I was accepted as a Reserve Pilot 2007. I had no military flying background. Training slots are arranged on an adhoc basis.

PM me and I'll tell you all about.

Yes, after two years you can bid to any specialty that is posting a vacancy. Your seniority will decided if you get the position, and the staffing in your current specialty will decide when you can leave. Can be a few years of waiting. Nav Canada could use some outside help in training their instruc...

It does all come down to the ability to make critical decisions quickly. There's no specific background that stands out. I'd say the common personalities are: curious/inquisitive, strong attention to detail, able to work independently, and deal with a high pressure work environment. The FIR is chopp...

up_and_down, Hands down ATC training is harder than flight training. I think flying is rather linear. Checklists, procedures, priorities, etc. "when this happens, do that". ATC has more depth and complexity. There is an "art" to the more difficult specialties. It seems to be a main stumbling block f...

I made the switch to IFR after a few years flying around. I've found my ATC career lacking any real reward or incentive other than the financial stability. Few people really enjoy the work. Any novelty will quickly wear off, and once you get used to the pay, the "golden handcuffs" will be thrown on....

V1VRV2:

No, you grow up.

Poopoohead!

Well, a lot of pilots are used to hearing the same clearances. Most pilots don't pay attention at the best of times. When you are used to hearing "maintain six thousand" and today it's "maintain one-six thousand", the hero of the day will most likely read back what he's used to hearing. To avoid a n...