Aviation Systems Technician ( AVN Tech )

[Sparkplugs]

Well, I grew up in a very small town in a very isolated part of Northern Ontario, so I've seen my share of hunting, fishing, and -50, hehe.  I'm definitely an outdoors kind of girl.  Only thing I'm disappointed with is that the closest skydiving center is south of Edmonton, hehe. 

I don't see the point in whining about a posting.  The way I figure it, even if it does suck, at least I'm getting it over with now, it's not like I have to retire there...  Plus, the only people I've really ever heard complain about Cold Lake are ones who've never been there.  Everyone I talk to who has been posted there has loved it. 

Eventually I'm hoping to end up working on the SAR Griffons there, but I won't cry if I stay on the 18's.

Thanks guys...  I'm really looking forward to going!  After 16 months in Borden, I'm ready to get off this base, hehe.  I plan on leaving here the day after grad... Everything I own fits in the back of my 4x4, which I'm sure will come in handy out there too.  ;D

 

[belka]

This is the current situation in Cold Lake.

When you first get here you will go to 10FTTS, the training school. You will do your 3-4 week(not sure on the exact timeline) course outlining the basics of the CF-18, general info, servicing, fueling, starting, parking, etc. You will come out of the school qualified to do basic servicing and go to your unit, most likely either 409 or 410, not many go to 1AMS directly as they don't take new AVN's out of borden anymore. You will wait and work in the sqn until you are loaded on your on-stream course, being either A type - Engines, fuel and ECS, B-Type - flight controls, landing gear, airframe. C - Type - Aircraft life support equipment. After this 3-5 month course, you will be fully POM. This method turns out techs extremely fast, which is what we need at the squadrons right now, we are so short of personel it's not even funny. Until all the 100+ positions are filled in this squadron alone, you will be very busy.

As far as Cold Lake itself goes, it gets pretty boring, especially in the winter when there is not much really to do. Summer is better, but it doesn't last long enough.

 

[Sparkplugs]

This is the current situation in Cold Lake.

When you first get here you will go to 10FTTS, the training school. You will do your 3-4 week(not sure on the exact timeline) course outlining the basics of the CF-18, general info, servicing, fueling, starting, parking, etc. You will come out of the school qualified to do basic servicing and go to your unit, most likely either 409 or 410, not many go to 1AMS directly as they don't take new AVN's out of borden anymore. You will wait and work in the sqn until you are loaded on your on-stream course, being either A type - Engines, fuel and ECS, B-Type - flight controls, landing gear, airframe. C - Type - Aircraft life support equipment. After this 3-5 month course, you will be fully POM. This method turns out techs extremely fast, which is what we need at the squadrons right now, we are so short of personel it's not even funny. Until all the 100+ positions are filled in this squadron alone, you will be very busy.

As far as Cold Lake itself goes, it gets pretty boring, especially in the winter when there is not much really to do. Summer is better, but it doesn't last long enough.

The group before us had 410 and 409 as their posting messages, but we've been told that from our group forward, we all start at 1ams...  That's what my posting message says as well.  No idea what's happening with that, but that's what's coming down from the higher-ups. 

Which sqn are you with?  Do you like it there?  How long have you been out of Borden?

 

[belka]

I'm with 409 and lets just say that I wouldn't waist my time there if I didn't like my job. I finished my 3's in borden in June of 06.

I doubt that you'll end-up at 1ams, you'll start at the school and once you finish all your basic courses, you'll end up at a squadron. Unless that has changed in the last week, which I doubt since both sqn's are hurting for people, moreso 409.

 

[IN HOC SIGNO]

I'm with 409 and lets just say that I wouldn't waist my time there if I didn't like my job. I finished my 3's in borden in June of 06.

I doubt that you'll end-up at 1ams, you'll start at the school and once you finish all your basic courses, you'll end up at a squadron. Unless that has changed in the last week, which I doubt since both sqn's are hurting for people, moreso 409.

Ptes get to choose where they waste their time now? Interesting.
I think any posting is as boring as you want to make it. We spent 3 years in Goose Bay and had a ball. We got ourselves a skidoo and got into the local scene of outdoors activities and entertaining in each others homes. We just got back from Christmas dinner with friends we made there who are close and steadfast friends for life.....It isn't the base that makes things worthwhile or "boring" it's what you make of your time there.

