bbbb said:
Perhaps getting a Private Pilot License or commercial license would be the best way to go? With one of those you can actually FLY PLANES instead of waiting and doing non-pilot related 'training'. It takes a long time for pilot hopefuls to get their wings and start actually flying for the CF. The possibility of failing that 'training' kills your chances of becoming a CF pilot even before getting into a cockpit. A lot of people have experienced this situation, they enter the CF as pilot 32U and NEVER fly any CF plane because of 'training' that HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH FLYING!! Many people have gone this way...
The way I see it, if you want to be a pilot, get your pilot license that way when you apply for CF pilot you actually have that skill already under your belt. This talk of bad habits during flight training is absolute nonsense. Anybody who passes the flight test and flies properly isn't displaying bad habits. For the people reading these posts up above, perhaps a description of the 'bad habits' PPL people have is in order? I for one did well on my flight test and can fly a plane without any of the sloppy habits some people attach to PPL and CPL pilots. It has been my experience that CPL pilots are awesome pilots. For those people who say that the flight test is not strict, flying a Cessna 150/172 is WAY different from flying a CF-18 or Herc.
I'm thinking I should change my signature to "Get your Pilot License if you want to be a pilot!".
Okay, I've monitored this thread and tried to keep my mouth shut so as to stay in my lane. However, reading stuff like this blows my mind.
First, my backround. I've spend over 4 years in the PRes in the Infantry... very heavily involved. I hold a Commerical Pilot Licenses with all the bells and whistles. I have a bit of time under my belt, however, I am BY NO MEANS an expert. I went to an Aviation College to get my diploma and my commerical ticket. I was flying before I went to school... since about age 16.
I've found in my travels that pilots, generally speaking, take themselves WAY TOO SERIOUSLY. (Like the guy quoted above for example). Buddy... its just a Private/Commerical license. Its not the giant deal you make it out to be. I bet your the type with the fur jacket, the aviators and the pens hanging out of your white dress shirt pocket. How may bars on your shoulders? 3 or 4?? If more people had the bank roll, flying would not be the exclusive fraternity it is now, because getting a private license is not that hard.
Like has been said above. Some people just aren't cut out to fly. There were guys in my class who could fly just fine but failed academically. Others had the book smarts but lacked the hands/feet/judgement/decision making to manage the airplane. The military is not the only organization to fail people out of a training program. People get on with companies and fail their PPC ride. People get on with AC and don't always make it either. Thats why they test you in the sim, to see if you've got it.
If you really think about it, getting selected at your CFRC for pilot is not that big a deal. If your healthy, you can do a bit of math, and you can follow some direction and make some dials read the right numbers, they'll give you a shot. Beyond that, its up to you. If you are a total screw up (and its possible that some one who is medically fit to be pilot is a screw up)... you're not going to make it.
There are sh*t pumps at every level in the military. You see them in the infantry all the time... in alot of trades. Thats because we can tolerate that and council people once they are in a rifle section. Pilot training doesn't have that luxury. In the military, similar to a flight program at a college or any other structured flying syallabus, if you can't do it in the alloted time, you're doing the kit bag drag, simple as that.
I got selected for Pilot. I got enrolled today and they are sending me to St. Jean 8 Apr. As far as I am concerned, they are just giving me a shot at it. The fact I have qualifications that are related to the occupation doesn't matter. Will my previous training help me in Moose Jaw?? Absolutley it will... as long as I have the right attitude about it. Guys who fail out of the Jaw with 1000+ hours probably didn't fail the program because they couldn't fly the airplane safely or effectively(they've been flying for 1000+, and they aren't dead. They are probably doing something right), they probably didn't make the cut cause they had a shitty attitude about changing what they've been doing civiy side for so long.
The attitude that having a PPL/CPL is your magic way to CF wings is absurd.
Just the ramblings from a former NCO... but what do I know anyway?? :