Wishto-

Know what you are going thru. I am waiting in the Flight Screening Pool at moment ie waiting for 2 wk course at Tamworth.

I had a knee arthroscopy done last year and this raised some eyebrows. Dr at recruiting medical said it was all good but AVMED would get final say. About 6wks later AVMED **** canned me and said I was too much off a risk of not being able to carry out all strenuous activities associated with being in armed services. (Despite the fact that I would probably be fitter than 95% of them)

Anyway to cut along story short, I appealed the decision, got two knee specialist reports, a letter from my 'boot camp' instructor from Fitness First, another letter from my squash partner together with my covering letter.....and wow had a win and my application was under consideration again.

So if you really want in, keep fighting them all the way.

Cheers and good luck with it!!

Well it all got sorted, and I'm typing this at Flight Screening in Tamworth!

Re: aptitude testing ... It turns out that even though Defence Recruiting has been gathering data with the AUSBAT tests for the last ten years or so, they're not actually using it for the selection process after all. It's still the General Aptitude Score that determines what you get offered.

Flight Screening is certainly challenging, lots to learn in a short space of time. Speaking of which, I'm off to study.

P.S. Kiwi knock-knock joke:

Knock-knock
Who's there?
Zachoo
Zachoo who?
Zachoo bro?

Wishto..

You lucky bastard.....let us know what scores you get allocated at the board and whether you get recommended.:ok:

Done, finished, successful, Army first preference, total rating good enough.

Little bit of advice to those on their way down there ... don't stress about it until you're there, but when you're there, READ THE BOOK. Really.

Cheers to all we met and got to know ... good luck and we'll see you back there next year some time hopefully.

Might have to change my username, or at least the text underneath, once John Howard starts paying for it. :)

Hurry and wait!!
 

Bzulu posted 12th December 2004 22:05


Well, just to show you all how long this process takes, the originator of ^^^^ thread flew for the first time today at BFTS as a fully fledged trainee military pilot ........only 20 months after completing flight screening!!

Good things come to those who wait. ;)

Hmm.The processing varies

Beat this:

a. Applied in August

b. Goble Trophy in early April

c. Wings in October

d. New Guinea in January

e. Vietnam in late April

pressure-cooking course with a 50% chop-rate

TheShadow wrote

Begging your pardon TheShadow,

May I firstly ask in what years you gained such success? Flight training alone now takes 18 months for any RAAF or Navy pilot, Army takes at least 9 months after officer training.

Secondly, may I add that this thread is not about "beating" any records but about people who aspire to being military pilots discussing the process as they tread the sometimes vague and unknown road to that ultimate goal.

I did not post to brag but to provide some insight into just how long that process may now take in the 21st century.

Cheers mate.

I must admit, my first thought was ... what decade?

Twas in the early sixties

7 months from application to finish BFTS PCK (Winjeel)

6 months at AFTS (Vamp mk35) (with no leave in between) to Grad

OCU (5 Sqn) pressure cooker conversion + OJT on many dets

early off to Vietnam - on 6 days notice (replaced an LMF returnee)

It was an example of what they will do when warm bodies are required on-line at the coal-face. We got precious little Service Training and only a modicum of rifle-tossing drill. All that I can clearly recall is being frequently charged for this that and the other by WoD Ashton (a real barking charmer of a strutting martinet ex British Army Guards RSM). And getting sozzled in the cadet's club of course.

Spent most of my time at PCK on CB (confined to barracks / weeding parade grounds). My most poignant memory was of swapping sloping tin roof-top sides on Block 44 (cadet's accomm) to avoid the gaze (and strident screams) of WoD Ashton. He knew someone (presumably a cadet) was on the three-storey building's roof but couldn't get a visual bead on just who it was. I was up there affixing my HF and FM antennas to the ridge. I finally tired of the game and quickly swung from a gutter through my open window. He later tracked me down courtesy of the tell-tale antenna wires leading through my window top. Curses.... never have been good at covering my tracks.

