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<p>Once you have completed flying training, you'll be posted to an Air Force flying squadron based at one of the many Air Force bases across Australia:</p>
<div class="p" ><strong>New South Wales</strong></div>
<p>RAAF Base Williamtown: F/A-18 Hornet, Hawk 127 and E-7A Wedgetail</p>
<p>RAAF Base Richmond: C-130 Hercules</p>
<div class="p" ><strong>Northern Territory</strong></div>
<p>RAAF Base Tindal: F/A-18 Hornet</p>
<div class="p" ><strong>Queensland</strong></div>
<p>RAAF Base Amberley: F/A-18F Super Hornet, F/A-18G Growler,&nbsp;C17-A Globemaster III, C-27J Spartan, and KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport</p>
<div class="p" ><strong>South Australia</strong></div>
<p>RAAF Base Edinburgh:P-8A Poseidon</p>
<div class="p" ><strong>Victoria</strong></div>
<p>RAAF Base East Sale: King Air 350 and Pilatus PC-9/A training aircraft</p>
<div class="p" ><strong>Western Australia</strong></div>
<p>RAAF Base Pearce: Pilatus PC-21 and Hawk 127 training aircraft</p>
<p>The exact location of your posting will depend on the type of aircraft chosen for your advanced training.</p>
<p>Subsequent postings could take you to other Defence establishments and possibly overseas on humanitarian and peacekeeping missions.</p>

You will be paid while you study. On completion of your degree, Initial Military Training and Initial Employment Training, you'll earn at least:

Training

Your salary while completing your studies

Trained

Your salary once trained

In the Air Force you'll get paid a good salary from day one regardless of your age, experience or qualifications; and your pay increases as you progress through training.<br><br>In addition to your salary you'll receive a variety of allowances, extra pay for relevant qualifications – plus 16.4% superannuation, a far higher rate than you're likely to find in the civilian world.

Officer Entry: Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA)

Officer Entry: ADFA

<p>You've now graduated from Number 2 Flying Training School and are ready to be streamed onto specific aircraft. This process is called 'conversion'.</p>
<p>By this point you'll probably have a pretty good idea what type of aircraft you're passionate about flying. However, whilst acknowledging your preference, recommendations about the best choice of aircraft based on your temperament, strong points and aptitude will be provided by your instructors.</p>
<p>Air Force instructors are highly experienced and will have been observing you for almost 12 months, so they are well qualified to advise the selection panels on your suitability.</p>
<p>Ultimately, the needs of the Air Force take precedence. However every aircraft option will still provide you with a rich and rewarding career, plus levels of job satisfaction those in other jobs can only dream of.</p>
<p>So whether you're selected to fly a C-17A Globemaster III heavy transport, a KC-30A tanker, an E-7A Wedgetail surveillance and control aircraft, or a state of the art F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter, this is the stage when you learn the specifics of the aircraft chosen. </p>
<p>You can read more about all the aircraft we operate on the Air Force website.</p>
<p>You'll also become fully assimilated into the working environment of your new squadron, learning the theory behind the tactics it employs. Here you will 'crew up' and practise until your team is operationally effective.</p>

<p>Once you have completed flying training, you'll be posted to an Air Force flying squadron based at one of the many Air Force bases across Australia:</p>
<div class="p" ><strong>New South Wales</strong></div>
<p>RAAF Base Williamtown: F/A-18 Hornet, Hawk 127, and E-7A Wedgetail</p>
<p>RAAF Base Richmond: C-130J Hercules</p>
<div class="p" ><strong>Northern Territory</strong></div>
<p>RAAF Base Tindal: F/A-18 Hornet</p>
<div class="p" ><strong>Queensland</strong></div>
<p>RAAF Base Amberley: F/A-18F Super Hornet, F/A-18G Growler, C17-A Globemaster III, C-27J Spartan, and KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport</p>
<div class="p" ><strong>South Australia</strong></div>
<p>RAAF Base Edinburgh: P-8A Poseidon</p>
<div class="p" ><strong>Victoria</strong></div>
<p>RAAF Base East Sale: King Air 350 and Pilatus PC21 training aircraft</p>
<div class="p" ><strong>Western Australia</strong></div>
<p>RAAF Base Pearce: Pilatus PC21 and Hawk 127 training aircraft</p>
<p>The exact location of your posting will depend on the type of aircraft chosen for your advanced training.</p>
<p>Subsequent postings could take you to other Defence establishments and possibly overseas on humanitarian and peacekeeping missions.</p>

