RCMP Air Service

DA42 · Post by **DA42** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 7:59 pm

Just wondering if anyone has any info on the RCMP Air Service?

It says on there website min 3000 hours - is this really competitive? What's the average time of new hires? What are the salaries like for civilian pilots? If assigned the PC12, what about movement to other aircraft like the P180 Avanti?

And I know this one's kind of childish... but I had to ask... do civilian pilots receive firearms?

Thanks.

ybp · Post by **ybp** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 9:46 pm

I watched a documentary a while back on the RCMP Air Service and I'm quite certain that they said they only hired pilots who were already RCMP "Officers". I don't know if you just have to go through the basic training or what. But at the time I remember thinking that it was a very odd way to get pilots.

They interviewed on of there own pilots and he was saying how it took him so long to get into the air service (he already was an Officer) because he had to get his license and build all his time on his own.

Dunno....

Conquest Driver · Post by **Conquest Driver** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 10:10 pm

Yes, they do hire civilian members. They'd prefer not to but that's not always possible.

I don't know about the gun but I very much doubt their going to issue you one unless you've gone through Depot.

As far as I know it's a pretty good job if you can get it.

app flap · Post by **app flap** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 10:39 pm

what kind of time are they looking for if a member joined up who was already a pilot? i imagine it'd be tough to get any real world flying time in once you were fully suited up in RCMP colors.

would 1500 hours do?

serious question.

xsbank · Post by **xsbank** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 10:41 pm

In the dim distant past you had to be a member and then bid for Air Division. When I finished school they were recruiting on campus but only for members - I already had a couple of thousand hours but they said you had to do the whole enchilada and spend so many years in Alberta doing highway patrol then you could bid. I declined.

Its better now with direct entry, they don't waste a cop in an airplane nor a pilot in a cruiser. Much smarter.

What do you want a gun for? If you get one, I have a list of people you can shoot.

Conquest Driver · Post by **Conquest Driver** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 10:44 pm

If you come in "off the street" it seems to me their looking for 3000 hours min.

If you were a full member and had 1500 you might have a chance at the "first officer upgrade route", if they have that available.

DA42 · Post by **DA42** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 5:20 am

Thanks for the help guys. Don't really care about the firearm, just thought that I'd ask. One last question... do they operate there PC12's two crew?

desksgo · Post by **desksgo** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 6:35 am

Last time I spoke to one of the pilots, NO two crew in the PC-12.

Hedley · Post by **Hedley** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 10:17 am

Why would an aircraft, certified for single-pilot operation, need to be operated as two-pilot in a non-commercial air service?

Does it not have an autopilot? Does it not have a moving map IFR GPS?

Was the PC-12 incorrectly certified? What else was incorrect about it's aircraft certification?

I thought it was a pretty fancy machine - I seem to recall that it would even automatically switch tanks, back & forth, every 30 minutes, so the pilot didn't even have to worry about that.

sameasyou · Post by **sameasyou** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 11:03 am

Civilian pilots are welcome and many have been hired in the last few years. 4 guys i can think of were all civvy pilots before joining. I think you will probably be posted to a less than perfect place for about three years but then a good chance of getting a posting you want. Ottawa, Wpg, West Coast, etc. Initiallly, it'll be YTH or Iqualit, Yellowknife, etc. Pay is good 85K or so..more with O/T.... schedule is around 8 on 5 off or something like that..not exactly sure..hope this helps

ScudRunner · Post by **ScudRunner** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 8:41 am

I thought it was a pretty fancy machine - I seem to recall that it would even automatically switch tanks, back & forth, every 30 minutes, so the pilot didn't even have to worry about that.

Ya its a pretty sweet machine, the fuel system feeds off both tanks and automatically balances the fuel, one side gets more in it it feeds off that one untill evened out. Its a single pilot machine and the Auto Pilot is fantastic will do everything for you including flying approaches. I find it nice to have someone sitting next to you to chat with, when it gets busy on the radio's two's better than one.

DA42 · Post by **DA42** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 4:58 pm

hey sameasyou, thanks for all the info. it's very helpful.

and ah, Hedley... eat my a$$. seriously. so many operators use them two crew, so save the sarcasm.

lyncher · Post by **lyncher** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 10:39 am

they tend to fly single unless its a long haul, in which case the send 2 guys, for the extended duty.

yow2002 · Post by **yow2002** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 1:22 pm

Here's the facts about the RCMP Air Services:

only civilian pilots are being hired since 2000
if a Police Officer has 3,000 hours (very unlikely) he/she would have to convert to a Civilian Member before being transfered to Air Services
a Civiliam Member is different than a Public Servant Employee (PSE)
all new hires must have a min of 3,000
PC-12 single pilot (unless long duty day or training)
Pilots don't carry fire arms (even the Regular Members) most time, the passengers do
the PC-12 is the back bone of the transport fleet (only one P-180 & one B-300 & 2 DHC-6) the rest are small survailance a/c
they have several helicopters and those new hires must have at least 3,000 too

