The Signup Process

My complete sign up process took just over a year. The first time that I came into the recruitment office, to submit my sign up forms, was in July 2004. I started my service in August 2005 and there were two reasons for this nearly one year gap. The first reason is that there is a significant amount of waiting in-between appointments, and the second is that the aircrew selection is only held twice a year.

First step you submit your papers. This includes your resume, school grades, references and some other minor documents. What's nice about this stage is that you fill out this huge form with all the work and school information from the past 10 years: a good document to have, even for your own sake. It forces you to look back and reflect on the things you've done. Next are an interview and an aptitude test.

The interview is very straight forward. Be honest, tell them why you want to join and ask any questions you might have. They will ask you about your addictions, even about how frequently you drink tea or pop. Don't worry if you've done drugs, you can still join BUT you will not be allowed to continue while serving in the military. There is also a serious question about understanding that orders have to be followed and that one day you might have to use a firearm to take someone's life.

"If pre-selected, you will be submitted to the electronic Canadian Forces Aptitude Test (eCFAT). This test is very important as it gives your military career counselor an indication of what occupations you may be best suited for. The test includes questions to measure your language skills, your spatial ability, and your problem solving skills." (from http://www.forces.ca) By the way, a good resource for many military topics is the army.ca forum. Here, for example, are some good resources to prepare you for the test.

And in case you can't access the above website, here is a direct link to a practice CFAT. As you'll see, the questions are quite basic. The actual exam is not any more difficult, same type of questions, just different.

Apparently fitness is no longer tested before enrolment. When I was joining in 2005 there was a running test which I had to prepare for. I had to make a 2.4 km run within 13 minutes. To tell you the truth it wasn't that hard but I pushed myself to get a better result. My advice to new recruits is to be ready because the better shape you're in the easier it will be to march around with an 80 lb rack sack on your back or do the morning PT (physical training) exercises.

As for the medical tests they are straight forward as well. You'll see a doctor for an overall health assessment, have your blood tested, eye sight verified, and hearing checked. The first eye exam is cool. They dilate your pupils with special drops and it lingers for few hours. That's why they will tell you to bring sunglasses and you're not supposed to be driving that day.

The aircrew selection is the most interesting part of the sign-up process. First of all it is in Trenton, Ontario, which means that you will be flown in, fed and accommodation will be provided. It takes 3 days in Trenton to determine if you are smart enough to be a pilot or a navigator and then 2 days in Toronto to further test your health.

Here is a picture of the simulator in Trenton. It's very basic but it is sufficient to weed out those that don't have the necessary eye-hand coordination. It also checks if you can follow instructions and if you are a quick learner.



Here you can see the accommodations in Trenton. Basically an equivalent of a modern motel, you've got room service, cable, Internet, etc.





The tests in Toronto are quite interesting. You will really find out everything about your health here. Some guys came through and discovered about heart issues that they didn't even know they had. They take all kinds of x-rays, tests and pictures like the one of the back of your eyeballs. This test is repeated every few years and then the pictures are compared with the old ones. This way they can tell if there are any changes happening inside your eyes, an indication of a possible problem.


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