On October 13, 2009, during Roto 8 of Joint Task Force Afghanistan, flight engineer Corporal Steve J. Laing mans a Dillion 7.62mm M134 Minigun mounted on the side of a CH-146 Griffon helicopter during an early morning operation. PHOTO: Master Corporal Matthew McGregor, AR2009-0002-09
Are you a member of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) looking for a new job and a new challenge?
The Royal Canadian Air Force is looking for currently-serving members interested in a career as a flight engineer, an airborne electronic sensor operator or a search and rescue technician.
Briefing teams will be visiting locations across the country throughout May 2019 to meet with military personnel and discuss the possibilities. If you are a serving member who is interested in attending a briefing session, contact your Wing or Base personnel selection office for more information, including the date, time and location of the briefing in your area.
Airborne Electronic Sensor Operator (AES Op)
The term “AES Op” may sound cryptic, but it’s an occupation that has an essential and expanding role in 21st-Century military operations of all kinds. Within the RCAF, Airborne Electronic Sensor Operators detect, identify and analyze threats in the air, on land, at sea and underwater. These highly skilled specialists employ leading-edge technologies to detect and track submarines, keep ground troops safe, assist other government departments and agencies in surveillance and the collection of evidence, and support search and rescue efforts throughout Canada and on missions overseas.
AES Ops work in a complex and dynamic environment. They are the eyes and the ears of military commanders, employing advanced airborne sensor equipment such as radar, sonar, and forward-looking infra-red cameras. The information they detect and collect is absolutely crucial to mission success, and can make the difference between life and death for both military personnel and civilians in danger or distress.
As part of the aircrew team, AES Ops serve on three types of aircraft: the CP-140 Aurora Long-Range Patrol aircraft, the CH-148 Cyclone Maritime Helicopter, and the soon-to-be-delivered CC-295 Fixed Wing Search and Rescue aircraft. They load and analyze mission data as part of a wide range of operations, from domestic to international.
This occupation is now accepting Regular and Reserve Force applicants from within the Canadian Armed Forces through the Voluntary Occupational Transfer (VOT) program. If this opportunity sounds exciting to you, and you want to take the concept of “screen time” to a whole new level, contact your Base or Wing Personnel Selection Officer.
Flight Engineer (Flt Engr)
The Flight Engineer (Flt Engr) occupation is currently seeking motivated men and women to join its ranks. For eligible candidates from the Aviation (AVN) and Avionics (AVS) Technician trades, this is an excellent opportunity to expand your role and responsibilities into air operations, building upon your existing technical skills.
As a Flt Engr, you will have an active role in air operations as an essential member of the flight crew and as a respected advisor to the aircraft commander regarding aircraft technical and maintenance issues. This occupation is ideal for candidates who are interested in both the operational and technical domains of military aviation.
Operational environments for Flt Engrs cover a wide range of roles, aircraft types and locations. These include the Chinook and Griffon tactical helicopter fleets (including those conducting Special Ops); long-range patrol in the Aurora; the Twin Otter in the transport role; and Search and Rescue in the H-model Hercules, the Cormorant, the Buffalo and the new Fixed-Wing Search and Rescue aircraft when it enters service.
Once selected, candidates attend a basic occupation rank qualification course of about 60 training days, after which you will be posted to a squadron. This is followed by operational training specific to the role and the aircraft to be flown. The sequence of technician experience followed by additional flight and technical training in the Flt Engr occupation is a natural evolution that makes maximum use of skills and knowledge that have been progressively acquired through your career. This helps ensure that qualified personnel are ready to operate within the broad range of responsibilities and the greater independence associated with Flt Engr duties.
Search and Rescue Technician (SAR Tech)
The RCAF is looking for motivated candidates to become Search and Rescue Technicians, known as SAR Techs.
As members of the highly trained and world-renowned RCAF SAR aircrew team, SAR Techs help save hundreds of Canadian lives every year, from coast to coast to coast. It is the SAR Tech’s calling to push beyond limits by being mentally tough, physically strong, and totally committed to helping those in distress. In doing so, SAR Techs proudly embody their motto, “That Others May Live”.
SAR Techs are prepared 24/7 to do what others can’t. Operating from fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, these highly-trained specialists access austere locations by employing parachuting, hoisting, scuba diving, rock climbing and arctic survival skills to deliver life-saving emergency medicine. They literally turn chaos into hope . . . not a job for the faint of heart.
This occupation is accepting Regular and Reserve Force applicants from within the Canadian Armed Forces through the Voluntary Occupational Transfer (VOT) program. If this opportunity sounds exciting to you, and you’re up for a challenge, contact your Base or Wing Personnel Selection Officer. Watch for an upcoming information session at your Wing or Base, offering further details about the selection, training and role for this life-saving occupation.