I reviewed my records, logbooks and old course photos and worked out that, discounting back-coursers, it was actually just over a 60% chop-rate. i.e. they took any warm body and then just weeded out the dross. As I recall, I was one of only 7 direct entries - the rest being ex-airmen and navs/sigs. One of the Navy bods gotchopped because he was never present for a running change. He was tracked down by the SP's hanging around the WRAAF's wet canteen at ASCO - when he should have been suited up, helmet in hand for a running change on the flightline. That might give you an insight into the sort of grist-mill it was.

I doubt that I'd have the patience to do it via Tamworth. I wonder if Dick Exler is still there at Tamworth grading the studes. Top troop, ex RAF and ex-Saudi PC9/Strikemaster, very experienced .... even if he did have a stude bang out on him whilst inverted (in protest at Dick's outside loop, no doubt). If he's typical of the calibre of IP's grading at Tamworth, anybody with the right approach to military flying should be able to breeze through.

Yup.........big Dicks' still there!!

Did you meet him in Oz or KSA?

Bzulu, do you always justify you comments (and actions) ? If so you must drive your instructor to the brink.

Cap Sand Dune

UK and Saudi as I recall.

Pleasant chap and always did the best by his studes (as did we all). Unlike the W*yne M**gan types.

Waiting, waiting and .....
 

Anyone else waiting to get the flight screening call up?

Its been almost 2 months for me...

aaaah yes....Mr M. Nearly forgotten him, I had!

Fortunately he wasn't representative of those we worked with.

TheShadow/ Capt Sand Dune

Gentlemen really. We all need Mr M's. That way we mere mortals have something to aspire too.

Lovely chap, reminds me so much of those wonderful, what are they called, type. That's it politician’s. Those teller's of truths

finestkind wrote

Hey, don't shoot the messenger.

Had my medicals yesterday and all is well, apparently, so everything is done, finished, out of the way and I just have to wait to hear from PSA.

The dentist I had was about my age, short, very pretty, and for almost the whole time in the chair she kept resting her breast on my cheek, ear and forehead while peering into my mouth. Gaaaaaaaah. "You're missing some adult teeth"...."What, sorry, wasn't listening" Gaaaaaaaaah. "Suction ... you're drooling" ... "Huh?" Gaaaaaaaah.

I found the whole blurry vision thing very disconcerting. If that's what it's like to be old, bloody hell I'm not looking forward to it. My boss sent me a text message that I got just after the appointment, and I couldn't read it until about an hour or two later. The ENT guy looked at me and said "you've just been to the eye doctor haven't you ... either that or you're dead."

The nurse at the ENT place did another hearing test as well, which I thought was a bit of a waste of time seeing as we were in a room with a sliding door through which I could hear the kids running around the waiting room, other doors opening and closing, people talking in the hallway - and this was with the special "soundproof" headphones on! All went well anyway though, so that's cool.

Back to work ....

Magic- I couldn't be a pilot because my eye sight got bad. But i decided that if i couldn't fly- then i fix them instead. As it happens now, as a techie i'm getting more flying in than some of our crews. I've even had a chance to fly (at the controls kinda thing- i don't know what all the fuss is about flyboys- its easy! stick left= herc left!:) )

if you want to serve, be a techie you can transfer to aircrew when you are all big and grown up, or you might find you have a real apitute for getting oily!

whatever you choose. Good Luck

Shoutingwind

Hi guys, this is my first time on this site so excuse me if i have done anything wrong! I am an applicant for pilot and have passed the aircrew testing and have the assessment day with the medical, psych and defence interview coming up fairly soon. I was just wondering if anybody out there might be able to give me a heads up about what to expect? Also i have been having a little trouble with one of the preparation questions, "what is the difference between an officer and a non-commissioned rank?".

From what i can figure, aside from being in charge of the non-commisioned rank, the officer has overall responsibility. Just wondering if i am missing something that is very obvious and pehaps how others have answered the q?

