general Q's about life in the RAAF
 

Hey. .I would like an idea of the pros and cons of being a FJ pilot in the RAAF (both F/A 18 and F-111). (I heard only about 5 hrs a week, but pig crews spend some time in Hawaii?). Is life more stable as an instructor?

Also, would like info on being a civvy instructor for BAe at Tamworth training potential military pilots, (have looked on internet with not much joy). Most importantly, would I have to meet military medical standards (eyesight) if I was employed by BAe?

. .Just how short on pilots is the RAAF?

Good luck, as an ex RAAF QFI based on what you have just said I think you are going to need it.

For starters, you don't necessarily get what you want, you get what you assessed as being suitable for. 9 out of 10 don't get what they want. As for being a knuckle head, I would not wish that on my worst enemy. No future in it. I can vouch for that as my "Miracle" time is absolutely useless.

Have a nice day

Rabbit. Don't knock your Mirage time even though the civvy airline recruiters do. There are hundreds of experienced airline pilots that would give their left test..cle to have flown the Mirage. I had the fortune to be given a back seat ride in a Mirage before I left the RAAF. It was one of the greatest thrills in my life (apart from first trip in a Mustang in the Fifties).. .Best of luck to you - the people that knocked your Mirage time are just jealous!

Frank,

So you would like to visit Hawaii? Thoughts of feasting at a lu'au whilst wearing a lei and getting hammered on mai tai's has caught your imagination has it? Well good for you. As for getting there, let me suggest you purchase a ticket on the QF3. That way you can sit back, sip on a G&T, watch an in-flight movie or curl up with your favourite novel. I can assure you this means of travelling to HNL will cause you much less heartache than attempting to jump through the hoops of Flight Screening, OTS, BFTS, 2FTS, IFC and finally F111 conversion. <img src="rolleyes.gif" border="0">

As for instructing at BFTS as a BAe instructor, you will need a lot, lot more than a PPL (as your profile states). The civilian instructors at Tamworth are very experienced Grade 1 instructors, and many have previous military service. They hold civilian licences, so I think you will find they will hold civilian medicals. By the way, Tamworth looks nothing like Waikiki.

Aloha!

[ 06 February 2002: Message edited by: RPPT ]</p>

Besides which Trashies and Fisheads spend heaps more time in Hawaii :) :) :)

Right.

Firstly, I have only ask these questions to find out whether the lifestyle and people in the RAAF are more organised and professional than the recuiting guys are. They don't seem to know anything! I have been told not to bother with the RAAF (from some ex-RAAF boys), as it is a waste of time, but this is hard to believe, or is it?

Rabbit, I'm aware that it is a lot of hard work, but if 9/10 don't make it, that means that 1/10 do. If I don't try then I will have no chance at all.

RPPT, well, here I was thinking that I could just walk in to the job and have a few 'business' trips at the expense of the ever loving taxpayer. So I take it the rumour I heard isn't true.

In order to work towards something, I'd like to know what I'm up against, and as I said above, recruiting have no idea. So I think now is a good time to start asking questions. If my appeal does get knocked back for RAAF pilot (because my parents didn't think of the gene pool when they got married) I would still want to experience military flying. It maybe possible to do this as a civvy at Tamworth.

So then what is life like? If you had a choice, what would you choose FJ or not? Would you give the RAAF a miss all together?. .fnb

Franks,

That is a much better post than your original effort. And yes, you should be asking as many questions as you can.

Firstly, being a pilot in the RAAF is a great job. No matter what you fly, be it knucks, transport, maritime, VIP or AWACS, you will have a ball. That's my opinion anyway because I had a great time.

Secondly, being a RAAF pilot is not the perfect job. I would suggest to you that along with asking questions on this forum, that you also talk directly to current RAAF pilot's (and that include's students going through BFTS and 2FTS). The best way to do this is call the Ops Desk at a particular squadron (and why not call a few?), tell them why you are calling, and ask to speak to a pilot. Have a list of questions ready to go and ask them about the good, the bad and the ugly.

[ 06 February 2002: Message edited by: RPPT ]</p>

RPPT. .thanks chief. I will start ringing around.

