RCAF Pilot 2 Be

This is me while in Trenton, ON for Aircrew Selection

 

Well, this blog would not be complete without adding my personal experiences and telling you all a little bit about me.

I’m not quite like your traditional aspiring pilot for the RCAF. As a little kid I never saw myself as a pilot in the forces or even to be flying at all. I wanted to be an architect or fire fighter, and I must admit, I sometimes even dreamt of being a superhero. But a pilot? That came at a slightly later age. My mother, little brother (who is 4 years younger than myself) and I moved to Canada shortly after 9/11 to begin a life more fulfilling and my mother wanted to raise us in a country where my brother and I were less likely to get into too much trouble.

We did find some initial hardships in our move to Canada – my mother wasn’t able to find work right away, my brother and I weren’t allowed to attend elementary school for two years and we found ourselves moving around the metro Vancouver area of BC a few times within as many years. Luckily the schooling system in Germany was a bit more advanced and once we became permanent residents of Canada, my brother and I were able to eventually meet and surpass our grade’s requirements and both ended up skipping a grade – back then I didn’t quite realize how significantly awesome it was to have two years off and still get ahead!

My passion to be a pilot was sparked:

My First Solo in a Schweizer 2-33 glider with the Air Cadets

I remember going to the Abbotsford Air show in BC one year, being very intrigued by the many planes and became fascinated with the incredible power and yet gentleness that came with flight.

As we walked around checking out the planes, we came across these kids standing in sharp looking military uniforms handing out pamphlets to what they called “the best youth program in Canada.” It was the Royal Canadian Air Cadet program, and I was told that I too could be a pilot in the program by the ripe young age of 16! (I was already 13 by then) Without much hurry I was signed up and began parading with the 746 Lightning Hawk Squadron within about a month. The program was great, and really got me interested in flying, because I was a bit older at the time that I joined, I knew I had to work hard. So I attended everything I could and joined everything offered to me. This included the rifle team, drill team, effective speaking team and attended all possible leadership, aviation days, and volunteer days I could! All of this paid off and at the age of 16, I was awarded the scholarship to attend the Glider pilot course, followed by the private pilot scholarship course when I was 17. They were and remain some of the greatest, most proudest achievements of my life, I met many great people (several of whom now fly for the Air Force) and built truly lasting relationships. After these courses, I remember thinking that I wanted to be a pilot for the air force, above all!