Anybody Joining/Rejoining the Airforce?

[SAR_YQQ]

why would you want to all of a sudden have to call someone 15 years younger than you "Sir" or "Ma'am" and start at the bottom again.

I imagine it would be the same as joining an airline after a flying for 25 years in the RCAF. Pulling gear for some 30 year old Captain sitting beside you, having to adjust to being a seniority number - where promotion and advancement is based entirely on when you entered the company, vice flying skill and experience. Having to call him/her “boss, skipper, etc”. Being in an environment where your previous experience means nothing. Huh, I guess that’s the strawman argument for airline to military pilot progression too, guess I better just suck it up and enjoy my polyester pants and clip on tie.

Best part of RCAF flying, my salary isn’t based on how many hours I fly per year.

[nutlord]

why would you want to all of a sudden have to call someone 15 years younger than you "Sir" or "Ma'am" and start at the bottom again.

I imagine it would be the same as joining an airline after a flying for 25 years in the RCAF. Pulling gear for some 30 year old Captain sitting beside you, having to adjust to being a seniority number - where promotion and advancement is based entirely on when you entered the company, vice flying skill and experience. Having to call him/her “boss, skipper, etc”. Being in an environment where your previous experience means nothing. Huh, I guess that’s the strawman argument for airline to military pilot progression too, guess I better just suck it up and enjoy my polyester pants and clip on tie.

Best part of RCAF flying, my salary isn’t based on how many hours I fly per year.

And the flying is actually fun! West Coast SAR is my dream posting

[Big Pistons Forever]

Things that seem really cool in your 20's (pulling G, seeing all parts of the world, flying 150' AGL in the dark over the Arctic Ocean, maintaining small arms/NBC/fitness qualifications and doing lots of desk work) become less cool in your 30's and 40's. By the time you hit 50, they start to become real pains in the ass.

The Air Force is great for young, geographically mobile people who like fitness and are not overly attached to family. The further you depart from these parameters, the less fun the Air Force becomes

This /\

The other reality is that the Military used to have age limits on new recruits so that all new entrants were relatively young. After someone challenged the policy at the human rights tribunal the Military was forced to enroll everyone who met the minimum recruit standards up to age 58.

The inconvenient fact is that there is a direct linear relationship between pass rate and age. Older recruits, particularly those 40 and older have a much lower success rate at becoming qualified in their occupation.

However for a young person I highly recommend that they consider a Military career. You will get the best training available, will be forced to stretch yourself in ways you never imagined and will have one of the best pensions plans anywhere. The pension benefit may not seem like a big deal when you are in your 20's but I guarantee you will be extremely grateful for it when you are in your 50's....

[Redmud]

All this talk about pension got me thinking - I always wondered if aircrew who do the minimum years (not sure how many years that is) and then retire from the Forces in Canada start getting pension payments the day they leave, or do they first start getting pension payments after 65? I always wondered about that.
Thanx
Red

[Gowyn]

The culture in the navy, especially for MARS officers is very different from aircrew culture. Not saying you'll have a bad time, just do your research before you commit in that direction!

I went in as 32U (pilot) and came out 71D(MARS) in 1990.

I can tell you MARS officers were bred and trained to be asshats, polar opposite of flight crew.

The skills, training, mindset are great qualities later in life, certainly helped me career wise.

[wrightflyer]

All this talk about pension got me thinking - I always wondered if aircrew who do the minimum years (not sure how many years that is) and then retire from the Forces in Canada start getting pension payments the day they leave, or do they first start getting pension payments after 65? I always wondered about that.
Thanx
Red

It's complicated and is changing every year (rate you pay into pension has increased a lot over the last 5-10 years) but after 25 years you are eligible for an immediate pension (or lump sum to be put into an appropriate financial vehicle RRSP/RRIF etc). If you don't get to 25 years and are in for at least 10 (I think that is the number) you get the pension at Compulsory Retirement Age (60) or you can take a return of contributions. Better part is if you get a job at another Federal Gov't department (TC, TSB, RCMP etc) the previous pension contributions, you and the government have made, are directly transferrable.

the Defined Benefit is 2% per year served of your best five years (usually your last five as pay in the Gov't never goes down)
$100,000 per year and 25 years = $50,000 yearly pension paid bi-monthly minus taxes

[mijbil]

All this talk about pension got me thinking - I always wondered if aircrew who do the minimum years (not sure how many years that is) and then retire from the Forces in Canada start getting pension payments the day they leave, or do they first start getting pension payments after 65? I always wondered about that.
Thanx
Red

It's paid immediately. I did just over 20 years (old plan) and get $47352 per year for breathing. It is indexing in the background so when I hit 65 it will see a big jump and keep up with the published rate of inflation (indexed) after that. It really is gold. It's passive income for the rest of your life. If I dies first, the spouse gets 50% for the rest of her life. It's why I;m maxing out TFSAs before RRSPs these days.

