How do I become a pilot?
 

I'm kind of thinking of becoming a military pilot. I don't want to become a pilot as a career, I already know (or am pretty certain) that I want to be a lawyer. But ever since I was a small child I dreamed of flying airplanes, and that dream has never died over the years. I especially want to be a fighter pilot. The problem is, I suffer from motion sickness. I had my first flying lesson last week, and at the end I asked the instructor to pull some maneuvers that involved a little bit of G force, such as sharp climbing, sharp dropping, and sharp turns. Before I knew it I felt like I wanted to puke all over the cockpit floor, and this was in a slow little Piper Cherokee. I cant imagine how terrible I would feel in an F-16. So I think I might want to go the heavy pilot route, unless there is a way to overcome motion sickness. I don't want to go to USAFA, I want to go to a normal college and maybe do ROTC. I'm a relatively good student, almost always straight As, AP classes, etc. I'm not that athletic, but I'm not slow and unathletic either. I am in great health and have excellent eyesight. What would be the best way to become a military pilot, if I decide to?


And also, how is military life? My parents are extremely anti-military. My dad was kind of a hippie back in the 60s, so I would assume that his depiction of military life is at least somewhat biased. What is being a pilot in the military like?

Go over to baseops.net, set up account on their forums. DON'T POST, you'll regret it, you sound young, give the slight impression you might ask a dumb question, and they're brutal over there. Instead, spend many many hours reading the infinite threads that deal with your exact questions. Use their search function (hell use the one here, it works and you can find a lot on this site). Once you've exhausted whats out there, then ask specific questions.

Now I'll reward you for not following my advice:

- not going to USAFA. I concur, place sucks. Generally higher odds of being a pilot going that route though, something to think about. When I graduated we had 225 slots (historic low), the rest of the entire united states got 100. Better odds. Now, don't think it's as big a deal. More importantly, if you don't want to go there, then don't. Place sucks enough for the people showing up who DO want to be there.

- motion sickness, you didn't puke and that's a pretty good sign. Yes, in general it can be overcome for a lot of folks. I horked hard in many rides in the might Tweet. Before stressing about it, talk to your CFI about it, he was there and can probably give better advice than random internet dudes. Based on the limited info you gave, sounds like you were copacetic during regular flight and didn't start having problems till you asked for a show, and got one. And at that point, still not horking is a positive sign.

"Best way?" Who knows, flew with a pretty good pilot who got a PE degree from some seriously frightening sounding school in lower alabama, I think the school mascot was "squeal like a pig." And he got an OTS slot and off in the running.

ROTC's great for all kinds of reasons. I'm an anti-debt kind of guy (unAmerican of me I know) and the idea of having uncle sammy pay for school for service you plan on giving anyway....seems okay to me. Get to go to normal school, pretend you're affiliated with a somewhat military'ish service, do good, get a pilot slot, etc.

I'm blathering, read over there, get some specific questions, come back.

I had never had motion sickness either before college and my second instructive flight in a C-152. Like you - at the end of my lesson I was introduced to stalls. More so than the manevering though was the fact that I was flying in the summertime in OK and soon after eating a PLATTER of spaghetti and drinking chocolate milk!
Later during some instrument training on a flight from OK to NE is some serious actual IMC I got sick again near the end of a long flight. The thread? Just before that flight I had a half of a New York Style Deep Dish Pizza!

So........what did I learn? Try to be careful what I eat before I went flying - at least until I got a feel for things.
Now I shove down a Philly Chicken with Jalapenos and hot sauce inbetween BFM flights :o

It is a good chance that you can overcome the motion sickness.
But it isn't for everybody.

USMCFLYR

0.0



I almost never do puke, I just feel really really bad. I can't ride roller coasters because of it.

Yea, I'm almost always fine when I fly as long as I'm flying normally. But I'd assume a fighter pilot pulls some stomach turning maneuvers on a daily basis.


