Career Pilot - Military route options

[Sean H]

All,

So many of us would love to be flying for a living, but alot of us cant afford the commercial flight training option!

Back in the day's of early aviation, 99.9% of pilots learned there trade with the military and never worried about paying for avgas! That was the tax payers problem!! And still is the situation today! In fact, these days the tax payers arent worried about avgas costs but Jet A1 :O

What Im trying to say is there doesnt seem to be much topic on PPRuNe about a career in the Air Force and becoming a pilot that way.

If anyone has recently been recruited by an air force tell us your story and what made you a cut above the rest and hopefully your advice will help another young persons dream come true!

Can an EU passport holder apply to every EU countrys air force or just the country which they hail from!

Lets get the chat and advice flowing.....:ok:

[Sean H]

Out of Interest, Here are links to some of the careers as a pilot with differnt countries... Please post more people and details. Thank you.

Irish Air Corps - Defence Forces Careers - Air Corps Cadets (http://www.military.ie/careers/officer/aircorps/index.htm)
Royal Air Force - Pilot - Aircrew jobs - RAF Careers (http://www.raf.mod.uk/careers/jobs/pilot.cfm)
Army Air Corps - ARMY AIR CORPS OFFICER (PILOT) (http://www.armyjobs.mod.uk/jobs/pages/jobdetail.aspx?armyjobid=aof009&category=)
Royal Navy- What's the job : Aircrew Officer Pilot : All Jobs : Explore Jobs : Royal Navy (http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/careers/explore-jobs/all-jobs/aircrew-officer-pilot/whats-the-job/)
USA Air Force- Flight Careers - Officer Opportunities in the U.S. Air Force - AirForce.com (http://www.airforce.com/opportunities/officer/careers/flight/pilot/)

[Lafyar Cokov]

One of the key qualities of any pilot, military or otherwise, is observation and the ability to glean information from whatever displays are presented to you. If one can't decypher simple knowledge from, say, a list of various options - it may hamper the ability to complete training for said profession!

[Sean H]

Yes, very true.
The thing is like, alot of defence force career sections are very hard to find on the old google search system if you cant understand the said country's language!
Who knows, all us gents that only speak english could be missing out on a handy career with Kazastans air force for example!! But we couldnt find the apply online bit!
Every country, well alot of them anyways have pilot training paid for by the tax payer!!
This thread is about finding those sources and getting lads in the western world who cant afford a fATPL a way into the aviation career market....

[Torque Tonight]

Jeez! If you're only thinking of joining the military because you can't afford an ATPL or you can't find a civvy flying job, then your interview won't last more than 5 minutes. You need to be a bit more dedicated, committed and motivated if you want to make it as a military pilot. If you just have it as a fallback option from the airlines then you're in for a rude awakening. Sorry to be blunt but that's the truth of it.

[Vortex Thing]

TT well said. Oh and chaps and chappeses don't forget the Army Air Corps you cant fly Apache in the RAF!

Military aviation is not something that you want to get into lightly especially with the current overstretch. If you don't want to serve AND fight then save yourself and others the trouble and money.

VT

[Sean H]

Well said Torque Tonight & Vortex :D

[Nearly There]

I think Lafyar was hinting towards this for starters:

http://www.pprune.org/military-aircrew/405176-oasc-candidates-wannabes-please-read-thread-first-new-thread.html