Critical Decisions
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Sydney
Age: 35
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Critical Decisions
Hello all, I have just gone through my pilot aptitude assessment and i was told that i qualified for everything except pilot.
I applied to the Australian Defence Force Academy to be a pilot, and now i have to change my options. Though assuming i get into adfa i still wish to go through adfa maybe doing a degree in aero engineering, science, or maybe another branch of engineering..
The test that i failed was the instrument rating (the altimeters etc). I really want to be a pilot, and the military is the way i want to go. My defence recruiter told me to think about what i wanted to do and call him back, so is anyone able to help me make up my mind?
I can be all aircrew positions except pilot, Nav seems appealing in that I would be paid the same, still get to fly, just not in control. Observer in the navy doesnt seem very logical because realisticly i don't want to be in the forces my whole life..
Also if i apply as a nav I can apply to transfer to be a pilot (assuming i pass the tests next time), though its not a guarantee that i will get through, and it depends on the demand of navigators and pilots etc. Are there any other ways to become a pilot that are easier than others regarding transfers..
The other possibility i was considering was air traffic control. While i wouldnt be flying at all, i would still be getting paid a truckload of money, and its easier to transfer to the civilian sector. It is relatively easy to get a job as a civilian pilot after leaving the military. The same is true with Air traffic controllers, is it the same with navigators?
I don't want to be stuck in a desk job either.
What is a flight engineer, and do they always fly?
Any info you can give me on careerpaths would be much appreciated,
Thanks,
Shortyy
I applied to the Australian Defence Force Academy to be a pilot, and now i have to change my options. Though assuming i get into adfa i still wish to go through adfa maybe doing a degree in aero engineering, science, or maybe another branch of engineering..
The test that i failed was the instrument rating (the altimeters etc). I really want to be a pilot, and the military is the way i want to go. My defence recruiter told me to think about what i wanted to do and call him back, so is anyone able to help me make up my mind?
I can be all aircrew positions except pilot, Nav seems appealing in that I would be paid the same, still get to fly, just not in control. Observer in the navy doesnt seem very logical because realisticly i don't want to be in the forces my whole life..
Also if i apply as a nav I can apply to transfer to be a pilot (assuming i pass the tests next time), though its not a guarantee that i will get through, and it depends on the demand of navigators and pilots etc. Are there any other ways to become a pilot that are easier than others regarding transfers..
The other possibility i was considering was air traffic control. While i wouldnt be flying at all, i would still be getting paid a truckload of money, and its easier to transfer to the civilian sector. It is relatively easy to get a job as a civilian pilot after leaving the military. The same is true with Air traffic controllers, is it the same with navigators?
I don't want to be stuck in a desk job either.
What is a flight engineer, and do they always fly?
Any info you can give me on careerpaths would be much appreciated,
Thanks,
Shortyy
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: FL410
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You seem like you have your heart set on flying, so are you going to let some guy and his aptitute test tell you otherwise? It would seem as though you've put the tail between your legs and run off in the other direction!
I don't know anything about how the ADFA works but is there anyway you can take the test again? Aside from the military way, there is of course, always the civillian option (but you said you only want to go military).
As for flight engineers, they are becoming a dying breed, well at least in civil aviation. We have just got rid of the last of our "classic" aircraft that use flight engineers - some of them were lucky enough to qualify to train as a First Officer, but most of them either retired early, or ended up with a desk job. As for the air force, I don't know how many FE's there are.
You have said that you really want to be a pilot...you don't want to be in the forces your whole life......so in my opinion, you should accept nothing less than a flying job!
I don't know anything about how the ADFA works but is there anyway you can take the test again? Aside from the military way, there is of course, always the civillian option (but you said you only want to go military).
As for flight engineers, they are becoming a dying breed, well at least in civil aviation. We have just got rid of the last of our "classic" aircraft that use flight engineers - some of them were lucky enough to qualify to train as a First Officer, but most of them either retired early, or ended up with a desk job. As for the air force, I don't know how many FE's there are.
You have said that you really want to be a pilot...you don't want to be in the forces your whole life......so in my opinion, you should accept nothing less than a flying job!
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
No navigation jobs outside in the sense that MP>CP MN>anything they can turn their hand too.
A pilot is a pilot and flies whereas in civvie street a navigator has a good chance of getting an aviation specialist job but a very slim chance of actually flying. Training as a civilian pilot would be the only way.
Before you opt for nav you want to find out 'the future of the navigator role in the RAAF' In the RAF this question was asked in 1989 by the man from the Ministry. All at the meeting looked aghast as it was presumed that that was his job!
What do RAAF navigators do? P3, F111 and ...?
A pilot is a pilot and flies whereas in civvie street a navigator has a good chance of getting an aviation specialist job but a very slim chance of actually flying. Training as a civilian pilot would be the only way.
Before you opt for nav you want to find out 'the future of the navigator role in the RAAF' In the RAF this question was asked in 1989 by the man from the Ministry. All at the meeting looked aghast as it was presumed that that was his job!
What do RAAF navigators do? P3, F111 and ...?