Does anyone know how bad the pilot shortage is, or will get over the next year or two?

Also, was told today by recruiting that once you are in, and your eyesight deteriorates below the entry standard, you lose your medical. With what I have already been told on this forum (oct 2001), and with my past experiences with recruiting, I don't believe it (but I didn't want to make the recruiting guy feel bad!). Can anyone shed some light on this?

Was also told that to get selected for the Empire Test Pilots course, you don't necessarily need to be a FJ pilot(?). Doesn't make much sense to me, but I'm no expert.

Cheers, fnb

Hey 'Mirkin About',. .you are a P3 man me thinks!. .Whats happinin out there at Edinburge, you lookin after my airplanes?. .Cheers. . .(5700 hrs on P3B/C)

At the risk of getting philosophical, any choice you make in life is a bit of a gamble, and some people seem to get a better run than others - the same applies in the services. Some people leave cursing and bitching about the bad treatment they think they got while they were in, and others, like me, feel pretty lucky to have had some outstanding experiences whilst doing a job I really wanted to do.

I have just left the RAAF after 22 yrs (just got my payout today in fact - old DFRDB scheme, though, they're now on MSBS which is more in line with the public service).. .I did switch to the Army for a few years with no break in service, and from my point of view it was beneficial to do that because it prolonged the flying part of my career, which was fundamentally what I joined for anyway.

To answer some of your questions;

doing an instructors course opens up quite a few more posting and position options for you, tends to prolong your flying, and (I reckon) gives you an appreciation of different and rich aspects of flying. It is also more of a 5 day a week, 8 to 5 job than some squadrons, where you can't really plan your life because you never know when you'll be home.

Recruiting can tend to be a bit of a shambles because they don't necessarily know much about the flying side of the RAAF, and can tend to throw you furphs. Also, the services have taken a big hit in the admin area and now have people trying to wear a heap of hats at once, which tends to reduce the quality of service and advice you get. As was mentioned above, ring up or visit a squadron and talk to people. A 'no bull****' approach should work well.

Pilots from any type can go to test pilots courses; it's probably fair to say that the fast jet people are in the upper level of hands and feet skills, and also airborne situational awareness, but the graduation standard from RAAF pilots course means that most people who get through are no slouches either.

Anyway, I thought it was a top job, gave me a lot of good experiences and skills, and I can't think of many other things I would rather have done with those years. There were some times that weren't so flash, but not enough to matter.

Re my previous, don't get me wrong, I absolutely enjoyed my time in the RAAF. I also suggest one of the most enjpyable roles is instructing which I did in various areas for about for the last 5 years of my RAAF time. Well that was way back when! As for now you will need to talk with a current RAAF pilot.

Have a nice day

Rabbit

F18/F111 time may have held you in better stead for the airlines.Two engines!

Paradox that,thought an engine failure in a Miracle more critical.

Work with a bloke who survived the above.First thing he did was buy a case of Scotch for the bloke who packed his parachute!(F8Crusader)

interesting questions from frank. .i too have put in an application to ADF, i understand they decide which service would suit you best. my question is, what about army or navy aviation? my understanding is that it's all rotary wing stuff but how do entry requirements differ from RAAF?. .i've done about 500+ fixed wing hours and have a CPL, IFR, and instructors, does that stand me in good stead?

Arm out the window,. .thankyou for your input. I had heard that flying hrs start to drop off a bit after about 10 yrs, so it's good to know that there is a way around it. Sounds like you had a great career, with a good variety of flying. Have a good break (if that is what you are doing), don't drink too much.

Jet age, was told by RECRUITING(!?) that less flying hrs are preferred, as military flying is different to civil flying, and there tends to be an attitude problem from the more experienced applicants. But hey, he could have just been shooting me down because he may have thought I was being smart!

yeah, the recruiting guys weren't real flash now were they? oh well, i guess admin isn't there strong suite.