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

Shoutingwind,

I think it really depends on the type of person who would be willing to do something else to get a foot in the door if at first unsuccessful. By the way I lost the screenname ItsAllMagic ever since they decided to just show usernames. :(

keenas,

Relax man you haven't done anything wrong :ok: I think you're basically right, a Commissioned Officer has greater overall responsibility, and is expected to lead. Which is why he/she gets the higher rank. There are also Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO's), which seem to form a bridge between the Officers and the Airmen. But I'm sure someone can explain this much better than me.

As for the medical....expect to bear all. The psych and defence interview are just answering basic questions so they can rate you for suitability. Don't get nervous about what you don't know, just do what you can then be confident about what you do know!

Cheers

just to give you prospective guys a heads up, the training continuum is somewhat backlogged at the moment. BFTS is now taking well over the 6 months timeframe and 2fts is also taking quite a while longer than expected. For RAN guys when you get to 723 sqn and complete rotary conversion, expect to be flying there for quite a while 18 months + to 2 yrs waiting for OFT conversion.

I'm sure you guys probably have already heard this elsewhere. Just make sure you know all this before you join. It is at LEAST 6 years minimum before you are even remotely likely to be operational, possibly longer.

I am speaking from an educated position. I am currently in the training pipeline.

Best of luck guys.

Hornetboy - Check you PM's.

Cheers

Havick,

Regarding the time it takes to become operational. If you are only talking about Navy more like five years and as for the RAAF four years would be a long time at the moment.

The guys that have just read they could be waiting 5 years its not like you are sitting in an office every day doing paperwork. You will be out flying either the PC9 or the Squirrel most days.

Slezy9

Could someone from BFTS 206B PM me please?

Sorry to hijack the thread slightly, but it didn't seem worth making a new one...

I just got my letter of offer to start IOC at Point Cook at the end of the month. I was just wondering whether it's worth taking a car down there or not? The drive won't be too bad, I live in Newcastle, but I was wondering if it would just be an unnessecary distraction having it there. Any opinions?

Anyone else starting at the end of the month?

Thanks guys.

I believe it is still plano to +1.75 d for pilot = 6/6 vision or better and a little higher ( as in slightly worse eyesight) for wso. Generally if you wear glasses or contact lenses or have had laser surgery aircrew is out.

Take your car. I wish I had taken mine rather than paying $40 dollars every time I wanted to go to Melbourne.

The car's primary function turns into a secondary function when it comes to inspection time. Great place to stash your dirty gear/ training magazines ;)

I thought some of you might appreciate these images ...

Sunset on the flight line ...

http://www.geosim.com.au/~michael/Su...light Line.jpg

The mighty parrots assembled ...
http://www.geosim.com.au/~michael/Fl...ed-smaller.jpg

Click here for the bigger version - I didn't want to blow the page size out by posting the full thing here.

Finally worked out how to find this thread in the system so I thought I'd bring it back to the top.

Anyone started the process recently, started/finished BFTS recently, got any updates or gotchas or tales of woe courtesy of Recruiting?

I'm just waiting for The Letter, hoping to get onto a March/April/May SSO course at RMC-D, and then on to BFTS later this year.

Hi wishtobflying,

I just put my initial application into recruiting last week for RAAF pilot.
Spoke to them today however and they are saying that because I was once in the Army (Reserves about 6 years ago) Recruiting need to request my information from the RAAF, who need to request the info from the Army. End result is that I may not hear anything for upto 3 months given it is the Reserves. Hopefully won't take that long.

Good luck with your application :ok:

Marco

Yes, the Reserves "gotcha" - at one stage I was told that to make myself more competitive I should consider joining the Reserves. Off I went to Recruiting, where I was told that I couldn't have two applications in The System at once, that I would have to effectively tear up my Pilot application, go into Reserves, start their training, then in 12 months or whatever re-start my application for pilot, as a serving member this time. I wouldn't have to do the aptitude test again, but would have to go through everything else, and then I was told "and you'll also have to apply for a release from Reserves, and they may not let you go".

