RAA to RAAF?

[Cooda]

18 yo son has just completed the 2 week RAAF Flight Screening Program at Tamworth.

 

His prior "hands on" flight experience has been a couple of hours in a Drifter, a couple in a Storch, a couple in a Texan Club and four hours in a Jabiru 230 over the past 20 months.

 

Forgive a proud father's skiting but my lad passed the course with a score of 9 out of 9 for the flying component, well ahead of his colleagues.

 

While he was initially disconcerted by the higher levels of accuracy demanded of them, it was his RAA training that gave him the foundation to work from.

 

First stop after he gets home is off to the airstrip to thank his instructors.

 

 

[Sean]

Dear Proud Father.

 

Congratulations and well done to your son and to you too.

 

Cheers.

 

Sean.

 

 

[facthunter]

Flying RAAus.

 

Without in any way detracting from your son's ability, I'm not surprised at his excellent performance. Those who look down their nose at simpler and less sophisticated aircraft. probably haven't flown them. Basic small aircraft need good flying skills to fly them well and SOME of them need extraordinary skill. Cessna's Piper and Beech (and others) have made a lot of effort to make their aircraft easy to fly. That is part of their appeal and small aircraft react to gusts much more than the heavier aircraft. Nev

 

 

[sseeker]

What an outstanding achievement! I know people who have got to flight screening and failed - it's tough stuff apparently. He must be ecstatic. This is the path I want to take and I've always wondered whether my prior aviation experience would help.

 

Good luck to him with his future in the RAAF.

 

-Andrew

 

 

[Tomo]

Well done to both of you. :thumb_up:

 

Was attempting to explain about RAA aircraft to some GA students the other day - One guy said the small bug smasher he'd been flying in is the smallest he will ever get - was all ears and asked what type of bug smasher he had flown in. (thinking ultralight) He pointed out the window to the Tomahawk. I said, "That's no bug smasher!"

 

They don't know what they're missing out on :big_grin:

 

 

[Ballpoint 246niner]

Fantastic news Cooda- no doubt fostered with your support! Lest we not forget that today's RA Aus was yesteryears GA before it got way ahead of itself. No surprises that good basic flying skills are what our forces want to build on- wouldn't you. Congrats to your son. There are elements of GA that continue to throw RA Aus into the cowboy corner- it's great to hear that the decision makers in our Air force think differently and recognise value on merit.

 

Keep the faith.

 

 

[Tomo]

Hey Tomo....before RAA....Tomahawks were "bug smashers"!!!

But the Wright flyer was before the Tomahawk....

 

 

[dazza 38]

The great news Cooda, i wish your son all the best in his RAAF Career.

 

 

[farri]

Forgive a proud father's skiting but my lad passed the course with a score of 9 out of 9 for the flying component, well ahead of his colleagues. Cooda,nothing to forgive,you`ve every right to be proud.

 

I`m still proud of the fact that one of my students who had just turned 15 years of age,did his training to AUF/RAA pilot certificate with me in the Drifter and is now employed by QANTAS,as captain in command of 737. :super:

 

Frank.

[Spin]

true T...but i don't think it flew fast enough to worry the bugs!!

That would be the original birdstrike from behind?

 

Congrats Cooda, good to hear of a youngster working toward and achieving his dreams.

 

 

[Cooda]

Even better, I passed my own Pilot's Certificate while he was away, to add to my 1976 RPPL. So, as soon as I get my passenger endo, I can get him to show me some of the drills he's picked up, particularly wrt "looking out" and scans.

 

I won't be starting on continuous circuits but he's certainly picked up a fair bit that can only help my own airmanship.

 

I reckon that if I ever get to the stage where I think I have nothing else to learn, it will be time to stop before I cause some damage.

 

 

[pylon500]

While RAAus instructing in Sydney, I had a young guy come out that was thinking of joining the RAAF as a pilot and wanted a bit of a 'heads up' on what to expect.

 

He couldn't afford to do much with GA so gave ultralights a go.

 

Being ex RAAF (only ground work) I had an idea of what was coming, so after some theory we headed off in the Lightwing and I gave him a serious TIF.

 

He understood what was going on and enjoyed it enough to come back and really put in some hours.

 

I cant remember if he went solo before going up to Tamworth for the tryout, but off he went.

 

 

 

The training and evaluation done at Tamworth (then) was around 14 hours in CT-4's, and if you picked up quick enough, you could get an hour or so in a Cap-10 (taildragger) and some aero's.