You could take the transfer value. Mine was about $850000 IIRC. Unless you are a financial genius, you take the pension. In 18 years the TV gets exceeded by the value of that annual 47K.
Nowadays I think you have to do 25 years and the beancounters were ramping up the contribution rates that you had to make but it's still a DB pension. You don't think about it when you're 25 and just want to get laid again. Now, I am so very glad I stuck it out. I have zero financial worries. We live below our means and will soon be mortgage free. Once this medical panic is over and we can travel again, that will be the priority before we get too old.
There is lots of BS in the Air Force and more in the Navy IMO. If you can get past that, the $$ are not as high as a senior captain at AC, but the security is unbeatable. All those up and downturns? Never affected me. This one has but that DB pension has saved the day.

[Outlaw58]

I joined the RCAF when I was 17 and it was the best decision of my life. Today in my early 50's here is what I got:

- The qualifications and experience that easily got me hired in a 705 operation
- The option of still serving as a reservist which gave me a sweet fallback plan when the economy did a 180 a year ago (have not needed it yet but it's there!)
- A sweet sweet pension that nicely bridged the pay gap for starting over in the civilian industry;
- Management experience that further diversifies my career progression options;
- The realization that there are way worse things in life than cold coffee, too small a crew meal or too soft a pillow;
- Colleagues I served with that I consider brothers and will always have my back the same way I will always have theirs;
- I have flown aircrafts and used equipment that I would never have seen in the civilian industry;
- I have been trained to do flying that would get my license suspended if I were to try that in the civilian industry;
- I have traveled the world (an I mean not just the airports or hotel surrounding the airport);
- I got stories to tell that could be the basis for half a dozen Hollywood blockbusters;
- I could go on and on...

If you pass on a military flying career, at least do it for the right reasons:

- In over 35 years, the only time I've been shot at was having golf balls hit towards me... in short as a Canadian military pilot, it does not happen all that often (if at all in the course of one's career)
- The "being yelled at" period lasts only about a summer long, it's actually pretty funny in retrospect and makes for good stories
- Living in inhospitable areas? that only happens on operational deployments and you will invariably live better than the inhabitants of the country you are supporting. Only a small percentage of your overall career. Perspective.
- Other than that, the job is more often than not Mon-Fri 8h-16h. Beats the civilian industry's schedule in my book
- Yes, many aspects are for the young, but the career grows with you and down the road, there are many opportunity to steer your career in a way that fits your goals, family priorities and lifestyle
- Plus many many misconceptions about the military. Don't base your decision on what you see in the movies is all I'm saying.

It is indeed true that the military is not for everyone, but too many dismiss that option based on false assumptions.

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[mijbil]

Recruiting foreigners now since only 15 got back in.

https://lethbridgeherald.com/news/natio ... stay-away/

[GoodGuy]

Recruiting foreigners now since only 15 got back in.

https://lethbridgeherald.com/news/natio ... stay-away/

Hmm... I can't get the recruiters in Ottawa to call me but they're hiring foreign pilots now?

[‘Bob’]

Recruiting foreigners now since only 15 got back in.

https://lethbridgeherald.com/news/natio ... stay-away/

Hmm... I can't get the recruiters in Ottawa to call me but they're hiring foreign pilots now?

Are you trained on any of their equipment?

I’m pretty sure they are looking for quick turn-key solutions and not the multi-year projects that ab-initio RCAF air crew are.

[GoodGuy]

Recruiting foreigners now since only 15 got back in.

https://lethbridgeherald.com/news/natio ... stay-away/

Hmm... I can't get the recruiters in Ottawa to call me but they're hiring foreign pilots now?

Are you trained on any of their equipment?

I’m pretty sure they are looking for quick turn-key solutions and not the multi-year projects that ab-initio RCAF air crew are.

No, unfortunately I don't have any type ratings. Just a standard Canadian CPL. But this still bugs me. I'd be willing to devote my life to the RCAF if just given the opportunity. Pre-covid I'd be a shoe in but right now there is no movement in Ontario it seems. The RCAF should be investing in Canadians.

[Air.Field]

Recruiting foreigners now since only 15 got back in.

https://lethbridgeherald.com/news/natio ... stay-away/

Hmm... I can't get the recruiters in Ottawa to call me but they're hiring foreign pilots now?

Are you trained on any of their equipment?

