Posting/type preferences - Pilots

[kermit98]

I'm currently on OJT, awaiting PFT (March 2012).  Perhaps one of you pilots can shed some light on this:  Do you have much say in the type of aircraft you get, or in your posting location.  Let's say that you're picked for helos, and you really want Cormorants at Comox.  Does anyone get a first posting on Cormorants?  And is Comox a tough base to get posted to?  I would think it's quite a popular destination for service members.
Do family matters come into consideration?  For example, if my wife has a great job on Vancouver Island and doesn't want to leave, do the powers that be consider these things?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Zoomie]

Does anyone get a first posting on Cormorants? 

Yes - plenty of people have gotten Comox as their first posting on the Cormorant.

And is Comox a tough base to get posted to? 

Comox has less pilots per capita for the Air Force - so it is harder to get there than Trenton for example.

Do family matters come into consideration?  For example, if my wife has a great job on Vancouver Island and doesn't want to leave, do the powers that be consider these things?

Not really - you have to understand that the needs of the Air Force come first, if we can make everyone on the graduating class happy, we will do it.  As course staff we also look at your flying ability and the job that you want to fill - I have purposely sent a very strong student on an airframe that he did not want - just because we knew that he would better serve that very complicated LRP job vice the TAL job (which is not quite so complicated).

Your wife's job is not a consideration at all - you will move every 4 years.  If you want to stay in one place, the best place for that is Winnipeg or Trenton.  Definitely not Comox - guaranteed moving out of there in exactly 4 years as a pilot.

 

[aesop081]

guaranteed moving out of there in exactly 4 years as a pilot.

Unless you are a certain pilot who's initials are L.N. 

 

[Zoomie]

Unless you are a certain pilot who's initials are L.N. 

He is an extreme oddity - in many different ways.