently graduated pilot can find himself going from a single engined turboprop to a multi jet engined aircraft within a few months (maybe a year if they don't clear the backlog) and quickly discover he's sitting in a bar downtown Honolulu. And if he's a good copilot, or wingman, he'll be buying the crew the first round. Thats progression you won't see in the civvy world.
He didn't want to spend the next decade flying twice a week only
I join good old Captain Sand Dune's skepticism about your flight instructor, but I don't know the guy so I won't pass judgement. However what I was going to say is that flying twice a week maybe the case sometimes, but not all the time. There are periods where you are flying up to 100 hours in the month, particularly for some ALG pilots. Jet pilots also can log large amounts of hours, all of them command too. Flying in the RAAF always comes in crests and troughs as we are at the mercy of operational tempo. Sometimes it can be high, like with all the natural disasters happening domestically and internationally. Other times low, but it all works out to be a fairly consistent rate of flying.
Also he said the air force is full at the moment, flying commercial would be a better option
The RAAF is not full... just a little round around the edges due to a less than normal departure rate because of a lack of commercial airline hiring. That being said, you do not have any less of a chance of getting through the recruitment process than you did a few years ago. The RAAF will always take pilots because there is only one way you'll get fresh blood... recruit, recruit, recruit. And if you ask any pilot in the ADF, fresh blood is a VERY good thing. If you want to go commercial, be prepared to fork out alot of money to get there and spend alot of time with charter, regional etc etc before you get to the airlines... Why not let the RAAF fast track you to command on multi engine aircraft for 10 years then move on if thats what you want. Also as mentioned, airlines aren't hiring much at the moment so I expect the civilian world is suffering from a backlog of qualified pilots at the moment and jobs would be a little on the light side, if not then atleast highly competitive. I'm not in that industry so I can't say that with much certainty but one can logically make that conclusion.
Also you better get used to preparing 10 hours for every 1 hour flight in the Hornet, providing you get there
Yes its hard work to get there and even harder whilst you are there, but I wouldn't expect flying 500+ knots at 150' AGL all while trying to defeat enemy platforms and employing weapon systems to be easy. Jet pilots do alot of study but only those deserving of it get it... Its pretty simple really, do the hard yards, or die in combat.
you better be okay with seeing Hornets all during your ROSO and wanting to fly them knowing you can't
I have met many pilots who have attempted jets, scrubbed, flown other aircraft types and then get a second shot at it only to be successful. I've also met alot of pilots who've scrubbed and enjoyed the other world so much they don't care about jets anymore. Each to their own I guess but generally speaking it doesn't matter which aircraft type you fly in the RAAF... You'll get an incredible kick out of being part of a squadron flying unique aircraft to places not many get to see with people you'll be friends with for the rest of your lives.
Just my two cents on the RAAF and a different perspective. All competely and utterly unbiased ofcourse