I’m pretty sure they are looking for quick turn-key solutions and not the multi-year projects that ab-initio RCAF air crew are.

What difference does it make? Why would they be looking for combat ready pilots? War incoming? As Goodguy pointed out, they should be taking Canadians above all. Companies must prove there are no suitable Canadians before employing foreigners. Almost reeks of the whole TFW thing, except, this isn't temporary. I'd rather tax dollars be spent on training Canadian pilots than importing them from who knows where.

[pilotguy53]

Hmm... I can't get the recruiters in Ottawa to call me but they're hiring foreign pilots now?

Are you trained on any of their equipment?

I’m pretty sure they are looking for quick turn-key solutions and not the multi-year projects that ab-initio RCAF air crew are.

No, unfortunately I don't have any type ratings. Just a standard Canadian CPL. But this still bugs me. I'd be willing to devote my life to the RCAF if just given the opportunity. Pre-covid I'd be a shoe in but right now there is no movement in Ontario it seems. The RCAF should be investing in Canadians.

Don't get too spooled up. As usual, the media and all the spin-off articles are not accurate. The RCAF is accepting foreigners, but they're targeting Allied pilots (RAF, RAAF, RN) who want to move to Canada - not random foreigners that are not Wings-qualified pilots. They're able to by-pass all the Officer training, Wings training, and move quite seamlessly to the RCAF. In fact, the RAAF and RAF accept RCAF pilots in a lateral transfer program.

[Ash Ketchum]

I called my local detachment yesterday to inquire on my application and they told me that my three trades of choice (Pilot, ACSO, AERE) were not currently in demand and that there will be a delay in processing applicants due to Covid restrictions. Apparently they are only processing in demand trades at the moment so that is why it is taking longer to hear back from them.

[Tuza]

Hmm... I can't get the recruiters in Ottawa to call me but they're hiring foreign pilots now?

Are you trained on any of their equipment?

I’m pretty sure they are looking for quick turn-key solutions and not the multi-year projects that ab-initio RCAF air crew are.

What difference does it make? Why would they be looking for combat ready pilots? War incoming? As Goodguy pointed out, they should be taking Canadians above all. Companies must prove there are no suitable Canadians before employing foreigners. Almost reeks of the whole TFW thing, except, this isn't temporary. I'd rather tax dollars be spent on training Canadian pilots than importing them from who knows where.

I guess you haven't been watching what's happening around Ukraine then huh? Or the Arctic build-up over the last 5 years? Or the crackdown perhaps of certain populations?... Just curious.

[Air.Field]

Are you trained on any of their equipment?

I’m pretty sure they are looking for quick turn-key solutions and not the multi-year projects that ab-initio RCAF air crew are.

What difference does it make? Why would they be looking for combat ready pilots? War incoming? As Goodguy pointed out, they should be taking Canadians above all. Companies must prove there are no suitable Canadians before employing foreigners. Almost reeks of the whole TFW thing, except, this isn't temporary. I'd rather tax dollars be spent on training Canadian pilots than importing them from who knows where.

I guess you haven't been watching what's happening around Ukraine then huh? Or the Arctic build-up over the last 5 years? Or the crackdown perhaps of certain populations?... Just curious.

If you think any of those are going to lead to Canada at war, you can go back into your basement to wait it out.

[Tuza]

What difference does it make? Why would they be looking for combat ready pilots? War incoming? As Goodguy pointed out, they should be taking Canadians above all. Companies must prove there are no suitable Canadians before employing foreigners. Almost reeks of the whole TFW thing, except, this isn't temporary. I'd rather tax dollars be spent on training Canadian pilots than importing them from who knows where.

I guess you haven't been watching what's happening around Ukraine then huh? Or the Arctic build-up over the last 5 years? Or the crackdown perhaps of certain populations?... Just curious.

If you think any of those are going to lead to Canada at war, you can go back into your basement to wait it out.

I'd be out in front bud! 100%! How about you?

[Outlaw58]

What difference does it make? Why would they be looking for combat ready pilots? War incoming? As Goodguy pointed out, they should be taking Canadians above all. Companies must prove there are no suitable Canadians before employing foreigners. Almost reeks of the whole TFW thing, except, this isn't temporary. I'd rather tax dollars be spent on training Canadian pilots than importing them from who knows where.

I guess you haven't been watching what's happening around Ukraine then huh? Or the Arctic build-up over the last 5 years? Or the crackdown perhaps of certain populations?... Just curious.

If you think any of those are going to lead to Canada at war, you can go back into your basement to wait it out.

If you think war is all RCAF and the Forces are good for, you need to read more and post less.

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