Sugar Aside . . .
 

. . . what are the chances of getting a pilot slot if one joins AFROTC/NROTC, works hard in school, gets known in the cadre, etc.? I have received totally mixed reports from recruiters and students in ROTC programs -- all good from the recruiters, and some good and some bad from the students. How much does the placement percentage vary from year to year? What are the top things you recommend for boosting one's chances of being given a slot?
If it helps at all, I'm going to Purdue.
Thanks in advance for your responses :)

The different services have slightly different procedures, but generally they all work like this...

ROTC scholarship students have higher odds of active duty and getting their choice of assignment. ROTC participants who are not on scholarship have lower odds, but it all depends on requirements at the time.

Generally, job asignments are based on merit, using screening boards and/or interview(s). The ROTC students get to submit a dreamsheet indicating their preference.

For any job, selection is based first on the needs of the service, then on merit, and lastly on random luck. In order to maximize your chances for a certain job...

1) Be fully medically qualified. You might be able to get a waiver for certain things, but that will probably make you less competetive than those who are qualified. About the only control you have over this is to stay in shape, consider laser-vision surgery, and avoid motorcycles.

2) Be physically qualified. Stay in shape. Maintain good run, swim, and calesthentic numbers.

3) Get good grades. This will be the largest competetive factor, both for your job assignment and for future civilian educational opportunities...you only get one chance at this, don't blow it.

4) Participate in ROTC operations, and don't screw off. Play their game... this is not as important as grades, but still counts.

5) Participate in military-sponsored civilian flight training, if offered. If your service does not provide any, do some civilian flight training...try to get a PPL and maybe an IRA.

Note: The navy, usmc, and uscg have a lot of helicopters. Nothing from your college background will prevent you from being assigned to helicopters once you get to flight school. If you want to be an airline pilot, this will not be good.

AF has a lot of planes, the navy has a lot of boats, which one do you think has more pilot slots to hand out each year? BTW I was NROTC for a year and then changed to AFROTC due to this exact fact, of course that was 1993 and no pilot slots were handed out, so I went intel and picked up a UPT slot on AD.

Go first two years of AF/NROTC before you are committed/obligated to the service. If you don't get the pilot slot, bail out. Graduate and go to OTS/OCS of service that gives you a pilot slot. Also, Marines have a college program that can get you a cockpit.
Considerations:

USAF: go fixed wing, competitive to get rotary. UAV 'pilot' a possibilty in career.

Navy: Service needs, but could be Fixed or Rotary. Better you do ensures fixed. Tailhooker opportunity. Minimal exposure to being UAV 'pilot'.

Marines: Service needs, but lots of Rotary. Better you do ensures fixed. Tailhooker opportunity in F-18/Sea deck time as AV-8B pilot.

I recommend all 3 services since I have been in them. Great people, different stuff enroute, but reality most go where they can get a pilot slot with chance at type airframe/career opportunity that suits personal character.
Best of luck.

Well I can only speak for AFROTC. You're going to have to put some time in before you see the results. Unless things have changed you are not going to find out if you get that elusive pilot slot until your Junior year. I didn't find out until my spring semester. I did a 3 year program so I was in for a year and a half before I got the good news.

I could try to pass this off as my own, but it's not. Check out this site and it pretty much spells it out for you.

http://www.wantscheck.com/PilotSlotR...0/Default.aspx

As referenced by WAFP, unless things have changed you don't find out if you have a pilot slot until the spring of your junior year, which is after you have committed. Nothing says those slots can't be taken away by the needs of the service as in the early 90s. Might even be due to political / $ constraints - reference the upcoming change of administration. My point is to pick a branch of service that you would be happy in, even if you do not end up with a pilot slot, because lots of things could happen between now and earning your wings.

Good luck

Like the dreaded stick in the eye during night land navigation! Pilot wannabes running around the woods at night with racquetball googles on:eek: and finally the always popular - you have a heart murmur or low blood iron that NO other medical has found in your long and exhaustive medical screening. It is a path covered in landmines. Good luck!

USMCFLYR

Not anymore...Rotary usually goes to the last place guy in the class unless there is someone who wants it. In my class the Acitve Duty kids were really kissing @$$ to the guy who wanted it to make sure he wouldn't change his mind.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SaltyDog (Post 396465)

Go first two years of AF/NROTC before you are committed/obligated to the service.

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Salty,
One other point. It's been over 20 years since the scholarship went 2 years without a commitment.

The cadet/midshipman with a scholarship is allowed to spend the freshman year only in a non-committed status. Prior to starting their sophomore year with a scholarship, they must commit to service.

Af Ots
 

All great advice but I suggest that you earn a B.A. or B.S. and then apply to AF OTS. As far as I know (inputs please Navy and Marine bros), only AF OTS guarantees you a pilot training slot BEFORE you sign your life away.

You need to earn darn good grades, take the Air Force Officer Qualification Test (AFOQT) and score really well on it, submit a bunch more application paperwork, then you are told if you have been accepted for pilot training BEFORE you sign your life away.

If you are really smart, you will earn great grades, score well on the AFOQT after you have found a guard or reserve unit to hire you and send you to pilot training!

Good luck,

Buzz