Franks,

With regards to the issue of deterioration of your eyesight, I believe that once you are through the door, and that includes being a student, your eyesight can deteriorate, so long as wearing glasses will correct your eyesight back to the minimum requirements. Yes, you can wear spectacles whilst flying - many RAAF pilots do, including PC9 students and QFI's. Not sure if they let knucks wear them though......maybe someone else can clarify that point. But I am not in RAAF Aviation Medicine, so once again, best bet is to get the info from the 'horse's mouth'. Maybe a call to the Senior Recruiting Officer in your nearest capital city, asking for clarification, or asking for someone in AvMed, may be an option for you. In any case, you will find out quickly enough in the initial selection procedures if your eyesight is good enough.

jetage,

Your hours will help you with passing Flight Screening. However, your experience will be factored into your scores at Tamworth. The RAAF web site explains further. As for pilots course (RAAF, RAN or ARA) you start at scratch like everyone else and the syllabus presumes you have no flying experience. As for differences between the services, the policy used to be (and I imagine it still is) that you get one shot at flt screening and your scores are used by all 3 services if indeed you are applying to more than one of them. Does that make sense? As franksnbeans mentions, attitude is a big player. <img src="wink.gif" border="0">

Franksnbeans,

Thanks mate, I'm trying not to get on the swill too much, but somehow the relaxed lifestyle I'm now leading is too conducive to it!

Jetage, from what I saw while I was instructing, some previous experience was helpful in the early stages, but when the course moved on to things that may not have been seen before (form, time on target low nav etc.), everyone was back on an even par again.. .Also, the services have fairly specific ways of doing things when it comes to flying - I don't mean no flexibility; but basic stuff, like what sort of a scan you should do whilst flying, how you should set, hold and trim an attitude, etc. etc.. .If you have developed habits that don't quite mesh with what's being taught, it can be a bit hard to 'unlearn'. Probably no big deal, but something to be aware of, and maybe a source of frustration for some.

The Army are mainly rotary, but also fly Twotters and King Airs, although I think everyone does a basic rotary course to start with (a bonus, I reckon!). . .The Navy sadly only have choppers since the Fleet Air Arm was decimated quite a few years ago now. Having said that, they have got some good machines.

Good luck.

Franks,. .This topic has been raised before. A search of my posts may find relevant comments from me and others from about a year ago. To summarise, my answers to some of your questions are.... .- the RAAF is a great life if that's what you want it to be! And when I' had enough (13 yrs)I left in good spirits, with great memories of the best adrenaline-charged(ie fast-jet) flying I could imagine,. .- it's not all beer'n'skittles. There are always frustrations, not enough flying, secondary duties (ie officer-not-pilot admin stuff), absences from home etc.... .- I got glasses before I finished pilot course, I wore them in transport and fast-jet class aircraft, I wore contact lenses once they were approved, and I learned to accommodate...but I didn't 'lose my medical'...that's a recruiting red herring!. .- the RAAF was a great start to a flying career, doing stuff that you can't do outside the military. It was worth every second of the hard work, preparation, briefing, deploying, disruption, occasional near-death situation for which I had been well trained, and satisfaction of doing an intense job well.. .Good luck as you decide!

I am ex-RAAF now QF. Went for my aviation medical the other day, and the DAME (also an ex-RAAF doctor) told me that the RAAF may soon be accepting candidates for pilots course who wear glasses.

If so - an interesting development.

For Info of all,

Glasses to a certain limit are allowed right now.. .Certain types of corrective eye surgery are allowed right now.. .Regards.

Re glasses for Fighter Pilots:

Knew a couple in Mirage days who had them (even fly with one!) and have a USAF buddy who flew F16s and wore glasses, so doubt it would be a problem in the new jets.

What sort of remuneration package does a pilot get in the forces? <img src="confused.gif" border="0">

RPPT, I have already passed the aptitude tests (about seven months ago now), but it was my eyesight that let me down at the medical. Ofcourse, my corrected vision is perfect '20/20'.

My uncorrected vision is -2.75 (0.00 being what most of you aircrew boys would have), and the RAAF's limit for applicants is -1.00 (found that out from CB Towers about 3 months ago, before recruiting did!).

