Photo by Cpl Jason Weeding, 1JPAU(P)

Come fly with me let’s fly away
Calling future aviators: Army needs you

The Army Pilot Selection Process has been made easier for serving members.

Army members interested in a career as an Army pilot will find the application and selection process more user friendly following the establishment of a dedicated Army Aviation Recruiting Liaison Cell within Army Headquarters.

Cell spokesman Maj Mike Tonge advises that the Army Aviation Recruiting Liaison Cell has been created to improve the processing of Army pilot applicants, particularly those from within the service.

“Our highest priority is to make it easier for interested Army members to apply and have their suitability for pilot training assessed,” he said.

The Army Aviation Recruiting Liaison Cell will be the initial point of contact used for all of the schemes open to serving members interested in an Army Aviation career.

These include the Non-Corps Flying Scheme for ARA officers and the SSO Pilot Scheme for ARA soldiers and Reserve members.

Maj Tonge stressed that “the pilot testing and selection milestones will remain as rigorous as they are now.

“However, the procedures by which interested members gain information, apply for training and undergo aptitude testing will be made clearer and more user friendly.

“Army has a lot of potential pilot talent and we need to make the best use of it.

“The creation of the Army Aviation Recruiting Liaison Cell gives us the administrative horsepower and funding necessary to mentor interested members through the application, testing and selection processes.”

The new cell will liaise with the various agencies involved, including Defence Force Recruiting and the ADF Pilot Selection Agency, to ensure that the processing of in-service pilot applicants runs as efficiently as possible.

Key initiatives planned for 2003 include promotional visits to major Army bases, participation in tri-service recruiting activities and the publication of a clear, easy to understand guide for interested members to follow when applying for pilot training.

In addition to improving the processing of in-service pilot applicants, the Army Aviation Recruiting Liaison Cell will be more pro-active in the recruitment of former military pilots from overseas and ex-ADF helicopter pilots who may be interested in an Army aviation career.

The Army Aviation Recruiting Liaison Cell will be based in Russell Offices, Canberra, as part of the Directorate of Personnel – Army, and will operate with the assistance of 16 Avn Bde.

Army members interested in an aviation career should use the following point of contact:

Maj Mike Tonge
Army Aviation Recruiting Liaison Officer Army Headquarters
Russell Offices R8-9-003
ACT 2600
Tel: (02) 6265 5296
Email: michael.tonge@defence.gov.au

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