 

 

 

My student did ten hours in the CT-4 and was the only one to get another four hours in the Cap-10

 

But alas youth, although he came back to the club, continued to full certification in the Lightwing and our Foxbat, he decided there was more money in computers and went off to Uni.....

 

Arthur.

 

 

[eightyknots]

Even better, I passed my own Pilot's Certificate while he was away, to add to my 1976 RPPL. So, as soon as I get my passenger endo, I can get him to show me some of the drills he's picked up, particularly wrt "looking out" and scans.

Perhaps you'll have to fit an onboard radar, some machine guns and air-to-air rockets as well?

 

Congratulations on getting your Pilot Certificate as well :-)

 

 

[Guest Escadrille]

Arthur, he probably made the right choice..Military aircrew tend to "eat their young"..

 

 

[Cooda]

A brand new Officer Cadet headed off to ADFA this morning.

 

He only managed to fit in one flight in a Jabiru while waiting for the call. Took him three landings to remember it wasn't a CAP 10 and to hold off rather than plant the wheels.

 

The next five landings were greasers. :csm:

 

 

[Guest eland2705]

Congrats Cooda, I've got one in ADFA as well, but she's Army (2nd year)!

 

They have really great experience at the Academy, and you can be justifiably proud of your young man in the ADF.

 

Regards

 

 

[nong]

Lets hope our fine young airmen never have to fly FA18s or JSFs against SU35s, T50s or J20s.

 

We now have no air superiority fighters and the government has deliberately trashed our fleet of bomb trucks.

 

 

[Cooda]

Can't believe five years have passed so quickly.

 

The lad is now a Flying Officer with a degree from UNSW (ADFA).

 

And he starts training on F/A 18's in a few weeks time.

 

 

 

[Jabiru7252]

18 yo son has just completed the 2 week RAAF Flight Screening Program at Tamworth.His prior "hands on" flight experience has been a couple of hours in a Drifter, a couple in a Storch, a couple in a Texan Club and four hours in a Jabiru 230 over the past 20 months.

 

Forgive a proud father's skiting but my lad passed the course with a score of 9 out of 9 for the flying component, well ahead of his colleagues.

 

While he was initially disconcerted by the higher levels of accuracy demanded of them, it was his RAA training that gave him the foundation to work from.

 

First stop after he gets home is off to the airstrip to thank his instructors.

Great news. I know of a young lass who now flies AWACS and she started her flying training at the Adelaide Soaring Club flying Jabirus.

 

 

[Spooks]

Fantastic!

 

How long will the F18 remain in service? I think I'd read RAAF are replacing them with the F35?

 

 

[Cooda]

Jabiru - One of the two girls on his graduating Wings course went on to AWACS. The other has won through to F/A 18's - on merit (not affirmative action). I thinkl she may be the first female to get to Hornets.

 

Spooks - If they can get the F35's operational, we should start seeing them here around 2018/19.

 

Of the 40 pilot cadets who started at ADFA with him, 20 graduated, 14 passed BFTS and 9 gained their Wings - with 5 going on to the FJ lead in program on Hawks. All 5 have now passed.

 

 

[red750]

First RAAF female fast jet pilots on track to fly the JSF | Australian Aviation

[Chrism]

While RAAus instructing in Sydney, I had a young guy come out that was thinking of joining the RAAF as a pilot and wanted a bit of a 'heads up' on what to expect.

He couldn't afford to do much with GA so gave ultralights a go.

 

Being ex RAAF (only ground work) I had an idea of what was coming, so after some theory we headed off in the Lightwing and I gave him a serious TIF.

 

He understood what was going on and enjoyed it enough to come back and really put in some hours.

 

I cant remember if he went solo before going up to Tamworth for the tryout, but off he went.

 

 

 

The training and evaluation done at Tamworth (then) was around 14 hours in CT-4's, and if you picked up quick enough, you could get an hour or so in a Cap-10 (taildragger) and some aero's.

 

 

 

My student did ten hours in the CT-4 and was the only one to get another four hours in the Cap-10

 

But alas youth, although he came back to the club, continued to full certification in the Lightwing and our Foxbat, he decided there was more money in computers and went off to Uni.....

 

Arthur.

Well there you go........we don't fly for money do we!!

 

 

[fly_tornado]

So how many hours does a RAAF F18 pilot fly a year? Can't be many

 

 

[Cooda]

Never a many as they'd like.

 

They have to think of it as quality over quantity.