I do realise that eyesight below this standard is permitted once an applicant has already been accepted, even pre BFTS. But what I would be very interested to know is if the RAAF has a limit for current pilots, which if exceeded, would render them grounded...

CB Towers, any chance that you could pull some strings and find that out?

[ 08 February 2002: Message edited by: franksnbeans ]</p>

RAAF pilot pay scale can be found at <a href="http://www.defence.gov.au/raaf/" target="_blank">www.defence.gov.au/raaf/</a> basically once you graduate it's $47,000p.a.

Franksnbeans

· Most ADF recruitment shop-fronts are now outsourced to civil contractors. All they know is contract conditions stuff. – it is not their fault. Few people in the ADF/Public Service have any concept of ADF flying. Make sure you talk to someone in a blue suit, preferably a pilot - one is on staff at ‘Manpower’ Recruiting in Melb.. .· Entry eyesight standards may be a little relaxed in the future. The Singapore air force (also using Bae Tamworth facilities) have relaxed theirs recently. The main reason for all this is to widen the pool of suitable applicants.. .· RAAF is not bad for pilot numbers at the moment, largely thanks to Ansett/ROSO constraints..etc and the fact that there is a command from the Chiefs to focus on the people now, not just mission (finally!). However all three services want more pilots trained, especially Navy which is getting desperate. The training pipeline can only provide so much. It is very likely that a completely revised pilot training program (now in early stages) in next few years will involve simulation and possibly a better platform than PC9 for systems operation and training.. .· Recruitment age is another factor. Recently Army lost an age discrimination case against a guy who argued that he was fit and could complete his 10 or so years of return of service before compulsory retirement age -usually 55 years old. This will likely have repercussions for the ADF pilot recruiting, allowing older recruits. However there is now a focus on younger applicants, because there is a proven history of self-suspensions in older/experienced applicants for a bunch of reasons.. .· General service conditions improving for aircrew. Salary in comparable or better than most other flying jobs, especially with the airline industry getting shaken out now. Super is generous, especially after 15-20 years, and after varios pay reviews, it appears that allowances may be rolled into salary making super payouts better for aircrew. Most of the ‘blunt’ jobs are outsourced and the civil contractors in areas like clothing stores..etc actually provide a pretty efficient service! Many of the based do not have crap jobs like orderly officer anymore. New aircraft are arriving or planned (AWAC/B737/CL604). Ground jobs for pilots involve getting a credit card to go flying to keep your skills up – the funding for this is about to be increased and many of the current restrictive rules are to be removed. Most admin is done via email, and personnel info is freely available on the DEFWEB. . .· The bad news is that operational support for military aircrew is still lacking, primarily because the RAAF does not possess an integrated system for flight planning, weight and bal, notam, briefing, fuelling…etc. It is currently left to the aircrew to run around and make it all work for every mission. A lot of organizational changes have occurred around the traps, but since the planners don’t understand intense flying ops, workloads for many aircrew has increased to compensate. Senior aircrew are working pretty hard to supervise the juniors and maintain safe operations with limited resources. This is where the real need is right now – at the sharper end. However this has been acknowledged too.. . <img src="wink.gif" border="0">

Current RAAF Knucks

Remember the Sabres and Mirages use to carve up the yanks in exercises,often they(USAF/USN/USMC) would have fighters a generation ahead.

The RAAF fighter pilot of old was skilful,tenacious and very good at cheating.

How do we fair these days?I know the experience drain in the 80s/90s significant.

[ 09 February 2002: Message edited by: Duck Muck ]</p>

Duck Muck,

RAAF knucks are still first class - here's an excellent article from "Aviation Week & Space Technology" reference Oz Fighter skills versus other nations:

Australian Training Yields. .Top-Notch Fighter Pilots. .WILLIAM B. SCOTT/RAAF BASE WILLIAMTOWN, AUSTRALIA

High standards, intense training and a steady diet of practice are the secrets to RAAF fighter pilots' success in the air

The Royal Australian Air Force has developed a high-standard training regimen that ensures its F/A-18 pilots consistently fare very well during simulated air combat engagements against their allied counterparts.