Rudy · Post by **Rudy** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 5:46 pm

Are the Twin Otters on wheels? Any ideas on minimums for those?

snoopy · Post by **snoopy** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 7:19 pm

Everything you ever wanted to know about the RCMP air division:

http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/air/air_e.htm

http://www.rcmp.ca/techops/recruiting_e.htm

yow2002 · Post by **yow2002** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 6:06 am

[quote="Rudy"]Are the Twin Otters on wheels? Any ideas on minimums for those?[/quote]

The two Twin Otters are on wheels.
The RCMP will not even interview pilots who do not have a minimum of 3,000 hours.

The only a/c on amphibs is the C-208 in Prince Rupert.

Rudy · Post by **Rudy** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 6:07 pm

yow2002 wrote: The two Twin Otters are on wheels.
The RCMP will not even interview pilots who do not have a minimum of 3,000 hours.

Thanks. Where are they based?

Rudy · Post by **Rudy** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 6:09 pm

Whitehorse and Goose Bay. Thanks for that link Snoopy.

DA42 · Post by **DA42** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 5:38 pm

hey yow2002,

just out of curiosity are you (or have previously been) a pilot for the rcmp? you had some great info, it helped to fill some voids.
you mentioned that they are only hiring civilian pilots since 2000. but the other day i had the opportunity to talk to a helicopter pilot and he's a full member. had the full flight uniform including fire arm and he joined only two years ago.
i'm just trying to see if it's possible to be both a pilot and a police officer. ever since i was little i have wanted to be both and now after earning my licenses i've been looking into the rcmp and edmonton police service with there Air 1 Eurocopter.
actually, regarding the edmonton police service air unit, does anyone have any info on it? recruiting couldn't answer any questions because they honestly said they didn't know anything about it.

any help would be great.
thanks!

yow2002 · Post by **yow2002** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 6:34 am

[quote="DA42"]hey [b]yow2002[/b],

just out of curiosity are you (or have previously been) a pilot for the rcmp? you had some great info, it helped to fill some voids.
you mentioned that they are only hiring civilian pilots since 2000. but the other day i had the opportunity to talk to a helicopter pilot and he's a full member. had the full flight uniform including fire arm and he joined only two years ago.
i'm just trying to see if it's possible to be both a pilot and a police officer. ever since i was little i have wanted to be both and now after earning my licenses i've been looking into the rcmp and edmonton police service with there Air 1 Eurocopter.
actually, regarding the edmonton police service air unit, does anyone have any info on it? recruiting couldn't answer any questions because they honestly said they didn't know anything about it.

any help would be great.
thanks![/quote]

The RCMP has only hired Civilian Members (CM) since 2002. The helicopter pilot that you spoke with must have been a Regular Member (RM) as they are the only ones who can carry a side arm. There is no way that pilot was hired two years ago. He may have been transferred to a new base two years ago.

Helicopter pilots think that they need to dress up and carry a side arm. The RCMP regulation state that the side arm is apart of the uniform. So there is a conflict between the policy and the reality that the pilot will never have to use it. In fact, it is more likely to cause a problem. Can you imagine walking around an airport in plain cloths carrying a side arm?

The RM pilots can go their entire career and not do one day of "Police" work.

All the pilots that work for Air Services are good pilots. They fly aircraft. There is no need for them to be police officers. They fly police officers to places where they work as police officers. Think about it. If you are a police officer going to a remote location to do a take down, do you want the only person who can get you and your prisoner home with you or at the airport ready to go.

Pilots are NEVER expected to do police work. They are part of the extraction team. Usually the only member of that team.

With the RCMP, have to choose between being a Police officer or a pilot.

If I am a passenger, I want a full-time well trained professional pilot fly me. Not a part-time pilot/Cop.

There are no police officers that can afford to build their time to 3,000 hr to meet the minimum hours. So what should the RCMP do, hire qualified CM pilots or under qualified RM pilots and cross their fingers?

DA42 · Post by **DA42** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 10:34 am

Great points. Thanks

Driving Rain · Post by **Driving Rain** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 12:43 pm

What's the pay scales?

Lommer · Post by **Lommer** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 5:25 pm

Just to play devil's advocate, one RCMP helicopter pilot I know ALWAYS carries his sidearm (and wears his police coveralls). He says he's done so ever since he was shot at when landing at a reserve several years ago. He's the only pilot out of perhaps 10 that I know who does that though.

lyncher · Post by **lyncher** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 10:30 pm

i have a few friends that work for the rcmp on fixed wing and they have never heard of such a thing.

RCMP Air Service

RCMP Air Service

RCMP Air Services

Twin Otters

Re: Twin Otters