 

[Sparkplugs]

Ptes get to choose where they waste their time now? Interesting.
I think any posting is as boring as you want to make it. We spent 3 years in Goose Bay and had a ball. We got ourselves a skidoo and got into the local scene of outdoors activities and entertaining in each others homes. We just got back from Christmas dinner with friends we made there who are close and steadfast friends for life.....It isn't the base that makes things worthwhile or "boring" it's what you make of your time there.

Hey, I didn't get to choose.  I put in my 3 choices, and they send me to the opposite end of the country.  No big deal, if it's that bad, at least I'm getting it over with as my first posting.  Besides, I'm pretty decent at making the best of wherever I am.  I grew up in a town of 1000, way up in the middle of nowhere, I think I can handle Cold Lake.  I'm just happy to be getting out of Borden and to an actual unit!

 

[belka]

Ptes get to choose where they waste their time now? Interesting.

I was refering to the job. If I didn't like where I worked I would've VR'd along time ago, I'm not about to waist my time at a job that I hate.

A far as cold lake goes, it does get boring after a while, there is no denying that. You can only do so much in an area with so little.

 

[Rusty_Poth]

I was posted there for over 17 years, and we loved it, it was a good place to bring the kids up, so for us it was good.

Keep you head up, as othes have said you are starting off with a good atittude, lets see if you keep that up beat atittude after 8 years.

 

[IN HOC SIGNO]

I was refering to the job. If I didn't like where I worked I would've VR'd along time ago, I'm not about to waist my time at a job that I hate.

A far as cold lake goes, it does get boring after a while, there is no denying that. You can only do so much in an area with so little.

waist       /weɪst/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[weyst] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun 1. the part of the body in humans between the ribs and the hips, usually the narrowest part of the torso. 
2. the part of a garment covering this part of the body. 
3. blouse (def. 1). 
4. the part of a one-piece garment covering the body from the neck or shoulders more or less to the waistline, esp. this part of a woman's or child's garment. 
5. a child's undergarment to which other articles of apparel may be attached. 
6. the part of an object, esp. a central or middle part, that resembles or is analogous to the human waist: the waist of a violin. 
7. Nautical. the central part of a ship; that part of the deck between the forecastle and the quarterdeck. 
8. the constricted portion of the abdomen of certain insects, as a wasp. 

waste      /weɪst/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[weyst] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation verb, wast·ed, wast·ing, noun, adjective
–verb (used with object) 1. to consume, spend, or employ uselessly or without adequate return; use to no avail or profit; squander: to waste money; to waste words. 
2. to fail or neglect to use: to waste an opportunity. 
3. to destroy or consume gradually; wear away: The waves waste the rock of the shore. 
4. to wear down or reduce in bodily substance, health, or strength; emaciate; enfeeble: to be wasted by disease or hunger. 
5. to destroy, devastate, or ruin: a country wasted by a long and futile war. 
6. Slang. to kill or murder. 
–verb (used without object) 7. to be consumed, spent, or employed uselessly or without giving full value or being fully utilized or appreciated. 
8. to become gradually consumed, used up, or worn away: A candle wastes in burning. 
9. to become physically worn; lose flesh or strength; become emaciated or enfeebled. 
10. to diminish gradually; dwindle, as wealth, power, etc.: The might of England is wasting. 
11. to pass gradually, as time. 

 

[belka]

Orly.

 

[MedCorps]

Educate me...

You made mention of the "on-stream" course, A,B, or C type.  Then you are fully POM. 

Do AVN's get only one stream before QL5 or can they qualify in multiple streams? 

Cheers,

MC

 

[belka]

They get only one stream. I know of a few senior Mcpl's that have been around for awhile that have quals in every stream, everything from Engines to Avionics and Weapons. I'm sure you can put in a request to get transfered to another stream, but I haven't seen anyone done it yet. Also, they are giving Armourers their own trade again so C stream has one less subsection. Most, of not all, new techs will get A or B stream since that is where all the bodies are needed.

 

[mover1]

Cold Lake BORING in the winter?

