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How To Join The Royal Canadian Air Force In 2024

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A rare privilege to serve in the Royal Canadian Air Force don’t you think? To join the Canadian Royal Air Force. I wouldn’t think twice about serving my country in such a capacity.

The Royal Canadian Air Force is the air and space force of Canada and is responsible for the operations of all the aircraft in the Canadian forces, ensures the security of Canadian airspace, and provides absolute assistance to missions embarked by the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Army.

The RCAF consisted of 12,074 Regular Force and 1,969 Primary Reserve personnel, supported by 1,518 civilians, and operated 258 manned aircraft and 9 unmanned aerial vehicles and joined forces with the United States Air Force to provide protection to the continental airspace under the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). The RCAF is also responsible for the National Search and Revise Program.

The RCAF takes care of and flies various types of aircraft such as;

1. Air Demonstration

CF-188 Hornet

CT-114 Tutor

2. Fighter

CF-188 Hornet

3. Maritime Aviation

CH-148 Cyclone

CP-140 Aurora

4. Search And Rescue

CC-130H Hercules

CC-295 Kingfisher

CH-146 Griffon

CH-149 Cormorant

5. Tactical Aviation

CH-146 Griffon

CH-147F Chinook

6. Trainer

Bell 412CF

C-90B King Air

CH-139 Jet Ranger

CT-142 Dash-8

CT-155 Hawk

CT-156 Harvard II

Grob-G120A

7. Transport

BE-350 King Air

CC-130J Hercules

CC-138 Twin Otter

CC-144 Challenger

CC-150 Polaris

CC-177 Globemaster III

How To Join The RCAF

Eligibility Check

To join the RCAF you’ll need to meet some criteria, like nationality, age, education, and health. Some criteria apply to everyone joining the RCAF; others only apply to specific roles.

1. Nationality & Residency

For Nationality, you must be a;

British citizen
British national
British/Dual national
Commonwealth citizen
Irish Republic National

For residency check;

To meet up for the RCAF residency requirement, you must;

Have been a resident of the UK for at least five years before application and must have spent a maximum of 28 days per year outside the UK within those five years.
Be a citizen of the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, holder of dual UK/other nationality.
Whether or not you were born in the United Kingdom, you should have resided there for the 5 years immediately preceding your application. However, candidates with a minimum of 3 years will be considered.

2. Age Requirements

Age requirements vary depending on which role you choose. The youngest age for applying is 15 years and nine months for an Airman. The oldest is 55 years for a Medical Officer.

If you’re under 18 years of age, you’ll need consent from a parent or guardian before application

Be aged 16 – 47 years old (Must attest before 48th birthday)

3. Educational Requirements

This criteria depends on the role which you apply for, however, this is the basic.

Grade C (Grade 4 to 5 with effect from Aug 17) or equivalent in English language, Mathematics, or SCE Standard Grades at Grade 2/Scottish National 5 in English, Mathematics, and an approved Science/Technology-based subject.

4. Fitness Requirements

All applicants must be fit in order to complete initial and specialist training and perform their roles effectively. To assess fitness, every candidate undergoes two or three separate fitness tests as part of the application process: Selection Fitness Test, Pre-joining Fitness Test, or Pre-recruit Training Course. The fitness requirements for these tests vary according to role, age, and gender.

Background Checks

All applicants are required to:

Declare any previous unspent convictions
Check eligibility under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 through this summary of its provisions
Undergo a basic background check to obtain Security Check level clearance
Some roles also require applicants to declare spent convictions and obtain additional clearance.

How To Apply

Applications can be submitted online or by visiting the RCAF Help Centre on their official page. Your questions and confusion will be clarified via the Help Centre.

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