RWS 78 – Military to Civilian Transition for Helicopter Pilots with Tarryn Ryan

Rotary Wing Show - Interviews from the Helicopter Industry

After gaining her Wings in South Africa Tarryn Ryan build up experience over a range of different roles both in the civilian market and in two different militaries.

For many military aviators their careers at some point end up being a case of ‘up’ or ‘out’ – either promoted to more non-flying roles or transitioning out into the civil industry.

Landing that first non-military position can sometimes be hard as you establish yourself again and reorient to the new environment and civil market.

Tarryn Ryan is a pilot who has made the transition twice – once from the South African Air Force and more recently from the Australian Army. Tarryn has some good advice for other aircrew looking to prepare for the transition out of the military.

In the South African Air Force Tarryn flew the Oryx(Puma variant) operationally including regular deployments to the Congo and anti-piracy support missions off the east coast of Africa. After 10 years and reaching Major, Tarryn pursued her flying career outside of the military and landed a role flying a single engined August A119 conducting aeromedical evacuation to rural communities.

Tarryn later moved into Marine Pilot Transfer ops out of Durban operating offshore to ships using A109s.

After a successful application to transfer to the Australian Army via their lateral transfer program Tarryn again found herself wearing green. There she trained on the MRH90 transport helicopter and was posted to 5 Avn Regt in Townsville, Queensland.

Some time later Tarryn again got to experience the transition process and its challenges to her current position, again conducting Marine Pilot Transfer ops but this time of the east coast of Australia.

Some of the things we cover:

• Reasons people leave the military
• Timing
• Preparation
• Logbooks
• Hours – Mil vs Civil
• Recognition of Qualifications
• Resume tips – choosing references
• Using your network
• Reputation!!

MRH90 course graduation

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Links from this week’s episode:
Support the podcast on Patreon

Transferring Your Australian Defence Force Flying Qualifications to Civil Licences guide.

HAI Military to Civil info page and sample resume.

Transitioning From Military to Civilian Aviation – 12 Steps to Ensure Success – LinkedIn post by Phillip Schantin.

Tarryn’s first job out of the South African Air Force was flying a A119 on aeromedical evacuation out of Durban.

On deployment in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Never a dull moment!

Short contract on the BK117 in Mali.

Oryx commander and the first all female operational crew.

Have a comment or feedback about Episode 78? Maybe you have some great tips of your own that others can benefit from. Be part of the conversation by leaving a comment below.

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