Since when.
Skiing, Quadding, Snowmobiling. Going to Edmonton, going on a road trip to go skiing in the Rockies. Intersection Sports and the best TDs in the winter to Florida, New Orleans, Texas..... its what you make of it.

Besides if your a single woman you get the pick of the litter. Just make sure to do a background check on who you are dating. 

 

[SteveC]

Are AVN/AVS Tech as hard to get into as people say they are?

Are the majority of these two trades posting to Cold Lake?

 

[cp140tech]

Do you mean basic aptitude requirements or space availability? 

Both trades need people.

The majority of the two trades are not in Cold Lake, but it seems that many of the new bodies are being posted up that way.  Cold Lake always seems to need people.

 

[SteveC]

When I say hard to get into, I mean in terms of competitivness.

Just curious because I where the Air Force uniform now, put in a purple trade.  To be honest I wear the air uniform but been with the Army for 8 years.

I heard AVN/AVS was hurting for bodies.  And the trades sounds like a good go.  Im just trying to learn as much as I can about it.  Any links/info anyone has aside from the recruiting site, I'd greatly appreciate

 

[cp140tech]

Hey there, sorry for the slow reply, I'm in NS on a course right now.

I can't provide hard numbers with regards to competitiveness and number of slots, but AVS/AVN both need people.  We've got a lot of new people coming through now, but we'll be losing a ton of people in the next 5 to 10 years the way things are going.

You'd be hard pressed to find a better resource for information than this website, if there are any specific questions you'd like to ask feel free to PM me and I'll get you an answer if I can.  Otherwise, just dig around on here, you'll get a good picture of what the trades are like.

 

[Northernguardian]

There are two recruiting streams for AVS right now. One generates a full blown avionics specialist (like we always did until relatively recently) that has in depth knowledge of electronics, and can interpret schematics, circuits, etc.

The other stream produces inferior techs who are trained for the "first-to-third line" maintenance concept. They receive a lot less training in theory. We old guys refer to these techs as "box changers." They are lost when it comes to the deeper theory traditionally associated with AVS, like circuit analysis. They can't be loaded on 2nd line courses as they lack the knowledge for them. I have heard that some of these techs felt cheated when they realized they were not the same standard as other AVS techs. No surprise there.

I believe the CF is making a huge mistake doing this sort of thing, as these folks cannot be employed in labs, and have difficulty understanding theory on some first line courses. Their limited understanding of avionics theory jeopardizes their ability to troubleshoot aircraft. That we have a two-tier structure within a military occupation should raise concerns, as every trade should have a common standard. 

If you want to go AVS, make sure you know what stream you are getting into.

 

[Sparkplugs]

AVN's are also hurting for people, but be prepared for some major crowding in Borden for your training.  There are more than 270 AVN techs training in Borden right now...  That's not counting all the AVS, either.  It's nuts.  Hurry up and wait is the name of the game here.  Of the last 3 classes to get their postings, 32 people are going to Cold Lake, it's an average of 10 people per class.  If it's a french class, it's been 10 people per class in Bagotville.  Those places are supremely short right now.  As far as AVN goes, you still have to meet a fairly high standard on the CFAT test, and the course, while not extremely hard, is challenging enough that we have lost 4 people to failures.  You'll have to be prepared to study in crappy conditions.  There's not a lot of room here, so it's only if you're very lucky that you'll be living in a mod.  Most living quarters here are 4 per room for the guys, 2 per room for the girls.  PMQ's, you can only get if you are married or already commonlaw, and there aren't many of them.  We had plenty of people turned down just because there weren't enough Q's for students.

If you need to know anything about AVN stuff currently going on in Borden, let me know, I'll do my best to help you out.  I'm here until March, anyway. 

 

[Sparkplugs]

Winter I'll be fine, hehe.  I grew up on a skidoo in Northern Ontario, so no problems there.

I'll let you know what goes on with the streaming and the 1AMS thing that we've all been told about here, but since we're the first ones with these new posting messages, we don't know how it'll turn out when we get to Alberta.

COS is March 24th, but since I graduate in Feb, I'm going to ask to be out there a little sooner than that!

I've always had a good attitude about where I go... Honestly?  I've done a lot worse jobs for a lot less money, this is no different. 

Just did my second last exam today, now only 1 left!!