RAAF Flight Screening Programme
Join Date: Nov 2009
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Danni check ya emails mate sent ya one? not sure bout the 3 minute talk i would say they give us a topic and we have to chat about it. i just recieved all my emails from flight screening and nothing was said about it in them. yer i organised a few flights and trying to do some aerobatics.
Join Date: Oct 2009
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Hi all,
Completed FSP halway through this year and was recommended by the Board. I have been offered GSO and SSO with the Army with a 3 for preference. I didn't have a great stanine but I believe I scored well in other areas. I am holding out for a position as Navy pilot (5 for preference), as I'd love to have the oppurtunity to fly the PC-9 and fly from ships after operational conversion. I understand with the cancellation of the Seasprite, Navy pilots aren't in great demand unfortunately...
Does anyone have any advice for me as to hold out for what I really want or take the Army offer? Do service transfers occur?
Any other advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks
Completed FSP halway through this year and was recommended by the Board. I have been offered GSO and SSO with the Army with a 3 for preference. I didn't have a great stanine but I believe I scored well in other areas. I am holding out for a position as Navy pilot (5 for preference), as I'd love to have the oppurtunity to fly the PC-9 and fly from ships after operational conversion. I understand with the cancellation of the Seasprite, Navy pilots aren't in great demand unfortunately...
Does anyone have any advice for me as to hold out for what I really want or take the Army offer? Do service transfers occur?
Any other advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks
Join Date: Oct 2009
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Hey mate,
I know that the navy isn't employing as many pilots as other services, but keep in mind that in the next few years they are receiving new helicopters so will need extra pilots!
Or maybe try RAAF?
I know that the navy isn't employing as many pilots as other services, but keep in mind that in the next few years they are receiving new helicopters so will need extra pilots!
Or maybe try RAAF?
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Johhny Chase
Hi mate,
Can you please confirm that you have received an actual Letter of Offer from the Australian Army? If you have received a LOO it will detail which method of entry it was for - be it GSO or SSO. Bare in mind that you can only apply for either GSO or SSO at the one time - I was in this same boat earlier this year - do I apply for GSO or SSO???? I picked GSO and got my offer.
Here's a few home truths for you to help you out:
1. Recruiting has the most amount of people sitting in the pools of successful applicants all wanting a spot on some sort of pilots course, than they have ever had.
2. A lot of the people sitting in these pools have scored very highly.
3. The intakes over the next twelve to eighteen months and possibly longer have been scaled down considerably, for all services, for all methods of entry.
4. Put simply, there is excess supply of good applicants and limited demand.
5. You have received an Offer for a service that wasn't your first preference.
6. I will completely disregard what you think your flying scores were and look purely at the situation. You have obviously scored well enough to earn an offer for a service you wanted in to, but not well enough to earn an offer for what you wanted more.
7. The powers that be honestly have your best interests at heart, as well as those of the ADF. They will not cut their nose off to spite their face. They have offerred you a place because they want you as an ADF pilot, but couldn't offer you the service that you wanted for any numerous reasons.
8. If you turn an offer down you will not be offerred it again. I don't know what your chances of getting an offer with a different service are, but if you were going to get one, you would have gotten it instead of this one.
9. Inter-service transfers do occur, but not regularly, and if you bank on doing it in the future you should really reconsider accepting the offer in the first place.
10. And finally, one of the first things you would have been told by recruiting when you went in there at the beginning was that pilot selection is more than super competitive and a "willingness to accept an offer that is not your first or possibly second preference will greatly increase your chance of getting a jersey".
I apologise in advance for being a bit blunt in parts - but it's best you have the home truths out on the bare table to help you make your decision.
Regards Ryan
Can you please confirm that you have received an actual Letter of Offer from the Australian Army? If you have received a LOO it will detail which method of entry it was for - be it GSO or SSO. Bare in mind that you can only apply for either GSO or SSO at the one time - I was in this same boat earlier this year - do I apply for GSO or SSO???? I picked GSO and got my offer.
