Just a little bit more...

[R6_kid]

It has been my life long dream to be a pilot in the RNZAF (yes we do still have planes). I've been through the selection process twice now, the first time I had crap marks from high school, but still passed the requirements for pilot training but missed out 'in competition' as I didn't rank high enough on the list of successful applicants to get a place in training.

Second time around I'd mucked around at University for two years and my marks were looking worse than they did at high school. I had however mananged to 'sort my life out' after taking a two year break and was now back at university getting A's and B's (woohoo), unfortunately this time around my aptitude tests for pilot training weren't 'high enough' despite being over the required minimum. The selection board did however think highly of me as a candidate for Officer training and offered me the position of 'Air Warfare Officer' (formerly known as Navigator) pending a final decision in September/October of this year.

Although sad that my dream of being a pilot in the RNZAF was more or less done and dusted, I decided it best that I go for the AWO position and make the best of being an Officer while paying for my own flight training privately. It has now been four months and today I recieved a phone call saying that there would be no decision made on the AWO intake until at least September/October 2010... SHITBALLS.

So far this process has taken 5 years to get to where I'm at currently. The good thing is that after getting back into gear for the initial testing last year I felt I was 'getting dumb' by not actively learning anything, and that discovery channel wasn't going to turn me into a pilot - I am now 'back on track' to getting a degree as well as knocking out the PPL (private pilots licence) and CPL (commercial) theory components at the same time.

Since I sat the initial tests in September last year I have sat in limbo in terms of any real certainty as to where my life was going to lead. I was almost a dead certainty for AWO so took some comfort in that, and had started to shape things around the likeliness of joining the Air Force in January next year. I now have another year to wait if I go through with their process.

It's so frustrating going from 'certainty' to not knowing where to head in life. Looks like I'm going to have to think this one over for a few weeks and make up my mind as to what I should do!

What would you do?

[kiwifruit]

I'd look to become a commercial pilot :)

[Squiggles]

What would you do?

Go to town this weekend.

[EatOrBeEaten]

What kiwifruit said, though it's not easy!

Dude, I'm all for living the dream but if it's going to involve years of waiting around like this then it's not worth having your life on hold IMO. You've got a lot of skills and drive, think about what else you can apply them to and go do it.

Good luck mate, sorry to hear about you being dicked about like this...

[sAsLEX]

what would you do?

yvan eht nioj!

<img src=http://www.navy.mil.nz/nr/rdonlyres/32eff28a-5f12-4c1c-bdc2-bf798121a137/0/ak090220026.jpg>

<img src=http://www.navy.mil.nz/nr/rdonlyres/722489b3-05ad-45f2-ab81-09b4d9c03330/0/wn08004875tnt.jpg>

NZ's last remaining combat air wing....

[Firefight]

hey m8,

I know your a hard worker, and I know this has been one of ur dreams for a while, but I have to ask , do you want fly commercial or defence?

In the time that we have known each other Gareth I know 2 young dudes who have paid the hard way $$$$$$$$$$$$$ , big loans(commmercial flight training) and worked there way in to nice well paying jobs as first officers, with great futures ahead to go PIC.

Is it the airfarce life you want or a proper paying CPL type job ?

Have you talked to Marty (dam fine guy) or that old dude from Te Toro (can,t recall his name , he is often away but I think hes B737 certi and G5) about your dream ? they both have heaps of knowleadge.

I don,t want to sound like the cunt I am , but I would guess the amount of money you have spent fucking around with bikes just in the time that I have known you could have got you some part of the way towards Instrument rating and multi ..


either way good luck in figuring it out.

F/F

[R6_kid]

I'd look to become a commercial pilot :)

That process is ticking along slowly in the background. One option I'm thinking of lining up at the end of the year is the RAAF/RAF as I can get a British passport/citizenship through my father. Will have a better chance at getting in once I've got a years worth of A's and B's.


Go to town this weekend.

Where are we going, and is that hot single blonde chick coming?

[crazyhorse]

it has been my life long dream to be a pilot in the rnzaf (yes we do still have planes). ..... Looks like i'm going to have to think this one over for a few weeks and make up my mind as to what i should do!

What would you do?

follow your dreams

[EJK]

What would you do?


Go to town this weekend.

I was gonna say "Become a Mulitmedia Project Manager/ Producer" but Squiggles already did the joke so... nvm.

However best wishes and good luck whatever you do. A few weeks ago someone told me about having future plans etc. He told me "Always aim for perfection and keep persevere*".

You would know better than me so.... yea.... my $0.02



*It's from the bible I think...

[R6_kid]

Is it the airfarce life you want or a proper paying CPL type job ?

My life has been air force all along thanks to my old man, it's all i've known, and all i've thought about. The commericial way of things is starting to look quite attractive lately though.


