Irish Air Corps Pilot Career

doc5

Hi.
Im just thinking of the air corps firstly as a career but with the hope of getting a commercial airline job after 12 years.

I think the minimum service length officially is 12 years. I'm just wondering after that 12 years would you be able to get a job with an airline(ryanair, aer lingus, aer arann, etc ). In previous posts the "old pals act" as been referred to and im just wondering does this actually exsist.

Also, on military.ie it says that the salary is 27k-40k as far as i can remember anyway it was around those figures. Is this right is the max salary really in the 40k's only.

If i wanted to become an airline pilot eventually would i just be better off going straight into it.

note: i am not just joining the air corps to become a airline pilot i would like military flying too.

Thanks in advance.

theKillerBite

I doubt you'd be much use to Ryanair flying these ****boxes



Any salary you mentioned is only for Lieutanents. Once you get promoted you can rise up to €100k+

folbotcar

I wouldn't worry. Frankly if you make it into the Air Corps you'll get into an airline when you leave. All talk of money is irrelevant. Considering they take two to four cadets a year and some of them wash out. The least of your worries is what happens twelve years into your career.

You really need to consider how you'll deal with the likelihood that you fail to get into the Air Corps. Which is the most likely event. No fault of yours. Concentrate completely on getting in. At that point you will have luxury of planning a career.
Good luck. You'll need it.

Growler!!!

theKillerBite wrote: »

I doubt you'd be much use to Ryanair flying these ****boxes

You do realise that all pilots start out in a single engine piston aircraft?

folbotcar

I think he does. It's just that Air Corps pilots go from Pc9s to ancient spam cans unless they go rotary.

cuterob

Ya concentrate on trying to get into the air corps first, it's fairly impossible these days which is the sad truth, take some flight lessons now if you haven't already and also maybe a medical to see if you are just wasting your time cause you need to have a class one medical under your belt to fly air corps/commercial

doc5

Thanks for all the replies.

I understand that it is very hard to get into the air corps in the first place. So after 12 years service ye think one would get an airline job?

So after your 12 year service what licences will you already have? On their website it says military wings coarse and your atpl theory. Does this military wings coarse and atpl theory make your training suffeicent to get you into an airline. Or is there any other training and licenses you need to get?. I persume you need a tr anyway in most cases.

A previous poster said said that the salaries of 30k-40k only applies up to the rank of leitenant and that you can make 100k in further up positions in the air corps. Could someone please explain the payscale in the different ranks?

McNulty737

The 'old pals act' most definitely does apply to Ryanair. Ex air corps tend to rise through the ranks of LTC's, TRE's, base captains and all the way up to chief pilot very quickly....not to mention getting your base of choice (irish bases)....ridiculous favouritism and privileges. I'd say any ex air corp is guaranteed a job in Ryanair regardless of ability.

IngazZagni

McNulty737 wrote: »

The 'old pals act' most definitely does apply to Ryanair. Ex air corps tend to rise through the ranks of LTC's, TRE's, base captains and all the way up to chief pilot very quickly....not to mention getting your base of choice (irish bases)....ridiculous favouritism and privileges. I'd say any ex air corp is guaranteed a job in Ryanair regardless of ability.

Is the company of now the same as the company of 10 years ago before the rapid expansion occurred? Will the company of now be the same as the company 13 years down the line when they could have nearly 500 aircraft in the fleet? That's the key question and an impossible one to answer in my opinion. For Doc5's sake, I think it's meaningless to say what happens in airlines now. Who knows what the industry could be like in 13 years time. Unfortunately if the trend of the past decade continues in relation to pay and conditions, it won't be a good one at all.

folbotcar

In 12 years you will have plenty of time to sort out your licences and ratings in preparation for your civil career. Will you get a job? Who knows. Have you got a crystal ball? In truth you probably will as having military training is hardly a disadvantage.

But again you're putting the cart before the horse. Remember more people win the lottery than get into the Air Corps every year. Getting a cadetship is the first obstacle. Getting through training is the next. All the rest is gravy.

I'm not even sure why you're interested in money. You will be paid enough and as the training is free. You won't be in debt like everyone else. Those who go civil route will be higher pay earlier but taxpayer won't have paid for their training so they have debts.

You say you're interested in military career. Well concentrate on that right now.

TheBoss11

Hi guys, I'm really interested in being a military fixed wing pilot. How do I go about getting into it? I'm aware that the selection process is really difficult but if your not in you can't win.

EI-DOR

http://www.military.ie/careers/air-corp/cadetships/

Oscar Bravo

Shame to see a user refer to the Cessna Rockets as "****boxes"....they have served well since 1972. I suspect the user has very little to do with flying/GA

Suasdaguna1

Oscar Bravo wrote: »

Shame to see a user refer to the Cessna Rockets as "****boxes"....they have served well since 1972. I suspect the user has very little to do with flying/GA

Agree they have served well but jeez here we are in 2014 and they are still part of the "fleet"?

doctorchopper

They may be old but would be the best serviced cessna's out there. There would be many in the q to purchase them once the air corps is finished with them

folbotcar

They're well due for replacement though. There was a big discussion over on IMO as to what should actually replace them.

Not as simple as it looks. Ideally turbine powered but they're expensive. In most militaries they use helicopters in the same role now although in most militaries guarding money, counting bird populations and bog patrol is not part of their role.