Civvy pilots opinion of Military pilots
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Where the beer is cold and the weather is colder.
Posts: 268
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You'll find arrogant fools no matter where, irrespective of the uniform or background.
Chopper pilots are not really a good example anyway, they're not the full packet to start with.
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Alice Springs
Posts: 1,744
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
They are good at what the military has trained them to do.
The days when the military were the only ones with aviation skills and knowledge are long gone.
I am confident that our military pilots are good at what they do, but often that is very different from civil aviation.
Military pilots must believe they and their equipment are the best in the world, and their cause is just. We train them and pay them to do just that. They cannot help taking some of this attitude with them when they leave. Many do.
I remember an ex fast jet pilot who had difficulty flying a C206, and an ex RAAF trainee who was "chopped" a couple of weeks before graduation and went on to a long distinguished career in civil aviation. And an ex fighter pilot who earned great respect in civil aviation. And some ex military chopper pilots who did not.
Our major airlines would be looking for pilots who have jet transport training, and the air force have some of these. It's much cheaper for the airlines if they can reduce the ammount of training they have to do so they try to get trained jet transport pilots from the military or other airlines if they can.
Other military pilots may have experience with other heavy equipment, and have been taught to "shut up and do as they are told." But otherwise they still have to be retrained and that costs money, just like civilian trainees. And they will proably get a few more years out of the civilians.
I am confident that our military pilots are good at what they do, but often that is very different from civil aviation.
Military pilots must believe they and their equipment are the best in the world, and their cause is just. We train them and pay them to do just that. They cannot help taking some of this attitude with them when they leave. Many do.
I remember an ex fast jet pilot who had difficulty flying a C206, and an ex RAAF trainee who was "chopped" a couple of weeks before graduation and went on to a long distinguished career in civil aviation. And an ex fighter pilot who earned great respect in civil aviation. And some ex military chopper pilots who did not.
Our major airlines would be looking for pilots who have jet transport training, and the air force have some of these. It's much cheaper for the airlines if they can reduce the ammount of training they have to do so they try to get trained jet transport pilots from the military or other airlines if they can.
Other military pilots may have experience with other heavy equipment, and have been taught to "shut up and do as they are told." But otherwise they still have to be retrained and that costs money, just like civilian trainees. And they will proably get a few more years out of the civilians.
I don't think it's going to work if you try and get into a "who's better than who" argument (not that I'm accusing anyone of it!). At the end of the day in both civil and military there will be some really good and really bad. The really good civvies may be better than most mil, and vice versa. So the only question left is what is your personal opinion of them.
To be honest I don't really have much of an opinion of mil guys. I don't have too much to do with them, definitely not enough to have an opinion. The few guys I've met, some are top blokes, and some are arrogant. It's the exact same on the other side of the fence though, so my opinion is they aren't that much different from civ, they're doing a different job.
As far as airline jobs, given the 11 - 14 year ROSO last time I checked, I'd be hoping I was up to airline standards after 10+ years in my line of work too!
To be honest I don't really have much of an opinion of mil guys. I don't have too much to do with them, definitely not enough to have an opinion. The few guys I've met, some are top blokes, and some are arrogant. It's the exact same on the other side of the fence though, so my opinion is they aren't that much different from civ, they're doing a different job.
As far as airline jobs, given the 11 - 14 year ROSO last time I checked, I'd be hoping I was up to airline standards after 10+ years in my line of work too!
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Done abit along side helo military guys mainly in a search and rescue roles over the years. I'm sure when given time to plan for their "mission"and have a little practice prior to going out then they could probably do a great job. Problem was, we would be home with the lost party before the best of the best had even left for the job....