The Royal Australian Air Force flies 71 A- and B-model F/A-18 Hornets in a variety of air superiority, close air support, maritime support and interdiction roles.

. .As a result, the RAAF's reputation for fielding excellent fighter pilots has sparked a recurring question among humbled mock opponents for years: What are the Australians doing differently?

Testimony from U.S., U.K. and other fighter crews seems to support the RAAF's reputation. A U.S. Navy officer who flew F-14s in several multinational exercises throughout the Pacific said, "It was easy to find the Aussies--look behind you. Those guys were always on your tail."

In a report submitted to Pacific Air Force headquarters, a U.S. Air Force pilot who recently returned from a 2.5-year exchange tour as an instructor at the RAAF's Fighter School gave high marks to the Australian training program. Later, in a pithy e-mail message--which, to his chagrin, was immediately circulated around the globe--he gave flying buddies a glowing account of his experience down under.

"The RAAF has avoided the political-correctness wave . . . and has retained a culture that emphasizes war-fighting over politics. It was interesting to watch the [RAAF] absolutely pummel visiting U.S. fighter squadrons . . . . These bumpkins from down under treat us the way the North Vietnamese Air Force treated us 35 years ago--they are kicking our platinum [tails] with 20-mm. gunshots from 2,000 ft. back, like the Red Baron," he wrote.

F/A-18 pilots are trained by No. 2 Operational Conversion Unit at RAAF Williamtown. Its air combat range is close to the base, enabling efficient missions.

. .Australia transforms newly winged airmen into dual-role F/A-18 pilots at its Fighter School, which is located on RAAF Base Williamtown near the continent's eastern coast. Since 1985, when the RAAF started flying its 75 Hornets, F/A-18 training has been handled by No. 2 Operational Conversion Unit, commonly known as 2OCU Sqdn.

Sixteen years later, the small air force still has an inventory of 71 A- and B-model Hornets. A three-phase upgrade program and a separate structural refurbishment effort is modernizing the fleet and extending its operational life to about 2012-16, senior officers here said (see p. 96). After the upgrade, RAAF aircraft will be roughly equivalent to a U.S. Navy F/A-18C.

The 2OCU training squadron runs several courses, but its primary role is to graduate a "D-Category" fighter pilot proficient in both air-to-air and air-to-surface tactics. About 70 hr. of flight time during the 23-week F/A-18 conversion course will produce a pilot having basic fighter skills, including formation, instrument and night flying. Typically, 37 sorties are dedicated to air-to-air training, another 22 are air-to-surface--including maritime attack--and the final four or five are live-fire missions with high-explosives. The latter require deploying to a range near Townsville, a fighter base about 850 mi. north of Williamtown. Throughout the course, students also "fly" eight air-to-air and 12 air-to-surface missions in a ground simulator.

The squadron's 14 instructors (including USAF and Canadian Air Force exchange pilots) train two classes of 6-10 students each year. Of the unit's 18 Hornets, 10-12 are two-seat F/A-18B versions. Some of those "duals are shared with operational squadrons at times," said Sqdn. Ldr. Alan Clements, an instructor and the 2OCU executive officer. During peak flying periods, the unit can generate 25-30 F/A-18 sorties per day, but a normal daily schedule will produce 15-20 flights. About 3,000 hr. are flown each year.

"By comparison, an operational unit will fly 2,500-3,000 hr. a year," Clements said. "We fly more hours than an operational squadron, [because] we graduate dual-role pilots qualified in both air-to-air and air-to-surface."

RAAF training focuses on developing fighter pilots skilled at close-in air-to-air combat tactics, not rote procedures. In exercises, Australian crews consistently fare well against multinational adversaries.

. .However, those flight hours are hard on 2OCU's aircraft, particularly the two-seaters. "When you only have about eight dual-seat aircraft on the flightline at once, they're pretty precious commodities," said Wing Cdr. William Henman, a former 2OCU commanding officer now attending the USAF Air War College. "They spend a lot of time at high angles-of-attack and pulling gs, so our [B-models] are getting tired. Our per-flight-hour stress accrual is quite high; some of the duals are fleet-leaders in fatigue."