Here's a few home truths for you to help you out:
1. Recruiting has the most amount of people sitting in the pools of successful applicants all wanting a spot on some sort of pilots course, than they have ever had.
2. A lot of the people sitting in these pools have scored very highly.
3. The intakes over the next twelve to eighteen months and possibly longer have been scaled down considerably, for all services, for all methods of entry.
4. Put simply, there is excess supply of good applicants and limited demand.
5. You have received an Offer for a service that wasn't your first preference.
6. I will completely disregard what you think your flying scores were and look purely at the situation. You have obviously scored well enough to earn an offer for a service you wanted in to, but not well enough to earn an offer for what you wanted more.
7. The powers that be honestly have your best interests at heart, as well as those of the ADF. They will not cut their nose off to spite their face. They have offerred you a place because they want you as an ADF pilot, but couldn't offer you the service that you wanted for any numerous reasons.
8. If you turn an offer down you will not be offerred it again. I don't know what your chances of getting an offer with a different service are, but if you were going to get one, you would have gotten it instead of this one.
9. Inter-service transfers do occur, but not regularly, and if you bank on doing it in the future you should really reconsider accepting the offer in the first place.
10. And finally, one of the first things you would have been told by recruiting when you went in there at the beginning was that pilot selection is more than super competitive and a "willingness to accept an offer that is not your first or possibly second preference will greatly increase your chance of getting a jersey".
I apologise in advance for being a bit blunt in parts - but it's best you have the home truths out on the bare table to help you make your decision.
Regards Ryan
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Top notch reply Ryan. Cheers for the insight mate. I received a verbal offer from the Wing Commander for GSO over the phone just after my FSP course. He said an SSO offer would also be valid if I decided I wanted to go that route. It's a pretty big decision to make, as I'll be dedicated to that job and service for a decade of my life! I like the idea of GSO, but hate to think of the risks of getting booted from BFTS after a few months and having to serve in an infantry unit. I'd much prefer to work in an area of aviation. This may just work as extra motivation in BFTS (as if I would need any).
I find it interesting that on the defence jobs website, every pilot job other than Navy pilot is a priority job. Quite an interesting observation if there is such a large pool of successful applicants waiting for a spot on BFTS!
Might see you at RMC soon Ryano. Just got to keep my fingers crossed and see what happens.
I find it interesting that on the defence jobs website, every pilot job other than Navy pilot is a priority job. Quite an interesting observation if there is such a large pool of successful applicants waiting for a spot on BFTS!
Might see you at RMC soon Ryano. Just got to keep my fingers crossed and see what happens.
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Hey Ryan
With that last post, about waiting pools, does the same apply for ADFA applicants, i am off to flight scrrening soon and just say i am lucky enough to get through what happens then?? Do i get a offer for ADFA or go into a waiting pool?
Cheers Dan
With that last post, about waiting pools, does the same apply for ADFA applicants, i am off to flight scrrening soon and just say i am lucky enough to get through what happens then?? Do i get a offer for ADFA or go into a waiting pool?
Cheers Dan
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Two avenues - ADFA or Direct Entry. Whether or not you have (or desire) a university degree is irrelevent. From mid to late high school develop a keen interest in aviation and the ADF. Study well at school and study the right subjects. Don't listen to people who say it's too hard or you won't get in. Speak to the real people doing to job (get numbers through recruiting/cadets/contacts). Finally just do it - get to recruiting and do the tests and interviews when you are at the right age or have finished school.
All the best.
All the best.
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The pools
Once you have been to FSP, and done the flying side of things you will sit your OSB. The OSB will determine whether or not you can be trained into a military officer (by you displaying the relevant qualities) and they will also take into account how well you did in the flying phase and the rest of the tests you complete during recruiting. If they feel that you can 1) be trained into a military officer and 2) be trained into a military pilot, you will receive a "recommendation" for further training.