Have you talked to Marty (dam fine guy) or that old dude from Te Toro (can,t recall his name , he is often away but I think hes B737 certi and G5) about your dream ? they both have heaps of knowleadge.

Yep, I've had a couple of discussions with both (Terbang is the other guy). If/when I make the decision to go PIC in the Commercial realm I'll know who to go to for advice


I don,t want to sound like the cunt I am , but I would guess the amount of money you have spent fucking around with bikes just in the time that I have known you could have got you some part of the way towards Instrument rating and multi ..
The money I've spent on bikes would have got me past PPL and probably half way to CPL by now. That's the downside of banking on being in the Air Force, I've always invisaged that I wasn't going to end up paying for it myself.

I'm sure I'll have a plan sussed in a few weeks!

[Firefight]

The money I've spent on bikes would have got me past PPL and probably half way to CPL by now. That's the downside of banking on being in the Air Force, I've always invisaged that I wasn't going to end up paying for it myself.

I'm sure I'll have a plan sussed in a few weeks![/QUOTE]


well good luck mate,ur 1 of the beta young guys I have meet on kb

hope it works out for you and us tax payers end up footing the bill, it wud be money well spent 4 a change.


F/F

[R6_kid]

well good luck mate,ur 1 of the beta young guys I have meet on kb

hope it works out for you and us tax payers end up footing the bill, it wud be money well spent 4 a change.

Cheers mate. That means a lot :yes:

[Big Dave]

I think we should take you down town and get you stoned and some hookers.

[Mully]

Be a pilot. Commercially.

BTW, does anyone know what the Air Transport Pilot's licence bit costs?

[Pussy]

Student loans etc weren't available when I did my CPL.
I just knuckled down and did it. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices to achieve your goals

[R6_kid]

I think we should take you down town and get you stoned and some hookers.

Sounds like a plan Dave. PM me!


Be a pilot. Commercially.

BTW, does anyone know what the Air Transport Pilot's licence bit costs?

I know that you can only get it after 1500hrs but not sure if that's total time or PIC time. I think it's the sort of thing you worry about when you get there.

[sAsLEX]

it wud be money well spent 4 a change.


F/F

Cheers Dave.......






So no to rotary then? Or are you ignoring my post Gareth......

[Babelfish]

What would you do?

First off, Harden the feck up!

One thing you need if you're heading towards being a commercial pilot (whether a public servant of in the private world) is thick skin. It's not a road for softies and you need to sell your soul for a bit to get to the juicy stuff.

I've seen good pilots binned from the force and good pilots in civvyville working every hour given them to fly more hours.

End of the day, go and look in the mirror, grab yer nuts and get stuck in any way you can and do look back until you've got yer wings and nailing a trolley dolly in the cabin....(take yer hand off yer nuts now)

[Babelfish]

Oh...and dont get a missus, or a mortgage...it'll feck the lot up (and they get pissed off about the trolley dolly bit)

[R6_kid]

So no to rotary then? Or are you ignoring my post Gareth......

The official word is no airforce pilot = no navy pilot. As the prerequisite is that you pass the RNZAF Aircrew Selection AND Navy Officer Selection. In their words 'we do not believe you would be successful on a military flying course'...

I wanted to go for rotary in the Air Force as it was, especially with the new A109's and NH90's... was hoping I'd get to have a rip on the Huey's before they disappeared too as I grew up next to Hobsonville back when it was the home to 3sqn.

I was going to approach the Navy to see what the story is, but the wording of the letter I received pretty much told me I'd just be wasting the recruiters time.

[sAsLEX]

You passed PERSEL and the monkey box but others were more academically qualified?


Navy has a certain number of spots on wings, speak to a recruiter.

[R6_kid]

You passed PERSEL and the monkey box but others were more academically qualified?


Navy has a certain number of spots on wings, speak to a recruiter.

That was the initial call back in 2004. This time round they said that based on the aptitude tests at PERSEL, not my academics, they didn't believe I would pass wings course, despite the fact that I had passed the tests, as in I qualify for pilot training, they just don't think I'll pass. I'll do what you said in the PM and see where it leads from there, my old man really dislikes the Navy though! :laugh:

[mowgli]

What would you do?
If you're truly motivated you'll try again. If not then you were never going to make it anyway.

[R6_kid]

If you're truly motivated you'll try again. If not then you were never going to make it anyway.

You only get two chances to do Personel Selection for Pilot the RNZAF.

[mowgli]

You only get two chances to do Personel Selection for Pilot the RNZAF.
Stink! Missed that bit.

[Big Dave]

If you're truly motivated you'll try again. If not then you were never going to make it anyway.

The beatings will continue until morale improves.

[mowgli]

The beatings will continue until morale improves.
Why stop? The beatings will continue :shit:

Motivation is at least as important as marks and aptitude if not more so.