Pilots Recruitment

[Ironman2909]

Well that's it!!! I'm going to Trenton tomorrow to pass the pilots admission tests!!! 😀

I hope I will do find so I get to sign my contract early this september!!!

I will let you know all what kind of week I have passed at my return......

 

[Kyle]

Good luck to you! I went back in '89 to Downsview only to find out after all of the testing and passing that I was too tall. I think it was more of a 'regional quota' problem but who knows.

All the best! Keep us informed! B)

 

[RotorPilot]

When I did it, some years ago (more than I want to remember), they inspected 800, approved 76 for the basic fixed wing course (AT-6) that 50 failed.
From the remaining 26, 10 went on to advanced training and became fixed wing wonder pilots. The other 16 went to another base for helicopter training (Alouette III’s) and one of them was me, a RotorPilot ever since, but with fixed wing CPL also (just in case)…
Anyway a rotor pilot can fly just about anything can't we ?... :unsure: :unsure: :unsure:

GOOD LUCK - Ironman2909, that is the way to go

 

[Fully Articulated]

From the remaining 26, 10 went on to advanced training and became fixed wing wonder pilots. The other 16 went to another base for helicopter training (Alouette III’s) and one of them was me

Allouette III's ? ? I take it you did not do this in Canada.

 

[RotorPilot]

Fully Articulated

You are right, I did not do the training in Canada, but if I recall well, Canada DID HAVE Alouette III's at the time (I believe it was the Coast Guard). I remember seeing a red one somewhere.

The Air Force I was in had Alouette II's for training but due to de lack of pilots and time they sold all of them before I went in and all the training was on III's and the twin training on Pumas, (it was a all aerospatiale house) and the Government agencies a all Bell house (pretty handy I can tell you) 😉

I actually also flew II's but it was later on and already in Canada out of Dorval (Montreal) base... drill moving :huh:

 

[Skywrench]

Canada did have Aloutte IIIs for the coast guard, CF-CAW, CAX, and CAZ served more than 20 years, mainly supporting marine navigation on the B.C. coast. All 3 were sent to trade schools as classroom training aids upon retirement.

Best of luck with the admission tests Ironman2909!

 

[graunch1]

CAZ is sitting in SAIT's hangar in YYC used as a training aid along with a green AIII they picked up in BC a year ago

 

[Vortex Ring]

Kyle you state you were told you were too tall. True to the older aircraft. In the past the T33 and Tutor had a limit with regards to the length of you femur, too long and you would loose you legs by the front canopy rail.

This problem has been eleviated I believe with the Harvard and Hawk but size restrictions may still apply. They are real and nearly 100% relate to ejection seat aircraft restrictions.

 

[Kyle]

Yea, I went through and they said I was one of the top two in my class but I was too tall. I requested a re-measure and they were happy to oblige. The funny thing is, I have never been that flexible so the other folks on that course spent the night before the re-measure with me keeping my leg flat while my back was up against the wall. (When they pushed my knee down that last little bit, my butt would slide out a bit so I naturally thought it was my legs).

Unfortunately though, it turned out it was my seat to the top of my head. Long neck I s'pose 😉 Tried to slouch when they started to measure but since I was so prepared for it being my legs that I was a little shy on making the slouch too obvious.

They told me at the time that they were already knee-deep into a study for remeasuring all of the cockpits. I believe they said it was the CF-5 that was the problem for me - chance of the ol' noggin hitting the canopy if I ejected. A couple of years or so later, I had a very good connection to someone that offered to pull some rank and try to get me back in. I thought long and hard but 3 years had passed along with my focus now being on the commercial side.

Mind you, I am still kicking myself.

 

[Ironman2909]

B) Well I'm back home now!!! Here's the most difficult part.....waiting. To let you know how was the week, let's just say we where 9 at the beginning, after all the sims session were done, we were 6 ready to go to Downsview.

The bad thing is....I guess....1 girl did pass the flying sessions back at Trenton to find at the DRDC she was 6 cm too short 🙁 . But they told her that they will revise all the minimums for the anthropometric data, so she now still hold on her dream of flying in the army....she will get to know in approx. 3 weeks. Hope she will make it because she was a really good person.

From my part, I did pass all the tests and from the words of the Doc back at the DRDC my chances are really good 😀 !!!! But man what a hard week on the mind, very stressful :wacko:. You never know if you're gonna make it or not. They do not tell anything until the last day when you get you're results.

One thing I can say is I really think my pilot licence help me a lot to complete the aircrew selection.

So now I have to wait app. 2 weeks until I get a call from the recruitment center to see if I made it.......this will be 14 long days :wacko:

i'll keep informing you about the process as the news comes in!!!!

 

[Kyle]

Glad it went well for you. Best of luck! Start saving the cash for that night out!!

 

[graunch1]

What type of work did they make you do in the simulator? I assume it must have been somewhat generic or are they only letting those with flying experience get as far as you have?

FWIW waiting 3 weeks for an answer is nothing compared to trying to join the Calgary Police Service. It takes almost a year of various tests, interviews etc and at no time does the applicant know if they will make the next step. The intake that one of my kids was competing on took 48 out of 4,000 application (including her) the Fire department is even more demanding. It seems that most high-skill, high pay, high desirability jobs have become very tough to get into. The comments from many of the pilots on this board who have been trying to get flying jobs is a good example. :unsure:

Fixer types never seem to have problems getting the first job as most companies will always hire a new AME then see how they work out. If you are NFG then its a case of kicking horse turds down the road.

 

[Ironman2909]

Well as for the work on the sim session, I really don't know if I'm allowed to say what the sessions are in detail. :huh: Let's jsut say that the simulator looks like a cessna but doesn't feel like one OH! NO! More sensitive than any airplane got the chance to fly!!!! They just really want to know if you're able to adapt to the situation. The big test is to fly a complete circuit with take-off and landing the airplane on the correct track.

As for the aircrew selection week, let's just say that if you pass the test and the medic requirements, you just have climb the first step of a pretty long road! But Hey let's take each one at a time!!!! 😀

For now, I'm just hoping to be in multi-engine airplane int real near futur!!!

 

[RotorPilot]

Ironman2909

Did you make some kind of psychological tests or will you have to at a later phase ?

 

[Ironman2909]

Well we have done a cognitive test back :wacko: at the DRDC in Downsview. But they said that it would'nt count in the selection process.

I really don't know if we have to do psychological test... <_<