How do I become a pilot?
10-19-2009, 07:58 PM
#21
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Posts: 22
Originally Posted by USMCFLYR
I think you should look at the US Navy.
Right now being a Personnel Officer on a Submarine would meet your criteria. Serving your country while minimizing your risk of getting shot at - at least for now.
Seawolf class submarine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Right now being a Personnel Officer on a Submarine would meet your criteria. Serving your country while minimizing your risk of getting shot at - at least for now.
Seawolf class submarine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Military aviation is dangerous. Helos, fixed wing, props, Ospreys (whatever category they fall in now 
)
Maybe you should take a look at the thread in the Military section about the F-16 pilot that was lost last week on a training missions - at night out over the ocean. He joins at least 5 others I personally know of to have died at night over the Atlantic Ocean.
USMCFLYR
)Maybe you should take a look at the thread in the Military section about the F-16 pilot that was lost last week on a training missions - at night out over the ocean. He joins at least 5 others I personally know of to have died at night over the Atlantic Ocean.
USMCFLYR
10-19-2009, 08:01 PM
#22
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Originally Posted by SaltyDog
blujay,
Welcome aboard. Glad you are open minded enough to consider the armed forces. All the services are top notch. They each have a wonderful sense of comraderie. They will test you to your limits, but in that test, you will either fail or succeed. Either way, you will learn something valuable about your countries military (we are live flesh and blood human beings serving an all volunteer force in our still free Republic) and more importantly, yourself.
Your parents enjoy the freedoms to be anti-military because of folks like you and the other posters on this thread who choose to defend that right. You will quickly notice, that these military folks are independent thinkers are are not likely in any shape or form as your folks would paint us. We vigorously debate, but we also kick some serious a$$ as required as a team. It is a privilege to serve.
Welcome aboard. Glad you are open minded enough to consider the armed forces. All the services are top notch. They each have a wonderful sense of comraderie. They will test you to your limits, but in that test, you will either fail or succeed. Either way, you will learn something valuable about your countries military (we are live flesh and blood human beings serving an all volunteer force in our still free Republic) and more importantly, yourself.
Your parents enjoy the freedoms to be anti-military because of folks like you and the other posters on this thread who choose to defend that right. You will quickly notice, that these military folks are independent thinkers are are not likely in any shape or form as your folks would paint us. We vigorously debate, but we also kick some serious a$$ as required as a team. It is a privilege to serve.
Give the consideration its due, if you have a sense of adventure, you will not likely regret the pursuit.
My suggestion, if able, associate with a Civil Air Patrol unit. That will give you some exposure to the type of folks that often go into service.
My suggestion, if able, associate with a Civil Air Patrol unit. That will give you some exposure to the type of folks that often go into service.
Would also recommend that you get your degree, join an ANG unit to fly with, then go to Law school after all your training. Once complete with your initial service obligations to the Guard, can practice law for your civilian job and fly Guard as well.
Good luck, I am Navy Reserve now, 20+ years in a Navy jets, now a hall closet desk type <g> but have service time in USAF and USMC, worked extensively with Army and Army Guard soldiers and a bit with our Coast Guard.
P.S Dont worry about the nausea. Like others posted, once acclimated, won't be an issue. It is usually that simple.
Good luck
Good luck, I am Navy Reserve now, 20+ years in a Navy jets, now a hall closet desk type <g> but have service time in USAF and USMC, worked extensively with Army and Army Guard soldiers and a bit with our Coast Guard.
P.S Dont worry about the nausea. Like others posted, once acclimated, won't be an issue. It is usually that simple.
Good luck
EDIT: Shoot, I just made three posts. Sorry guys! There doesn't seem to be a delete button. Don't bite my head off.
10-19-2009, 08:05 PM
#23
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Joined APC: Mar 2008
Position: FAA 'Flight Check'
Posts: 13,837
Originally Posted by blujay
I'd rather be shot at.
Everything is dangerous. Driving your car, walking down the street, playing sports, riding a motorcycle, doing the friggin hokey pokey. Its all dangerous, but it is one of my most cherished philosophies that one must live every day like it is his last. That doesn't mean I should go bonkers, but "I refuse to tiptoe through life only to arrive safely at death" -Unknown. I am not a safety freak. But, I am by no means reckless. My goal is trying to find a balance between living life to the fullest without being reckless. That is my purpose here, to decide if military aviation is reckless, or at least my definition of reckless. There is no question that it is dangerous.
Everything is dangerous. Driving your car, walking down the street, playing sports, riding a motorcycle, doing the friggin hokey pokey. Its all dangerous, but it is one of my most cherished philosophies that one must live every day like it is his last. That doesn't mean I should go bonkers, but "I refuse to tiptoe through life only to arrive safely at death" -Unknown. I am not a safety freak. But, I am by no means reckless. My goal is trying to find a balance between living life to the fullest without being reckless. That is my purpose here, to decide if military aviation is reckless, or at least my definition of reckless. There is no question that it is dangerous.
USMCFLYR
10-19-2009, 08:08 PM
#24
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Originally Posted by USMCFLYR
Again - I'll answer for my community - and I'll lay down money it defines other communities too - but military aviation is ANYTHING but reckless. It is calculated, risk mitigated, practiced, and professional to the extreme; and when the time comes to get the job done - we do it **very** well.
USMCFLYR
USMCFLYR
10-20-2009, 04:30 PM
#25
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Joined APC: Apr 2007
Posts: 248
So you are saying you know it's "dangerous" but are just wondering if it is "very risky?"
What's the difference?
What's the difference?