This editor spent three days at 2OCU, talking to students, commanders and instructors, flying on a 2-versus-1 air combat maneuvering (ACM) training mission, and looking for a "magic something" that might explain why RAAF pilots consistently either beat or at least humble their air-to-air opponents. Surprisingly, I found 2OCU instructors reluctant to claim they might be superior combat pilots. Humility is hardly a trait associated with a fighter jock, who typically firmly believes he is the best pilot on Earth--a conviction that's essential for survival. No pilot here denied the RAAF's hard-won reputation, though, and acknowledgments were carefully phrased.

"I think we have a cost-effective training program that produces a qualified combat fighter and strike pilot in a relatively short time," said Air Commo. Paul F. Devine, commander of RAAF's Tactical Fighter Group. "And I think we do pretty well against world[-class] standards--as good as anybody else, and better than some. The RAAF holds to high standards--in selection and training--to ensure a high-quality pilot product."

"We've done fairly well during multinational exercises," Henman echoed. "When we've fought our Hornets against U.S. Air Force units, we've compared very favorably. But we get a lot of practice here, and I believe we get more opportunities than U.S. operators of the Hornet. The Navy and Marine Corps, just due to their operations tempo and deployments, don't have the luxury of spending [considerable] time on the core skills like we do. And I can't overemphasize that we benefit greatly from our exchange programs with the U.S. Navy and Air Force. We take a lot of lessons they learn during foreign deployments and [actual] operations, then modify our tactics."

ONE NOTEWORTHY TRAINING DIFFERENTIATOR I observed is the degree of regimentation and flexibility. U.S. pilots normally are restricted from "pushing the envelope"--mainly for safety reasons and to ensure consistency of training throughout a large force--but I detected a difference in attitude and freedom to explore new concepts, as well.

"I think we do have a different ethos in training at the squadron level, and that makes us effective in the air-to-air [arena]," said Sqdn. Ldr. Phil Eldridge, a 2OCU instructor who also heads the Fighter Combat Instructor course--which is the RAAF equivalent of the U.S. Navy's "Top Gun" and USAF's Weapon School (see p. 94). "We don't highly regiment our 'bandit' (aggressor) presentations. That's a big difference from other air forces, I think.

"We often allow very wild, aggressive maneuvering of our 'bandits' during air-to-air flows. I don't think that's very representative of what we'll see if we go to war . . . but training to the extreme is very challenging," Eldridge explained. "We take the gloves off and tell guys, 'You're cleared weird.' When you're fighting someone who's 'cleared weird,' you know that every time you try to lock [an enemy] on radar, they're going to split into singles, or one's going to drop 20,000 ft. of altitude, or turn into the [Doppler radar's] 'notch,' or dispense chaff. You work real hard to get them--and that takes you out of your 'safe' area; you peak with a [higher] level of skills. Your reactions become very fast. You're quick to manipulate the radar and its employment--and that's one of our strong points, I think. This forces you to think faster, while reinforcing a lot of basic skills."

He and other pilots here attributed the RAAF's air combat success to aggressive training, a focus on countering complex enemy maneuvers or "presentations," and a concentration on short-range radar tactics. Another subtle but important factor is the RAAF's emphasis on air combat skill-building rather than procedure-following. Squadrons make sure pilots develop good situational awareness, targeting techniques and defensive skills, rather than rote by-the-numbers maneuvers, Eldridge noted.

SOME MAY DISPUTE THE RAAF'S EMPHASIS on close-in fighter tactics, noting that modern air combat tactics have moved toward beyond-visual-range (BVR) engagements and away from "dogfighting." However, most nations' rules of engagement (ROE) dictate a potential enemy aircraft must be visually identified before firing a long-range missile.

"You really don't want to be in a visual arena anymore," Henman agreed. "The focus should be on weapons systems and rules of engagement that allow you to employ those weapons BVR. Why have a long-range Amraam if you're forced to get in close enough to see the other guy's tail flash? But, until we have different ROEs, or enough systems to get a positive ID at BVR, we're going to have to get into that visual arena. Then, all the skills we teach are required to come out of the battle alive."