You will be paid while you train, and on completion of your Initial Military Training and Employment Training, you’ll earn at least:

Your starting salary

Officer Entry: Officer

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<p>By joining the Air Force as a Pilot, you'll be entering into an 'Officer Aviation' role. This term refers to a handful of Air Force Officer aircrew and ground-based mission controller roles. In an Officer Aviation role, you'll become a world-class leader and manager and operate some of the most advanced aircraft and aviation systems in the world.</p>
<p>As an Air Force Pilot, you'll be responsible for operating military aircraft. Depending on your role, you'll fly either fighter jets, or fixed wing aircraft. Getting your wings and undertaking a career as a Pilot isn't easy, but if you're tough, ambitious, and you have a passion for the skies, you might just have what it takes.</p>
<p>While Air Force Pilots operate aircraft, that's where the similarities with commercial airline pilots stop. Flying in the Air Force is the ultimate flying experience, where each mission and each day is different to the last. It's an exciting, hands-on role, if you give it the dedication and motivation it requires. Along with excitement and a high level of responsibility, the Air Force will provide you with a very competitive salary package, and a lifestyle like nothing else. Plus, you'll experience life on board a wide variety of aircraft and benefit from continual investment in your personal and professional development.</p>
<p>The next 10 years will see significant changes in the Air Force as the service continues to modernise, with a focus on information technology and how that can be translated into a competitive warfighting advantage. The Air Force will require highly motivated professionals to manage missions and pilot our aircraft, making real-time decisions relating to missions in an ever-changing environment.</p>
<div class="p" ><strong><a href="https://airforce.adfcareers.gov.au/jobs/fast-jet-pilot">Fast Jet Pilot (FJP)</a></strong></div>
<p>Fast Jet Pilots in the Air Force fly state-of-the-art combat aircraft, including the F-35 Joint Strike Fighters (JSF), which the Air Force is currently acquiring to replace our F/A-18A (Hornets). The JSF is a modern fighter that employs stealth technology and high performance. Fast Jet Pilots also team up with Weapon Systems Officers on the F/A-18F Super Hornet or with Electronic Warfare Officers on the EA-18G Growler to complete missions. The operations that Fast Jet Pilots are involved in are varied and complex in nature and include air-to-air combat and air-to-surface strikes. As a Fast Jet Pilot, you'll be at the heart of Australia's modern Air Force.</p>
<div class="p" ><strong><a href="https://airforce.adfcareers.gov.au/jobs/fixed-wing-pilot">Fixed Wing Pilot (FWP)</a>
</strong></div>
<p>There's more to the Air Force than fighter jets. Without the support of fixed wing aircraft like the E-7A Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft (AEW&amp;C) or the KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) flown by Fixed Wing Pilots, fast jets and the wider Air Force can't operate as effectively. Fixed Wing Pilots also fly the P-8A Poseidon aircraft, performing a variety of missions including anti-surface strike, anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue, and maritime Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions. On top of this, a vital component of joint operations is air transport, and Fixed Wing Pilots fly a diverse variety of transport aircraft ranging in size from the C-27J Spartan and C-130J Hercules through to the giant C-17A III Globemaster.</p>
<div class="p" ><strong>The Future</strong></div>
<p>Remote Piloted Aircraft (RPA); dedicated Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft; and space-based technologies will join with our advanced, capable platforms as part of a modern Air Force. </p>
<p>Click on the following link for more information on the other pathways within <a href="https://airforce.adfcareers.gov.au/jobs/officer-aviation">Officer Aviation</a>.</p>

Air Force Pilots do more than the average pilot. Accept the challenge and take control of some of the fastest jets in the skies, carrying out adrenaline-fueled combat and stealth missions. Or, specialise in fixed-wing aircraft and fly covert surveillance missions or transport troops and supplies.

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Find out what it’s like

Benefits you won't see anywhere else

You’ll enjoy the following:

Great salary from day one, which increases with experience

Generous superannuation of 16.4% – a huge 4.9% over the Australian standard

Help to buy a home, a subsidised home loan or rent allowance

Free medical and dental for you, and subsidised healthcare for you and your family

Fully paid training

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