Ask The Pilot

[justinbrett]

When we say young, what is young? 20s?

ADFA/OTS 18-20
Basic Pilots Courses 21-22
Operational Conversion 22-23

Say 23/24+? Can be a few years younger if joined through OTS. And of course many join later, so there will be a range of ages.

 

[jb747]

When we say young, what is young? 20s?

When I joined QF I was 30, and slightly shy of 12 years in the RAN. If I had stayed for another two months I would have been promoted to Lieutenant Commander, which is the same as the RAAF Squadron Leader. That promotion was by selection, but happens 6 months after promulgation. My flying options from that point onwards were quite limited. Five years perhaps.

 

[jb747]

What about the aircrew which fly VIP aircraft? How senior would they be?

Captains were always second tour people.

And yet, when he moves to the airlines he'll be almost a grandpa before he gets to sit in that seat again. Must be frustrating for them, I guess.

Depends how well he times it, and where he chooses to go. I was 37 when I got 767 command.

I don’t know that they find it all that frustrating. It’s a very different place and operation to what they’ve come from, and can take time to settle in. You’ll actually find that there are plenty who let the narrow body FO slots go to the young GA people, and wait out the time for a wide body slot. It becomes all about lifestyle, and it can be pretty horrible in some parts of the operation.

 

[justinbrett]

I don’t know that they find it all that frustrating. It’s a very different place and operation to what they’ve come from, and can take time to settle in. You’ll actually find that there are plenty who let the narrow body FO slots go to the young GA people, and wait out the time for a wide body slot. It becomes all about lifestyle, and it can be pretty horrible in some parts of the operation.

Many will also stay reservists and do a few weeks a year (I think QF has a reserve leave policy? If not can easily be done on days off). At those ranks they're getting towards $500/day tax free.

And then their military pension kicks in at 60.

 

[SYD]

And then their military pension kicks in at 60.

55 for many and you can still be working.

 

[justinbrett]

55 for many and you can still be working.

But not the wisest as waiting the extra 5 years decreases the pension conversion factor from 12 to 11 and increases the final average salary.

But OT for this thread.

 

[jb747]

Many will also stay reservists and do a few weeks a year (I think QF has a reserve leave policy? If not can easily be done on days off).

Things have changed somewhat.

Shortly after I joined QF, I actually looked at the reserves, and found that we could juggle a couple of experienced instructors to fly at Pt Cook. At the time, the RAAF was desperate for QFIs, as the airlines had taken large numbers of them. The CO of the school (1FTS) was happy to have some of us back, and the idea was using about three of us rotating, to give effectively one full time person. But the response from the grey sponge in Canberra was that the airline people "had been seen on enough", and there was no way we were going to be flying any of their aircraft. So, we all lost interest and flew our 747s. And the RAAF remained desperately short for years.

In later years, and with different leadership, they eventually came to their senses.

 

[Quickstatus]

Do some RAAF pilots spend their entire flying days at the RAAF?

 

[jb747]

Do some RAAF pilots spend their entire flying days at the RAAF?

If you mean "Do some RAAF pilots not fly after leaving the RAAF?", then the answer is certainly yes. Some people fall out of love with the game, others finds alternatives that they like more, whilst still others manage to be wrong place and time.

Just off the top of my head, I can think of a couple of my contemporaries who moved into IT (and it was early days then). A couple have become academics. It's really the same as people who lost their medical in the civilian world...they just move on to something else.

 

[Quickstatus]

then the answer is certainly yes

But do any RAAF pilots stay in the RAAF until retirement age? (not medical)

 

[justinbrett]

But do any RAAF pilots stay in the RAAF until retirement age? (not medical)

Yes, heaps.

How much they actually fly in the twilight years is another matter. (Hence the term flying a desk).

Nobody will fly for their entire career - there will be large spans of ground postings, and even when they do fly later in their career it's likely to be in command roles (eg OC of a Wing or FEG commander) where they might fly once a month if they're lucky.

 

[Quickstatus]

lost their medical

What are some of the medical reasons that cancels the flying ticket

 

[jb747]

But do any RAAF pilots stay in the RAAF until retirement age? (not medical)

As a Wing Commander with a squadron, they'd fly. Once beyond that, no, not really. They couldn't get enough flying to be anything more than dangerous anyway.

I asked a mate who did stay until the bitter end, and he had more stripes than I could count, what was the last thing he'd flown, and he said he'd had a couple of hours in a Super Hornet. Not solo though. As a Group Captain he did some Hawk flying.

Post automatically merged: Jul 23, 2024

What are some of the medical reasons that cancels the flying ticket

Almost anything doctors can imagine.... which is why you never tell them anything. Diabetes and heart issues would probably be the most common.

 

[Quickstatus]

I asked a mate who did stay until the bitter end,

Why do some stay until the bitter end and not chance their arm in the commercial sector?.

 

[jb747]

Why do some stay until the bitter end and not chance their arm in the commercial sector?.

As it turns out, the RAAF doesn't suit some, and the civil world doesn't suit others. My mate who stayed did rather better than most of us, whether staying or going.

 

[RSD]

Just came across this youtube video to learn that Dick Rutan of Voyager non-stop around the world fame passed away in May this year - Remembering Dick Rutan

 

[ayebee]

watched some of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony... pity about the rain.

the laser show from Eiffel Tower was impressive, and got me wondering if pilots get warnings (NOTAMS?) about shows like that ?

 

[TheRealTMA]

watched some of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony... pity about the rain.

the laser show from Eiffel Tower was impressive, and got me wondering if pilots get warnings (NOTAMS?) about shows like that ?

https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/warnings/olympics-opening-ceremony-2024-epic-nofly-zone-across-paris-for-hours/news-story/421c07d993d9b9aff4a4f0b1629fae07

 

[Duffa]

Sparks coming out of an engine.
Flying to Hobart last week. 9.30pm and pitch black.
737, seated behind the starboard engine.
During the take off roll a trail of sparks appeared to come out of the upper outer aspect of the engine or maybe the pylon, I can't be sure. Not flames just a little trail of sparks. A bit like what you'd see if you were grinding an axe or sharpening a chisel on a bench grinder in one's toolshed. They stopped after about 10 seconds when we got airborne.
I freaked at the start. Then reassured myself with the thought of sparks visible on F1 cars in night grands prix or the flames visible in Merlin engines at dusk. (The latter being more beautiful and emotive than a Michaelangelo!!)

Any opinions???

 

[AviatorInsight]

the laser show from Eiffel Tower was impressive, and got me wondering if pilots get warnings (NOTAMS?) about shows like that ?

Yep. NOTAMs about vivid were shown when flying into SYD. Also, anytime fireworks are present within the terminal area, they will also be shown.