He noted that, historically, every time a new missile seeker has been developed, an effective countermeasure to it is close behind, negating some advantage of BVR systems. In contrast, that limitation disappears in a close-in fight where a short-range gun or cannon is effective. "You can't jam a bullet," one pilot said.

"In the end, if you can pull your airplane to a [position of] leading the other guy, and he gets big in your windscreen, you're going to scare him. If you build a fighter that has no gun or no [short-range] missile capability, I think you're a bit foolish," Henman declared. Consequently, much of the 2OCU training program is dedicated to developing skills necessary for visual engagements.

Another effective RAAF pilot-building technique is "block training," where a squadron will fly exclusively air-to-air or air-to-surface missions for up to four weeks. "If everybody in the squadron is flying four-ship [air engagements] every day--talking, briefing, flying and debriefing nothing but four-ships--it gets us to a higher skill level," Eldridge said. "It's particularly effective for junior pilots; they can focus on just one set of procedures associated with air-to-air. Then we might go to a four-week block of air-to-surface training. [Next,] we'll probably fly an exercise that combines air-to-air and air-to-surface."

Henman, Clements and Eldridge were quick to also point out the RAAF's shortcomings in preparing for modern coalition warfare. "The one thing we really lack is exposure to large-force [air combat] packages and integrating with specialized force-multipliers, such as AWACS and electronic warfare platforms," Clements said. "We don't get to see a lot of these. And, as a relatively small defense-oriented force, we're not able to provide those on our own."

In recent years, though, RAAF units have deployed overseas and taken part in a Cope Thunder exercise in Alaska and Canada's Maple Flag, providing valuable exposure to large-force operations.

It appeared to me that the RAAF's air combat training program is closely aligned with those of the U.S., U.K. and other Western air forces, but is distinguished by subtle, perhaps important differentiators. The Australians are uncompromising in setting high training standards, and are adamant about flying a lot of hours to hone and sustain perishable skills. Those standards have come under scrutiny recently, since the RAAF is having a tough time recruiting and retaining enough pilots in its three operational F/A-18 squadrons. A relatively small national population, an airline hiring spree, and competing career opportunities during the last five years have led to a shortage of line pilots and 2OCU instructors.

"WE'RE UNDER PRESSURE AT 2OCU TO GET MORE people through the [conversion] program," Henman said. "If we take in nine students and consistently only graduate five, we have to question whether we're being too elitist. 2OCU has always been absolutely uncompromising about our graduation requirements, and that gives us a high-quality pilot. If we backed off our training standards, and don't put people through the difficult [regimen] we do now, we will graduate more pilots. I assure you, though, if the squadrons start losing airplanes, it will be traced back to training, and we'll be right back to our [stringent] requirements."

Ultimately, the winner of an air-to-air engagement comes down to small advantages in technique, skill and speed of thought--all elements honed through practice. Therein may lie the biggest differentiator, some pilots here believe. The RAAF dual-role fighter pilot trains for fewer types of missions than USAF, for example, becomes proficient with a smaller array of air-to-ground weapons, and--thanks to being a smaller force--can train with a keener focus.

"The RAAF flies more air-to-air sorties in a given time than U.S. crews do--not like our air force, which has to deploy a lot and fly around over Bosnia or Iraq, losing its edge," said Maj. Dan Spires, a USAF exchange officer serving as an instructor at 2OCU. "Here, they train to be flexible and to fit into coalition forces [by] adopting others' warfighting tactics and procedures."

That winning-edge "magic" factor remains somewhat of a mystery, even to RAAF pilots. "The consensus of U.S. Navy, USAF and Marine Corps exchange pilots is that the Cat-D pilot 2OCU graduates tends to be at a higher proficiency level than U.S. conversion graduates in a particular fighter type," Clements said. "That may be due to good screening or intense training or something else. We're not real sure what makes our graduates slightly more proficient."

