Back in 2004 I was still working at Nortel Networks. If you live in North America then there is a good chance you've heard of this company. Essentially from 2000 on they've been on the news almost every quarter. If it wasn't about financial troubles then it was a layoff announcement: as you can see not a very pleasant work environment. That combined with the fact that my job was pretty monotonous and not very exciting made me start thinking about the military. I was single, wanted to travel, learn languages and do something adventurous. So when the air force announced they were desperately looking for pilots I was very excited. I visited the recruitment office in Ottawa, in the summer of 2004, and immediately started the application process. I knew that the aircrew selection (in Trenton) was done twice a year and the one in November was around the corner. I was sure to make the deadline but little did I know. There are a lot of tests, exams and medical appointments. In addition, for some of them I had to wait a few months, especially the medical ones. Most of the tests were in town but the pilot selection is in Trenton and takes 3 days. The other 2 days of the week are spent in Toronto on some more advanced medical tests. I will write about all this in separate posts. I want to dedicate more time to each topic in order to describe it well.
So as you can see, me being the adventurous type, I had no second thoughts about joining. Of course I had to think about it seriously and I still remember the deciding factor. This is at the end of all the tests, appointments, etc., sometime in June 2005, I received a letter of offer from the military. So one day at work (Nortel) I mentioned this to my colleague and this is what he told me: "Do it man! Look at me, I've been here for 20 years and I'm still in the same position." He was about 10 years older than me and I realized that if I don't get out of this job now I never will. Of course my friends thought I'm crazy, because I was working from home and making quite good money. But I also told myself that aside from the adventure and challenge I will also:
- learn how to fly a plane (and get paid for it)
- learn French, something I always wanted to do (and get paid for it)
- travel and discover new places (and ... well, you guessed it, get paid for it as well)
My predictions were right and on top of it I made some really cool friends!
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10 comments:
Can I ask how old you were when you started basic?
Thanks,
Dan
Hi Dan, I was 30.
Hey I'm thinking about join as a DEO, could you say how long was your contract commitment?
I think it's about 9 years from the time you get your wings. I never got to that point so can't tell you exactly. But I can tell you this. We joined Sep 2005. All of the training took about 3 years. Only now (2016) the boys are getting close to end of contract. Remember that you can always terminate early. It's not easy but at the same time it's not prison so they would let you go if you were serious about it.
Hey thanks for the response, 9 years seems like a long time...
Also i read your multi engine post, how is the selection process work out for that?
Thanks Again
Hard to get multi. You must be in the top 5 of the class (flying and theory). And then it also depends on the course. Some courses need 5 multi some maybe 1. So it's also got to do with luck :)
I've read your whole blog and thank you for making this. My dilemma is I currently own a home and have a fiancé at home. Does the military let family travel with you? And are you given time or help to sell your house? How often are you able to return home to visit family/ friends. Sorry for the bombardment lol
Sincerely,
Hi Austin, when you are sent on a course like phase I the family usually stays behind (because your posting is not changed). But once you go to MJ the posting changes and you are relocated with your family. And yes, they do provide help in selling/buying houses. If I remember correctly they paid some fees, not sure if real-estate agent or other. From my experience the military was very accomodating with respect to families.
Hey, I want to be a commercial pilot and apply to airlines after my military career. However, I am afraid that military might make me fly Helicopters. And my career after military is ruined. I am about to apply to military, any advices for me?
Hi Nishadh. I know of a pilot who flew helicopters and then was able to switch to airplanes and eventually land a job as a commercial pilot. So sky is not the limit :)
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