Your Advice Please
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 33
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Your Advice Please
Hi All,
I've just come to the realization that after having my file sitting with the Australian Defence Force's Pilot Selection Agency for over 12 months and not offered a position with a valid service, my dream of becoming a military pilot may be over, for now. I was deemed competitive for pilot training, but obviously not competitive enough. It's been a frustrating journey and I'm sure many people have been through a similarly testing period of time. So, with hopes of still joining the ADF in some capacity I ask for you to vote for which option would be the second most desirable vocation in the world. Such advice or opinion is not readily available through other avenues unfortunately, so your honesty would be beneficial if you're in the know!
1. Observer/Air Combat Officer
On the plus side, these positions are still Aircrew. Obs in the RAN still get some stick-time apparently, on the Seahawk.
2. Air Traffic Control Officer
Still working within Aviation, but surely not as exciting as being Aircrew or being at sea. However, highly transferrable skills upon leaving the Military.
3. Seaman Officer
Incur a shorter ROSO (six years) and then hope to transfer to pilot some time after that. I'll gain rank and have all the benefits of being in the military. I've heard from many people that "Once you're in, you're in" and that this may be a possibility. Not sure I would want to bank on it though. Negatives include: having to be called a "Seaman Officer"
4. Wait and apply again
The economy is bound to pick up, right? With the huge economic woes in the Eurozone and US, no-one's wanting to leave the forces and therefore creating a backlog of pilots. This will clear eventually, in which time I may be deemed suitable to undertake pilot training. I'm not so young however and waiting is extremely frustrating.
5. Join an Investment Bank
Who'd want to join the Military anyway?
I've just come to the realization that after having my file sitting with the Australian Defence Force's Pilot Selection Agency for over 12 months and not offered a position with a valid service, my dream of becoming a military pilot may be over, for now. I was deemed competitive for pilot training, but obviously not competitive enough. It's been a frustrating journey and I'm sure many people have been through a similarly testing period of time. So, with hopes of still joining the ADF in some capacity I ask for you to vote for which option would be the second most desirable vocation in the world. Such advice or opinion is not readily available through other avenues unfortunately, so your honesty would be beneficial if you're in the know!
1. Observer/Air Combat Officer
On the plus side, these positions are still Aircrew. Obs in the RAN still get some stick-time apparently, on the Seahawk.
2. Air Traffic Control Officer
Still working within Aviation, but surely not as exciting as being Aircrew or being at sea. However, highly transferrable skills upon leaving the Military.
3. Seaman Officer
Incur a shorter ROSO (six years) and then hope to transfer to pilot some time after that. I'll gain rank and have all the benefits of being in the military. I've heard from many people that "Once you're in, you're in" and that this may be a possibility. Not sure I would want to bank on it though. Negatives include: having to be called a "Seaman Officer"
4. Wait and apply again
The economy is bound to pick up, right? With the huge economic woes in the Eurozone and US, no-one's wanting to leave the forces and therefore creating a backlog of pilots. This will clear eventually, in which time I may be deemed suitable to undertake pilot training. I'm not so young however and waiting is extremely frustrating.
5. Join an Investment Bank
Who'd want to join the Military anyway?
Only you can decide what is right for you. Others can give their views but only you know where your heart lies.
What you must remember though is, the military are looking for a very specific type of person, even down to physical dimensions in some cases. Someone they can mould into what they need for their tasks.
Not being selected does not mean you are a lesser person, or not good enough, or any of the other thoughts you may have. All it means is you did not fit into a particular 'requirement'.
It does not mean you could not be a very competent pilot, an excellent leader or manager or very successful in a different career path.
Whatever you choose, good luck!
What you must remember though is, the military are looking for a very specific type of person, even down to physical dimensions in some cases. Someone they can mould into what they need for their tasks.
Not being selected does not mean you are a lesser person, or not good enough, or any of the other thoughts you may have. All it means is you did not fit into a particular 'requirement'.
It does not mean you could not be a very competent pilot, an excellent leader or manager or very successful in a different career path.
Whatever you choose, good luck!
It depends how much you want to be a pilot but I get the feeling that I know the answer to that, in which case any other career will be a compromise, oh sure it might be rewarding in a thousand other ways but it won't be what your heart wants.
So, if I'm right, there are 3 possibilities:
1. option 4 or
2. get to your nearest airfield and wash aeroplanes, answer phones, sweep floors in exchange for hours or
3. option 5 above and pay for your own flying.
So, if I'm right, there are 3 possibilities:
1. option 4 or
2. get to your nearest airfield and wash aeroplanes, answer phones, sweep floors in exchange for hours or
3. option 5 above and pay for your own flying.
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Oz
Posts: 204
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Had two mates do this as well recently after failing pilot aptitude testing. One is now doing ACO training in the hope of becoming a Super Hornet back seater which has to be a good gig I reckon if you can't pole the thing yourself.
Other one has gone ATC (which is now known as Joint Airspace Battlefield Controller or JABC). Pretty exciting opportunities, as you can get your para qual and jump into battle with the Army guys to set up the forward airfields.
But as LJR says, if all you want to do is fly, then maybe it is better to wait and re-apply? If you are going to sit in the back seat of a Hornet and be bitter at the guy in the front seat the whole time then ACO is not for you. That is the ultimate question in my opinion.
All I ever wanted was to fly and luckily that has worked for me, but if I had failed, I would not have done anything else. It was my dream, and there was no such thing as second best IMO.
Other one has gone ATC (which is now known as Joint Airspace Battlefield Controller or JABC). Pretty exciting opportunities, as you can get your para qual and jump into battle with the Army guys to set up the forward airfields.
But as LJR says, if all you want to do is fly, then maybe it is better to wait and re-apply? If you are going to sit in the back seat of a Hornet and be bitter at the guy in the front seat the whole time then ACO is not for you. That is the ultimate question in my opinion.
All I ever wanted was to fly and luckily that has worked for me, but if I had failed, I would not have done anything else. It was my dream, and there was no such thing as second best IMO.