[ 09 February 2002: Message edited by: Booger ]</p>

Jetsbest, sounds like you got a lot out of the RAAF. I think it'd be a top job, but I have to get in first! I don't like my chances, but we'll see what happens. By the way, I'm assuming that you fly for an airline now, how does that match up? ie: meet pretty girls and travel the world! If I don't get accepted for pilot, I will look at a civil career, possibly in the airlines. (but I'm sure when I go through my mid-life crisis, I will wander what would have happened had I writted just one more appeal to the RAAF...)

Three Bars, same question. Do you miss life in the RAAF?

Roller Merlin, thanks for that. Only one query... what is this credit card thing? I'm assuming only have a certain limit of flying hrs which are paid for with it(?).

If that old guy could fight the Army system, that gives me a bit of hope.

Booger, is this focus on 'dog fighting' skills the same solution used for the F-4 phantoms (ie: no cannon fitted in the earlier models), I think the J model?? I can't remember where I read it, but it was a while ago, so please correct me if I'm wrong!!

A very interesting article.

Booger,. .Thanks for that.

Looks like they have kept their culture and become smarter too.Very good news.International incidents happen so quickly you would think it hard to adapt and learn on the run-a predicament suffered by Australian forces before.

I wonder if they still cheat aswell as they used to,some of those stories hilarious.

Well done.

Duck Muck, I used to fly with a guy who dead sticked A Mirage to a safe landing up north. You probably know him G.C. It was a long time ago, forget now whether they Court Marshalled him or gave him a medal? :)

[ 10 February 2002: Message edited by: HotDog ]</p>

Franks….the deal with the credit card is this:

Qualified ADF pilots that are posted to ground jobs (typically admin / HRM / Ops support / Training) are able to hire civil aircraft and go flying, usually in a light twin, using a credit card issued specifically for this purpose. The system was set up in the early 90s to maintain some semblance of flying currency. However in typical bureaucratic style there were many silly restrictions put in place ('we cant give the pilots more than the others…'), funding has not increased over the years, and not surprisingly the system is not used by many as it is just not worth it.

Fortunately, the tall-poppy syndrome is dying and the system has been review by intelligent bods to motivate pilots, and keep them in touch with flying aircraft instead of desks, rather than resign. Although not formally announced, over the next few months it is likely that funding will be increased and many of the silly restrictions lifted. I envisage that most aircrew in ground jobs will then use it, and be able to hire better and faster aircraft. However nothing is certain until written in black and smudge!

Hot Dog,. .Was told that GC ended up working at Ansett till it went bust. The dead stick story must have been improved with the telling. As we all know every story is embellished by the next raconteur because it was suggested that he had done it twice. Not likely I would think. What was the true story, did the ejection seat fail?

Just saw the pay scales for RAAF pilots. Interested to know how much you actually spend of that in a year seeing your accomodation and food are payed for. Or are they???

Curious, thanks in advance

BTW, what are the current minimum standards for eyes?? I have glasses but ill have to go get my prescription to see what the error is.

Luca:

No, accom and meals are not paid for. You actually pay for them by paying R&Q - Rations and Quarters. Not sure what the rates are at the moment. And if you live in (and you need permission not to!) R&Q are automatically taken out of your pay. <img src="smile.gif" border="0"> <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

Another furphy there Luca. Rations and Quarters are definetly paid for. Only thing a serving member gets free is medical and dental... no medicare levy to pay for unless you have dependants.

HotDog,

Quote: "You probably know him G.C. It was a long time ago, forget now whether they Court Marshalled him or gave him a medal?"

They gave him neither, me old, just a bad name. <img src="rolleyes.gif" border="0"> . .Gru

Thanks for the replies scran and Cutest of Borg.

I was under the impression that because the pay isnt that high, u dont spend very much and therefore save a lot or something along those lines.

Thanks again

As I recall, the accident report was critical of GC for not calling on MB.. .So he turned out to be a scab? <img src="cool.gif" border="0">

TTT,. .What is MB?. .Where was the safe landing, on a runway or somewhere else?. .Was it at Townsville or Darwin? Mindil Beach?

[ 11 February 2002: Message edited by: Flat Side Up ]</p>

MB = Martin Baker, as in ejection seat.. .Dead stick on disused runway near Willytown (Tomago?) Mid sixties. <img src="cool.gif" border="0">