Well which air force do you want to join? There's a lot of good information on this thread about becoming a pilot in the Australian Defence Force if you could be bothered looking.

in reply
 

Thanks captain! I realise I may have been a little vague. I'm Australian, and I have applid for the RAAF. I am just curious as to if anyone on this thread/forum, has had a look at the United States Aptitude Tests, and whether or not, they are at all relevant to the RAAF aptitute tests. Hopefully that clears things up, thanks.

Thanks 'Rene Rivkin'

That kinda of specific info is impossible to come by.

I was wondering would you be able to go in depth into the flight screening board process for me.
This is what i have left of my application process. I have put a lot into reaching this point and i want to make it!

If anyone has any questions of the process up till this point im happy to give you advice.

Hornet boy. I did not rush through any of my questions. I answered as many correct as possible and guessed none. i managed to get through the tests.

Thanks Lesnak. I hope I didn't downplay, or seem to underestimate the difficulty of getting into the RAAF. I'll continue to practice on as many flight aptitude tests as I can get my hands on. Thanks for your feedback

RAAF flight screening at tamworth
 

Hi,
I was wondering if I could get any detailed info on the RAAF flight screening program held in Tamworth, as I have been selected to attend in a few weeks time (I have looked at Defence Jobs and the RAAF website). I am aware that there will be an Officer selection Board at the end if the two weeks - What kind of questions will be asked? I am also aware that there will be leadership activities through out the day - any advice on these?

The program is split into two courses - basic and advanced - what are the differences of the two? I have done about 50 hours of flying so im assuming ill be in the advanced course. What are the expectations of those in the advanced course?

Any advice would be much appreciated! :ok:

cheers,
AM

Mate - try this thread. It's on the next page.

RAAF Flight Screening Program (Merged)

oh, i looked through the first page and didn't find anything that answered my questions - little did i realise that there was actually 85 pages of posts...

Don't worry - I find that with most aircrew fight manuals that I open.:ugh:

I have a question... Do you get any information about the aircraft or radio procedures or anything to learn before the course?

Nope. That's the point.

Hello all,

Posting after a break, to update my situation and make a few requests. My application has moved backwards since assessment day. I cleared assessment day, and was later told that my file was sent off to the PSA, or rather I found out that it had been sent off. Now, like some of you already know I am only a Permanent Resident and a few of you have pointed out to me that its possible to complete the FSP without a citizenship. In my case however, I was told that I wouldn’t have my file being looked at by the PSA until I had received my citizenship. My file was apparently sent off after a week or so since the assessment day to the PSA, and was held there for about 3 weeks before this was communicated to me [The file would have been sent sometime around August last year to the PSA and I am eligible for a citizenship only on the 8th of March 2011, therefore losing about 6/12 months of the 12 month validity of my scores at the PSA]. I was also offered to have my file recalled from the PSA to be resent after I received my citizenship, from which point my 12 month validity period would restart. I was at a dilemma on whether or not to proceed with the option, but decided to trust my case coordinators advice to have the file recalled, and am grateful that she mentioned that such an option exists. However, my concern is that I never received a confirmation letter from the PSA that my file had been received though it should have been there over three weeks before I decided to have it recalled. This has me doubting if my file was sent off at all in the first place. I hope that things are just the way I was informed they were, and not a complete mess at DFR.

In any case, I have managed to save some green, close to two and half thousand dollars in the hope of being able to obtain some sort of flying experience within the next two months, the record of which I could then attach to my file while it is going to be resent to give it more weight. I was hoping to get some feedback from the very helpful community here on how to go about this, within a strict budget. My internet searches and general enquiries have come up with very vague and expensive results.

Best Regards
Septerra

Septerra,

They take a little while to send out letters from psa. I still haven't got mine and they've had my file for almost a month. Granted that was over Christmas, but I was told to expect it later in Jan.

For flying, I did mine for $220 an hour at Tristar Aviation in Moorabbin. There are a lot of schools next door to each other in Moorabbin so it might pay to wander in and ask for their price.

Good luck with everything!

Septerra,

Take your $2000 and go gliding. Why, because it pure stick and rudder, gives you great judgement, wind awareness and it is cheap. $2000 will get you heaps of airtime. Evan better would be motor gliding. Still cheap and less time waiting for a launch.