Once you have that recommendation, you are then placed into the relevant waiting pool. There are many different pools because there are many different avenues of entry. The number and quality of people in each of these pools is constantly changing because new people join the pool and others drop out. Where you sit in those pools will also naturally change. What differentiates people is their score relative to each other, and that is based on all your scores throughout the entire recruiting process. When the ADF draws from the required pool, it will naturally take from the top. There are many people who miss out on a spot each year who have been recommended at FSP and gone into a pool.
To all those who read this post, I ask that you understand that the pools are CONSTANTLY changing and the needs of the ADF are also CONSTANTLY changing. I am not (read NOT) trying to put off anyone from applying - I fully encourage everyone to put in their best and give it a shot and I am happy to provide pointers when asked. I was in a very similiar position to Johnny Chase earlier this year and provided him with the info I had been made aware of.
Even at the worst times, those that are good enough to get through, will. It's as simple as that - do the tests, do them well, impress the socks off everybody and sit back and wait.
Once you have that recommendation, you are then placed into the relevant waiting pool. There are many different pools because there are many different avenues of entry. The number and quality of people in each of these pools is constantly changing because new people join the pool and others drop out. Where you sit in those pools will also naturally change. What differentiates people is their score relative to each other, and that is based on all your scores throughout the entire recruiting process. When the ADF draws from the required pool, it will naturally take from the top. There are many people who miss out on a spot each year who have been recommended at FSP and gone into a pool.
To all those who read this post, I ask that you understand that the pools are CONSTANTLY changing and the needs of the ADF are also CONSTANTLY changing. I am not (read NOT) trying to put off anyone from applying - I fully encourage everyone to put in their best and give it a shot and I am happy to provide pointers when asked. I was in a very similiar position to Johnny Chase earlier this year and provided him with the info I had been made aware of.
Even at the worst times, those that are good enough to get through, will. It's as simple as that - do the tests, do them well, impress the socks off everybody and sit back and wait.
Join Date: Oct 2009
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Maths courses for ADF pilots
G'day guys and gals, hoping someone could help me out with recommending some mathematics bridging courses to bring me up to ADF pilot entry standard as I do not make this standard at the moment. The quickest is preffered and do not mind where it is or if it is correspondence as long as its recognised by the ADF as a pass in maths B (Queensland level). Thanks to you all happy aviating 
Join Date: Oct 2009
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Hey mate,
Best idea would be to talk to your local recruiting centre, and see what maths course they will endorse. I could think of nothing worse than spending time on a maths course only to find that it wasn't good enough.
James.
Best idea would be to talk to your local recruiting centre, and see what maths course they will endorse. I could think of nothing worse than spending time on a maths course only to find that it wasn't good enough.
James.
Join Date: Oct 2009
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WannabMaverick: Go back to page 34, there's a fair bit of info there regarding some courses.
Everyone else: I went solo today!! Was unreal! Didn't really have time to think about it. I did a few circuits and then my instructor hopped out and said do one more haha. It was awesome. Can't wait to go back up tomorrow.
Everyone else: I went solo today!! Was unreal! Didn't really have time to think about it. I did a few circuits and then my instructor hopped out and said do one more haha. It was awesome. Can't wait to go back up tomorrow.
Good effort, and keep encouraging the wannabees- not always enough of it on this thread!
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To WannabMavrick
I was in the same situation after i left highschool, i went through i school in perth call SIDE (School of isolated and distance education), they send there work through the mail and you complete the subject through correspondence, they offer it Australian wide to. It took me a year to complete and now i off to flight screening so the courses they offer can be used for ADF. I do know there is a course offered in Queensland which would probably be better for you but i think its expensive. if ya need there number just let us know.
Regards Dan
I was in the same situation after i left highschool, i went through i school in perth call SIDE (School of isolated and distance education), they send there work through the mail and you complete the subject through correspondence, they offer it Australian wide to. It took me a year to complete and now i off to flight screening so the courses they offer can be used for ADF. I do know there is a course offered in Queensland which would probably be better for you but i think its expensive. if ya need there number just let us know.