So that was the end of that. Don't worry about a 3 month delay, you should get used to it actually! Use the time to go and join Boy Scouts as a leader or start a band or do a short TAFE course or do something else leadership oriented, don't just sit around and wait. They don't like that.

I'm pleased to report that I've been offered a place on the April SSO course with a possible start at BFTS in June. What a relief to finally have that confirmation. Now the real journey starts.

RAAF Pilot Application
 

Hi Guys,

Im new to this forum and im glad i found it. This is my very first post.
Id like to introduce myself, my name is Joe and i live in brisbane and im 21 years old.

I've just recently put my application in as an RAAF Pilot for the FIRST time (Direct Entry Officer as my first preference), so far so good. I had my JOES day on the 25th of January where i sat a general apptitude test (and did really well so my recruiter says), on the same day i also sat a ADFA test because my 2nd preference was to be a pilot but to go through ADFA. So After these test I had an interview with my recruiter and he said i did really well that day and i can go forward with my application as an ADF piliot. I was asked to come back on the 6th of January for further Aircrew specialist testing for pilots.

On the 6th of Febuary the spec test included, tests on Intrument reading, Instrument comprehension to vislulise an aircraft in 3D, Rigorouse math questions and some math/phsics type problem sloving. So after that i had to sit a test which assessed you on your hand-eye co-ordination after a two hour stressfully waiting break. At the end of the day i sat down with my recruiter and he told me that i have PASSED all the tests and i quilify to be a pilot. I was so happy after hearing those words because people who have done these spec test for pilots know how challenging and stressfull they are, so i was very relieved.

Now i am waiting for my ASSESMENT day on the 20th of March, where i have my Medical, Interview with the Phycologist and then an interview with the Interviewing Officer, also i still havent had to do a wrtten essay yet and i was told i'll have to do the essay on the assesment day. If i pass this assessment day i have to goto Tawmorth NSW for 2 weeks to do a Flgiht Screening program and Officer Selection Board.

So i was just wondering if there is any people here that has been in my situtaion, if so help would be greatly apprictiated. I was wondering what I have to wirte in that essay on the assesment day and any tips i can have to help me out with the interviews with the Phycologist and the Officer.

Thank you for reading my Thread and hope to hear from people.

Joe

Watch out! Grammar & spelling Police in the area!
 

Joe

Good on you for wanting to join up ... although I'm not a RAAFie (I'm ex & about to rejoin Army) I can offer you one bit of advice. Your spelling and sentence structure are pretty crook. It might seem as though I'm being a pedant, but that sort of sloppiness gets noticed.

I'm sure you have visions of zooming around the place in a Hornet, or plonking a Herc on a dirt strip the size of a postage stamp (to disgorge ugly types like me), or patrolling the oceans of the world in an Orion. However, you're expected to be an officer first, pilot second. Attention to detail is crucial, for officers and for aircrew.

PPRuNe and similar forums (fora?) usually offer a 'preview' function, but real life doesn't.

If I come across as a tosser, I apologise. I don't mean to put you off. Good luck with your application.

You might get something out of this thread:

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=39266

:ok: :ok:

thanks mate, that thread is a real big help,

Like thisdo that, you didnt help me at all

wow this thread is great, so much information.

Im currently waiting on my Assesment day on the 20th march. I have got my medical, interview with the physcologist and interviewing officer on that day. I have passed the general apptitude test and the aircrew spec test but i still havent done a written essay. I'm assuming i have to do the essay on the assesment day, and i was wondering what the essay i have to write is about?


Joe

Nothing you can prepare for, so don't worry about it. Relax and be yourself. That's what it's all about. If you've passed the technical stuff, that's good, now they just want to make sure you're the type of person they want, so just go in smiling, be relaxed and confident in yourself.

If you don't get through, then it wasn't meant to be, don't sweat it.