ONLY IF YOU ADMIT TO THEM! A normal USAF physical is not going to find out that you're vulnerable to say...russian ragweed. They will ask you a million questions that, if you want to pass the physical, you will answer "no" to.

If you answer so much as "maybe", they'll test you until your feet bleed and then they WILL find something that you're allergic to, and then they'll disqualify you and make you a logistics officer.

And yes, I know people who fell for that trap.

 

Funny you say this. I was talking to the flight doc the other day who said that it's funny when all these guys make it through Brooks with no allergies. But the day they show up to UPT they all the sudden have allergies and ask to be put in Claritin and flonase. 1Seat1Engine is on to something!

 

Yes they can!

I joined when I was in high school, took a semester of school off and went to training. Came back started college got a degree and up through my CFII and only came out with about 5k in debt thanks to all the incentives and bonuses (and working) offered by the guard. Yes I was sent, let me rephrase that, volunteered to go to the desert once. But I am in a fighter unit and we don't get sent over nearly as much as our heavy brethren. I also went on many other TDY's with my unit and all were voluntary including my trip to the desert. I had no problem getting through school, even graduated a semester early. Going on all those deployments and working hard paid off as my unit offered me a pilot slot which I graciously accepted .

If you have the desire to fly for the military and serve your country then go for it but if all you want to do is further your civilian career, stay away! There is far to much worked involved with military flying to do it for that reason.

 

Never said it'd be easier (I would imagine it could very well be easier than life in the military), but getting into the flying industry is not exactly easy no matter which way you go. I did it both ways. Paid for all my civilian training, worked as a CFII for a few years, joined active duty AF and now I'm in the ANG, but this was not planned from the very start this way. Doing the military route is not a bad way to go and probably the best financial choice since you don't pay anything for the flight training, get great flying experience and the pay as a brand new 2nd Lt in the Air Force is probably about the same as a 4 year regional captain. At the same time, a 10 year military commitment is alot to swallow if you're not 110% sure that is what you want to do. Being a pilot in the Air Force is not all glamour like it may seem when you go to air shows. There are lots of other things that come with the job. Paperwork, desk duties, non-flying assignments, etc... You are an officer first, then pilot. It's not like the airlines where you've got 15+ days off a month and when you're off, you're home chill'n on your recliner.

 

Yea, I wanted to go serve but for me family is always first and my brother already went into the military and got killed by a roadside bomb while his unit was on patrol so they don't want me going in the military. So I am looking for a civilian way to get into the flying industry even if it means paying for it.

So, what would you recommend that's in the civilian ways of getting in?

 

First, I am very sorry to hear about your brother, I can only imagine how hard it is to lose a loved one like that. I also respect your stance that family is first, as it always should be.

One thing to keep in mind, while flying in the military is not free of it's hazards, were are not exactly walking the streets of Baghdad either. To be honest on my last deployment to the desert I spent at least an hour or so a day sitting in a nice pool *(as an enlisted guy not a pilot, although the pilots spent their fair share of time at the pool also). Gotta love the AF! If flying to the Air Force is something you really want to do then go for it. I know it might hurt your family a little now but if it is truly something you want to do they should respect that. You don't want to be that guy who turns 40 and looks back with regrets. Like I said I respect that you put family first as should everyone else, because in the end they will always be there for you.

From the perspective of a guy who went to a small pilot factory and got an aviation degree. If the civilian route is what you decide then I would recommend that you stay away from the pilot factories. Get your degree in something other than aviation or at least double major! If I had it to do over again I would have got a business degree. Do your flying at a part 61 FBO. It will cost about half as much and you will still get they same ratings as the other guy from the pilot factory. Get your CFI and teach while you are still in college to build up your time. Research, research, research!!!! There are tons of jobs out there for low time guys to build up their Total time if you just look. Once you hit 500tt your options open up significantly, there is banner towing, aerial photography, flying tours. Or just go out to a place like Tucson or Phoenix where there are about 364 days of good flying a year and get a CFI job at a busy flight school. I am willing to bet most of those guys max our their 8 hours of instruction a day. Also try to find a place with a twin so you could possibly teach in that to build your multi-time.

PM me if have any more questions.

 

great post! can you explain to me why you would work as a CFI before applying to the guard unit? and why you would attend USAF OCS after joining the guard unit?

 

Because going into a Guard or Reserve Unit is highly competitive. Only 2-4% of people looking to get hired into the Guard or Reserves get pilot slots. That means you should have some substantial time (200 hours +) if you want to be really competitive. Not as true for Active Duty.

In the Guard you would go to AMS (Academy of Military Science), which is a 6 week version of OTS. In the Reserves you will go to to OTS (Officer Training School), which is a 12 week program. You are an Officer first, so if you didn't go to the Academy or ROTC in College, then you are going to go to AMS or OTS. Why? Because whether you are Guard, Reserve, or Active duty, you are an Officer in the United States Air Force, and are trained accordingly.

 

ahh ok, so AMS and OTS are for officer training. so you would only actually get hours in the USAF OCS? is that competetive as well?

 

You don't fly at AMS or OTS, no hours involved. He was talking about getting selected for the guard.