Yankee in Canadian Air Force

[expatpilot4life]

Hi there, i have a few questions if anyone could help that would be great. I am a yank but been living and flying as an expat since 2003 and currently in asia. I have always wanted to fly fighters but my eyesight was 20/40 at the time (now its usually 20/20 depending on how much sleep i had!) I know at 35 i am too old for the USN or USMC and i am not enthralled about the Us Mil anymore so its really a moot point. I have been talking to a recruiter in Canada that said as long as i can complete my VIE before age 60 its no issue. Now the US mil cutoff is usually 27 but ive seen waivers to the 30s. I know i need to get my canadian citizenship first and have no idea how hard that is. Can anyone shed some light on if this is a pipe dream i am chasing or if its realistic. THanks!

[Rollingthunder]

Becoming a citizen (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/citizenship/become.asp)

[Gooneybird]

Before you can become a citizen you will need permanent residency. You may or may not meet the required points on the points system but here's a points calculator to help you, though I'm not saying it's current. IMMIGRATION TO CANADA - Skilled Worker Points Calculator (http://www.canada-da.com/calculator.html)

Interestingly enough I was chatting recently to a guy in the Canadian Air Force who said that they were short of people....go figure?

[PatagonianProud]

i read last week that the us military recently LOWERED age from 42 to 35 to ENLIST. It was 35 for as long as I can remember but after 9/11 it was raised to 42.
I am in Edmonton and spoke (casually) to an Army recruiter , nice guy the Sgt , he was from the UK and been in the Canadian army fo 24 years.
He told me the max age to join was 52! I was quite taken aback, 52 ! wow
seems there are less age discrimination issues in Canada. In Chile where Ive lived half my life you celebrate 25 youre an old man and if you havent decided on what you want to do you'll end up shining shoes in the plaza.
So come to Canada live here 4 years and become a citizen, i think there are about 600,000 Americans living in Canada, but you'll never fly in the CAF ! im sure thats for the young guys whove attended flight school/university in Canada and im sure the demand is extremely high and ive heard guys with perfect grades, engineering degrees and health and young being rejected.
BUT the Canadian Forces are a great place for a career. a CPL makes 50k a year compared to 22k a year in the USA !! And Canada is NOT that more expensive than the USA, I bought a 2 litre pepsi yesterday for $1 and hungryman tv dinners for $3 and 2 pound deluxe pizzas can be found for $5.
compared to your country of birth, the people are nicer and more courteous , its also cleaner and less crime , politically more stable and peaceful and FREE health care. 280,000 people immigrate to Canada every year. it must be for something....

please read thread on ppune/canada on rcaf

[expatpilot4life]

Thanks for the info. I agree that the USA has alot to go as far as class. Being from the NJ/NY area i can vouch there are alot of jerks but then again there are some really good people too, especially in the Midwest, and NH/VT area as well as western NJ. I dont do well with the answer no, or never, there has got to be people my age that have gotten on, especially with over 2000 hours in jets...

[PatagonianProud]

yes, there are great people in midwest usa and
i was of course generalizing...
please read the other thread on canada in regards to the rcaf.
hundreds apply only a handful get through.
keep talking to recruiter man and try , its a challenge.
or you come to Canada become a millionaire and buy your own MIG ! haha
but i highly recommend Canada, Ive been to 97 countries in my life and its hard to beat.

[Flatface]

As a recruit, I suspect you would have to go through all the normal selection processes and if selected, would have to go through the entire basic flight training program, then if successful, you would have to compete for the few slots for fighter pilots.

There is a series that played recently on Canadian television, it showed some of the training and selection process for fighter pilots on the CF-18.

I do not believe there is any possibility that you could take off your airline uniform and put on an air force flight suit and walk into a fighter pilot slot.

The closest thing to that happening, are exchange programs, where other air forces send their duly qualified pilots to serve for several years in the Canadian Air Force, they, however are fully qualified air force pilots in their own air force. These pilots continue to wear their own air force's uniform and continue to be paid by their native countries. Eventually they return to there own countries and continue to serve there.

I am not saying it cannot happen, I am saying I am not aware of it ever happening in modern times.

[saudipc-9]

I do not believe there is any possibility that you could take off your airline uniform and put on an air force flight suit and walk into a fighter pilot slot.

Uhh yes that would be correct! Unless you wish to fly multi-engine then you might be hired under that and possibly waive the requirement to go through Moose Jaw. However, if you want fighters then you will come through Moose Jaw and learn low level Nav, Formation etc etc. A word of advice that you need to have lived in Canada I believe for 3 years and also go through Officer training and all other training before reaching Moose Jaw. That Typically is about 2 years worth. Once here you will have a 2 in 10 chance(ish) of getting a fighter slot.