Sounds good, but what if I don't get a pilot slot? Then what? It's the military, so I can't quit. Will I be stuck peeling potatoes for the next 6 or so years? Will I be stuck flying Helos over Afganistan with half a dozen terrorists firing rockets at me? Or does the marines only do that?

And if I do get a pilot slot, will I serve after Law school or before?

Bluejay,
Get your priorities together first. If you want to fly there is an age restriction. If you get sick, don't worry...they have a real nice spinning chair that cures 99% of airsick people. If you don't get a pilot slot then you can quit. If you are already in, then it is a different story. You may get to quit, you may not. They are pretty good at getting you what you want to do should you fail out. Try the guard/reserves. You can be a lawyer and fly. Best way to go.

The military always needs lawyers, and will usually pay for at least part of law school. If you get stuck with a non-flying commitment to fulfill you could probably manage to go the JAG route at little cost to yourself other than a few years of service.

Since you do not want to be a career active duty officer, I would try the ANG first, USAF reserve second. Also since you will not be needing fixed-wing time for an airline career the army national guard/reserve will hire helicopter pilots off the street...pretty fun mission.

"Will I be stuck flying Helos over Afganistan with half a dozen terrorists firing rockets at me? Or does the marines only do that?"

Are you serious. Have fun trying to "become" a military pilot. Get your priorities straight. Either you want to serve as an officer in the military or you don't. And you clearly don't. You have no idea what the military is about. It isn't Top Gun and it isn't a flying club. Check out the service obligation for flight school and see how it will conveniently fit into your well thought out plan to be a lawyer. Maybe the guard unit that reads this thread and really wants to recruit you to fly fighters for them (because they are probably short well-qualified applicants) will put in your contract that they will give you 3 years off to be a lawyer then you can fly on weekends if you aren't too busy being a lawyer. Go to baseops.net and post a lot of similar posts. And try Kiowapilots.com. I'm sure those fine aviators can give you insight on "getting stuck flying helos and getting shot at" or maybe even peeling potatoes, since thats what military service is about in your opinion. Do you know why every Air Force, Marine, Navy, and Army aircraft exists/trains/fights? To support men on the ground who are in harms way. If you do not undertsand or respect that, you need to go to consider another line of work.

Blujay-

You appear to be young and naive. Visit baseops.net (USAF) and airwarriors.com (USN/USMC) and READ. Once you have some more perspective you will understand why your first post generated the responses you see above.

As you educate yourself keep in mind that serving your country is the priority. No one service/community/job is better than another. We each do our part for the greater good.

The airsickness will pass.

As far as your hippie, military hating parents go...I am pretty sure they didn't do what their parents wanted either. Next time their views on the military come up tell them we said "your welcome" and we won't charge them anything extra for the right to speak their minds.

Good luck...

+1

Blujay, use the search function and try to build a knowledge base before engaging in verbal diarrhea here.

There are some badass pilots, and officers (and enlisted guys) here who have put their asses on the line every day for their fellow servicemembers. Show them some respect and stop sounding like a spoiled, selfish brat.

If you are serious about a military flying career, whether ANG, Reserve, or Active Duy, you're going to have to change your outlook--yesterday. Read (don't post) and learn, and if you think you are up to this calling, display some humility, some dedication, and some class, and you will find many folks willing to help you.

Okay then, I'm going to go use the search function and build up some knowledge before I come back here.

I would like to add that the military is as foreign to me as anything. I was raised by a rabidly anti-war Dad and a mom from a military family who hated it. I have no idea what it is like, and the little knowledge I do have comes from them, who are quite biased. So please, I urge some of you to have at least an ounce of self control when responding to some of my questions which you may or may not deem stupid. I apologize if being a Helo pilot does not appeal to me. I was raised since birth to hate the military. I'm willing to learn about the military before I make a decision. Don't give me a bad impression of service members so early in my search.

Also keep in mind that any comment I make that may seem negative is simply out of ignorance, and not of malice.