10-20-2009, 08:35 PM
#26
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Position: Window Seat
Posts: 1,430
Just a quick chime in here:
From what I understand your typical F-15 pilot will fly about 150-250 hours/year, not a whole lot (I do about that in a month sometimes), and the rest of the time you're not doing PT or other military things you'll be in a simulator, simming the s*it out of procedures, maneuvers etc. etc. until you want to blow your mind out.
So some things for you to consider (if you really really want to be a lawyer) are... joining the Army as an NCO and flying heli-choppers, from what my friend tells me more flying and more actual combat flying (face it, the average modern F15 pilot has downed 0 bogies and has never targeted an enemy aircraft in flight, you did mention you liked the idea of being shot at), the other route you might want to look into is the National Guard (possibly FT Guard Duty), which would allow you to (almost) come and go as you please and would allow you to pursue your law career from the get go instead of spending time in the military first.
From what I understand your typical F-15 pilot will fly about 150-250 hours/year, not a whole lot (I do about that in a month sometimes), and the rest of the time you're not doing PT or other military things you'll be in a simulator, simming the s*it out of procedures, maneuvers etc. etc. until you want to blow your mind out.
So some things for you to consider (if you really really want to be a lawyer) are... joining the Army as an NCO and flying heli-choppers, from what my friend tells me more flying and more actual combat flying (face it, the average modern F15 pilot has downed 0 bogies and has never targeted an enemy aircraft in flight, you did mention you liked the idea of being shot at), the other route you might want to look into is the National Guard (possibly FT Guard Duty), which would allow you to (almost) come and go as you please and would allow you to pursue your law career from the get go instead of spending time in the military first.
10-20-2009, 08:39 PM
#27
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Joined APC: Jun 2008
Position: USAF
Posts: 1,398
Originally Posted by blujay
I'm kind of thinking of becoming a military pilot. I especially want to be a fighter pilot.
.......because if you don't kinda resemble the greats like Mayo, Topper, or Maverick then you won't even make through the application process.
10-20-2009, 09:13 PM
#28
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Joined APC: Sep 2009
Posts: 595
Originally Posted by aviatorhi
Just a quick chime in here:
From what I understand your typical F-15 pilot will fly about 150-250 hours/year, not a whole lot (I do about that in a month sometimes), and the rest of the time you're not doing PT or other military things you'll be in a simulator, simming the s*it out of procedures, maneuvers etc. etc. until you want to blow your mind out.
So some things for you to consider (if you really really want to be a lawyer) are... joining the Army as an NCO and flying heli-choppers, from what my friend tells me more flying and more actual combat flying (face it, the average modern F15 pilot has downed 0 bogies and has never targeted an enemy aircraft in flight, you did mention you liked the idea of being shot at), the other route you might want to look into is the National Guard (possibly FT Guard Duty), which would allow you to (almost) come and go as you please and would allow you to pursue your law career from the get go instead of spending time in the military first.
From what I understand your typical F-15 pilot will fly about 150-250 hours/year, not a whole lot (I do about that in a month sometimes), and the rest of the time you're not doing PT or other military things you'll be in a simulator, simming the s*it out of procedures, maneuvers etc. etc. until you want to blow your mind out.
So some things for you to consider (if you really really want to be a lawyer) are... joining the Army as an NCO and flying heli-choppers, from what my friend tells me more flying and more actual combat flying (face it, the average modern F15 pilot has downed 0 bogies and has never targeted an enemy aircraft in flight, you did mention you liked the idea of being shot at), the other route you might want to look into is the National Guard (possibly FT Guard Duty), which would allow you to (almost) come and go as you please and would allow you to pursue your law career from the get go instead of spending time in the military first.
10-20-2009, 10:48 PM
#29
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Posts: 1,430
Originally Posted by Hobbit64
No NCO's flying HeliCOPTERS in the Army. CWO's i.e. Chief Warrant Officers. And yes they are commissioned at CW2. Warrants have a different job in that they are specialists (Instructing,Maintenance Test Pilot, Safety, TAC OPs) where RLO's are generalists. Warrants stay in the cockpit most of their career where RLO's bounce in and out to staff and other jobs. I don't want to thread-jack but the misunderstanding needs to be clarified.
PS. Yes I know it's a helicopter, I just like writing/saying heli-chopper.
10-20-2009, 11:10 PM
#30
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Joined APC: Mar 2008
Position: FAA 'Flight Check'
Posts: 13,837
Originally Posted by aviatorhi
Thanks for the correction/clarification (I remembered it has 3 capital letters in it so I took a guess at one of the few sets of 3 capital letters I remembered), I'm not and have never been associated with the military, the advice I gave was generally based on my observations of my friends who are in the military... is most of the rest correct?
PS. Yes I know it's a helicopter, I just like writing/saying heli-chopper.
PS. Yes I know it's a helicopter, I just like writing/saying heli-chopper.
F-15s had kills in the Gulf War and other aircraft had kills in the Bosnia/Serb conflict.
The latest sets of wars that we have been involved in - our opponets were either smart enough to not send up their aircraft in direct challenge or don't have aircraft.
If you are basing your decisions on that - then you are making a mistake that many others are making - namely overlooking China and North Korea - both of which I would bet you a Coke would send up a formiable air force against us in conventional warfare.
Will it happen? Let's hope not. One of the least recognize roles of the military is DETERRENCE. If someone is willing to test our mettle (in conventional warefare mind you - not asymetrical warfare) then we have not done our jobs. IMO.
Btw - about those 150-250 hours flown by F-15 pilots.....I don't know - I'll let them answer about their proficiency but yes - we would ALL love more flying time; but a lot gets done in that time. If you are flying let's say 250-300 1.0 hr flights a year - that is a good amount of flights - though I always wish for more hours
(and it isn't on autopilot (at leats much!) as many on this board complain about professional flying)USMCFLYR
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