question for navy and raaf pilots
Join Date: Sep 2002
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I've found the money quite good, especially with the extra flying pay. An extra 20 000 a year on top of the salary helps. Granted, probably doesn't stack up anywhere near the big airlines, but I never expected it to. I haven't had a ground job yet, but I have been posted every three years, and lucky enough to have the experience of flying many diiferent aircraft, from the CT4s to a twin jet. If you are looking for locational stability, perhaps go somewhere else, but I can't imagine a more rewarding time flying an aircraft. All jobs have there pros and cons. I do get down at some of the politics and wonder why some things are done the way they are, but are there any jobs where you don't. At least for now nothing has been bad enough for me to want to leave...
Join Date: Mar 2000
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Re: Navigators
While we are on this topic.......Scenario:Your 8yrs fixed period of service is up and you have decided to leave the job. You really enjoyed the flying environment and hope you can do something similar in civilian life. What next? What are your job prospects? What career options do you have post RAAF? Ladies and gentlemen, I would really appreciate your feedback on this one, as I am contemplating a carrer as a Navigator in the RAAF. I worry about future prospects upon leaving the RAAF. Any feedback please.
cheers,Kaos
While we are on this topic.......Scenario:Your 8yrs fixed period of service is up and you have decided to leave the job. You really enjoyed the flying environment and hope you can do something similar in civilian life. What next? What are your job prospects? What career options do you have post RAAF? Ladies and gentlemen, I would really appreciate your feedback on this one, as I am contemplating a carrer as a Navigator in the RAAF. I worry about future prospects upon leaving the RAAF. Any feedback please.
cheers,Kaos
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KAOS
I can't comment specifically of navigators afterlife because I wasn't one.
What I can tell you though is that the ADF offers opportunities to expand your horizons like no other industry. Once on the inside, you can apply for any number of different courses and even civilian schooling! They will actually pay you your normal salary while you go back to Uni to learn to be something else.
Keep in mind that these opportunities vary depending on manpower requirements etc. But they are there and they are good.
During my time in the RAAF, we had a doctor who had completed Pilots course and had gotten himself and engineering degree as well. I believe it was all at the Governments expense. He would have had a fairly hefty ROSO for that, but where else will you get that opportunity.
So, join as a Nav if you want. Go fly pigs or Hercs or P3's, visit exotic locations, have huge amounts of fun, work with some of the best people you will ever meet, then get the company to retrain you for what you want to be when you grow up.
Cheers
DMF
I can't comment specifically of navigators afterlife because I wasn't one.
What I can tell you though is that the ADF offers opportunities to expand your horizons like no other industry. Once on the inside, you can apply for any number of different courses and even civilian schooling! They will actually pay you your normal salary while you go back to Uni to learn to be something else.
Keep in mind that these opportunities vary depending on manpower requirements etc. But they are there and they are good.
During my time in the RAAF, we had a doctor who had completed Pilots course and had gotten himself and engineering degree as well. I believe it was all at the Governments expense. He would have had a fairly hefty ROSO for that, but where else will you get that opportunity.
So, join as a Nav if you want. Go fly pigs or Hercs or P3's, visit exotic locations, have huge amounts of fun, work with some of the best people you will ever meet, then get the company to retrain you for what you want to be when you grow up.
Cheers
DMF
KAOS,
Most of my course are now out (we are oldish bastards), but the navs generally stayed the longest, due I'm sure to the lack of readily available well-paid jobs that flowed on from their military experience as compared to the pilots.
However, that was I think as much a reflection of the generally good pay and conditions and pretty much guaranteed job security whilst in, compared to lots of less sure things outside; plus the fact that if you can get past the idea of doing ground jobs (not that I can speak too much about those - ducked and weaved to avoid them), there was job satisfaction to be had for those who did them, at least in some of them (however, I'm not saying that some of the guys I knew were not very pissed off with their lot at times).
If you're looking from the point of view that your direct flying skills as a nav will set you up for a future job, well there isn't much call for that kind of work outside the military any more that I know of.
On the other hand, navs do a lot more than work out headings and ETAs - take your P3 tacco for example, pretty much runs the whole show when hunting subs as I understand it.
There are lots of good things to be gained from being in the military, but examine your motives - if you applied to be a pilot, and think you might find it hard to get over that, then maybe joining as a nav isn't the go; plus, you will have to think a little bit harder about what you want to do afterwards.
Most of my course are now out (we are oldish bastards), but the navs generally stayed the longest, due I'm sure to the lack of readily available well-paid jobs that flowed on from their military experience as compared to the pilots.
However, that was I think as much a reflection of the generally good pay and conditions and pretty much guaranteed job security whilst in, compared to lots of less sure things outside; plus the fact that if you can get past the idea of doing ground jobs (not that I can speak too much about those - ducked and weaved to avoid them), there was job satisfaction to be had for those who did them, at least in some of them (however, I'm not saying that some of the guys I knew were not very pissed off with their lot at times).
If you're looking from the point of view that your direct flying skills as a nav will set you up for a future job, well there isn't much call for that kind of work outside the military any more that I know of.
On the other hand, navs do a lot more than work out headings and ETAs - take your P3 tacco for example, pretty much runs the whole show when hunting subs as I understand it.
There are lots of good things to be gained from being in the military, but examine your motives - if you applied to be a pilot, and think you might find it hard to get over that, then maybe joining as a nav isn't the go; plus, you will have to think a little bit harder about what you want to do afterwards.
Rabbit
Winstun is entitled to make his comments here but his total defamatory and stupid comments on the ADF or any military service are a bit over the top. I personally found them offensive and I am sure others did as well.
As for Bhing’s comments that helo’s and fast jets are no help to getting into the airlines, what a load of BS. There are countless fast jet guys in both QF and CX that I know of and even some helo guys. Education is certainly a major factor with some airlines but experience and the type of experience is still a major consideration.
Winstun is entitled to make his comments here but his total defamatory and stupid comments on the ADF or any military service are a bit over the top. I personally found them offensive and I am sure others did as well.
As for Bhing’s comments that helo’s and fast jets are no help to getting into the airlines, what a load of BS. There are countless fast jet guys in both QF and CX that I know of and even some helo guys. Education is certainly a major factor with some airlines but experience and the type of experience is still a major consideration.