If I wish I had gliding time prior to joining 7 years ago. Two of my course mates did and they performed very well.

Think wind

Sep/Caity,

why not ring PSA?

Hi guys,

Long time reader of the forums though never posted. Just wanted to bring a few things up I've noticed and I don't want anyone to take offence or otherwise to them.

First up, from what I can make out, DFR is a joke. Some of you have been lucky to get into flight selection rather rapidly but spare a though for those of us who were cleared and have spent over 7 months waiting (and still waiting) to go down to Tamworth due to incompetence. My case manager basically kept putting off her applicants processing for several months so that someone else could pick up the slack when she went on mpaid maternity leave. I personally chased up my paperwork every week for 2 months with the same response. "It's on my desk, sorry I haven't sent it, I'll do it now." I heard that phrase parroted back to me every week for over 2 months. Then she went on maternity leave and my paperwork was still not sent.

Anyways, another point I wanted to raise, and please don't take offence to this Wag, but, how is it that a 40 year old man with high cholesterol and as such is a high risk for heart disease and stroke, and by inference, leads a more or less unhealthy lifestyle, been cleared for PSA. Now I realise 43 is the cut off age, but, 40 is really pushing it. Assuming he gets a clearance to be a pilot, by the time he's finished training he's extremely close to 50 years of age.

Has anyone else noticed the recruitment drives recently, as well as pilot becoming a priority job again? I personally have several contacts and have been talking to several MPs about this and all have said the same thing. Defence is trying to force people out, not get them in, though you wouldn't know it with all the money being spent on recruitment drives. If A Current Affairs is anything to go by, there are over 400 different types of jobs in the Defence force that need filling which from my understanding is BS. Defence does not have the money nor the resources to keep up with the amount of people wanting to join due to GFC.

Sorry this is a little jumbled guys, I needed a place to rant on my disatisfaction as to the recruiting process. 18 months in the recruitment process, despite my qualifications, life experience, multi-lingual abilities and professional athletic achievements leaves me with a sour taste in my mouth when kids straight out of school and old men are taking less than 4 months to go from You session to flight selection.

There is a lot of other stuff I'd like to bring up but right now I just can't be bothered. I'm extremely disappointed in the state of our defence force recruitment process and it is starting to make me second guess my wishes to join the Australian defence force.

Septerra, definately go gliding. Its all attitude flying and builds good lookouts and stick-rudder coordination. All it takes is a few hours and you'd be in a really good place for FSP.

Been so busy over the past few months but its was all worth it, got an offer for Navy Pilot. If you've got any questions about anything feel free to message me.

djwarchild,

I know people are concerned about rocking the boat and having their file put at the bottom of the tray but it looks as if you have nothing to lose by asking some pointed questions of the recruiting centre. Remember its your tax money (or parents) that the goverment is throwing at the civilian organisation that is running recruiting. If you have no joy there approach PSA or your local member (they love to get noticed).

Given the amount of info on this site everyone should be aware that if there are no issues it should take no more than six months to have your dossier sent to PSA. 18 months is ridiculous. You need an answer as to why.

Regarding the ADF not wanting people due to lack of money, maybe so but why would that change your desire to get in. They will always need new blood until we stop having an ADF. Given the developments happening in our region I don't see this happening.

:{ Maybe you should have asked to speak to her supervisor, or sent an email with boss CC'd in, or a letter with same(i.e. create a paper trail).

Not your problem to worry about brother, why don't you just worry about the factors you can control. IF you get in, that is probably the lesson you want to learn first.

Not your problem to worry about brother.

:D

I'm sure the people currently serving cant wait to work with you.

Hi
Is anyone on here starting the IOC at East Sale in early march?

Cheers

Nick

Djwarchild, yep I completely understand your frustration. It's taken me 18 mths to get to FSP and I'm already in the defence force! However if you really want it bad enough, once at FSP these hurdles are a good indicator for your commitment and motivation for wanting the job. With every negative there is a positive. I am sorry DFR has been a rubbish process for you but even when you are in, if you want something done properly you'll have to do it yourself. Good luck mate, stick with it and hopefully you'll get there soon.