Regards Dan
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oldpinger
Thanks! It wasn't too bad this morning, about 28 (40 now!), bit hotter under the bubble though (very sweaty). I highly recommend anyone get flying before making it to flight screening.
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Maths Courses for ADF Pilots - Extended
I've got a slightly similar question, Regarding my subjects for Years 11/12, is doing Calculus (WA course) worth it, when DFR accept on Applic? I have a feeling that I may not be able to score too highly on Calculus (not that I won't give it 110%), and would a C/B- in Calculus mean a lot more than a B+/A in Applic to them? Also, would it help one's case to DFR if they took Physics, Chemistry and Geography? I wouldn't mind doing Physics and Chemistry (in fact I enjoy them to some extent), but I feel I may be able to score higher in other subjects.
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In my situation, i was studying at home through correspondence and started doing Calc, found not being in a class room and not having teacher really hard so dropped to applic and scored a High B, but saying that calculus would be the best option if teachers are there (or your smart enough to do it of course)!!! i also did physics. hope this helps
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Dilmah G
Hey Dilmah,
That's a tough one but think of it this way. I'm not sure how it works in WA but in NSW you want a good overall mark (UAI here) in order to inevitably get into good courses. If you were to do applicable maths, as accepted by ADF, and did well in it would that give you a better overall mark than if you did Calculus?
I just feel that a better total mark will benefit you so pick the subjects that can provide that. Chemistry and Geography aren't a necessity, do them if you enjoy them. You can do Art and the ADF will take you! Maybe even pick one subject that provides an 'outlet'. What I'm getting at is that if you meet the minimum requirements you're safe but that doesn't mean you shouldn't push yourself. Don't pick Geography and Chemistry because you feel it will look good at DFR, pick the subjects you'll do best in and enjoy. Some level of enjoyment = motivation = marks. You can get into the ADF as a pilot with no physics and minimum applicable maths but I would definitely suggest taking Physics.
You need to speak to a year coordinator or similar to get the best advice. They can tell you if Applicable maths marks scale differently to Calculus or if your abilities are best suited for one or the other etc.
Sorry if I'm being blunt or making it sound like I think you shouldn't challenge yourself with Calculus, Chem and Geo, that's not the case, it's just that I feel that you should do the subjects you'll do best in and that you enjoy more than "to some extent". Pick something that interests you more, your marks will show it, it's all about marks.
When I went to recruiting they looked at my UAI (marks), if I'd done the correct maths and asked if I'd done physics. Hope that helps in some way.
That's a tough one but think of it this way. I'm not sure how it works in WA but in NSW you want a good overall mark (UAI here) in order to inevitably get into good courses. If you were to do applicable maths, as accepted by ADF, and did well in it would that give you a better overall mark than if you did Calculus?
I just feel that a better total mark will benefit you so pick the subjects that can provide that. Chemistry and Geography aren't a necessity, do them if you enjoy them. You can do Art and the ADF will take you! Maybe even pick one subject that provides an 'outlet'. What I'm getting at is that if you meet the minimum requirements you're safe but that doesn't mean you shouldn't push yourself. Don't pick Geography and Chemistry because you feel it will look good at DFR, pick the subjects you'll do best in and enjoy. Some level of enjoyment = motivation = marks. You can get into the ADF as a pilot with no physics and minimum applicable maths but I would definitely suggest taking Physics.
You need to speak to a year coordinator or similar to get the best advice. They can tell you if Applicable maths marks scale differently to Calculus or if your abilities are best suited for one or the other etc.
Sorry if I'm being blunt or making it sound like I think you shouldn't challenge yourself with Calculus, Chem and Geo, that's not the case, it's just that I feel that you should do the subjects you'll do best in and that you enjoy more than "to some extent". Pick something that interests you more, your marks will show it, it's all about marks.
When I went to recruiting they looked at my UAI (marks), if I'd done the correct maths and asked if I'd done physics. Hope that helps in some way.
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In my situation, i was studying at home through correspondence and started doing Calc, found not being in a class room and not having teacher really hard s...