couchpotato

Help me out here guys/girls... I'm very interested in becoming a pilot for the CG. I've been doing some research and found that one of the requirements to qualify for the Blue-21 route requires a diploma from a college/university that has at least 25% minority.... I graduated from Embry-Riddle in Daytona (which I'm sure the vast majority of you out there have heard of before) and apparently (from what I've gathered, please correct me if I'm wrong... I hope I am) ERAU the "leader in aviation and aerospace education" doesn't qualify as an acceptable school! I find that very hard to believe.... as I can remember walking from one end of the campus to the other hearing at least 4 different languages.

Any updated info would be great. I'm trying to find out as much as I can about the application/hiring process.

If there are any CG pilots out there reading this I'd love to know how the training is (location/duration/what airplanes for training... etc)... I'm interested in fixed-wing.

Thanks for the help in advance!

DILLA

From the USCG Website:

To find out if your school qualifies for BLUE 21, call your local recruiter or click here Search For Schools, Colleges and Libraries. Follow the link to your school and click on "college overview." Read through the stats on college enrollment to see if your school has at least a 25 percent minority enrollment (not including international students).

Blue-21's goal is to attract underrepresented minorities into CG aviation, that's why this is an unwaiverable requirement. You can check to see if ERAU qualifies.

UNITED STATES COAST GUARD: has a lot of information as well as the necessary forms you need to fill out.

This forum: Coast Guard OCS :: OCS Foundation Portal has a TON of info also.

Good luck.

couchpotato

I did check, but I'm trying to figure out what their definition of minority is? Is it the "opposite" of what I am? Here are ERAU's stats from the site:

White non-Hispanic: 61.4%
Black non-Hispanic: 6.6%
Hispanic: 8.2%
Asian or Pacific Islander: 5.7%
American Indian or Alaskan Native: 0.3%
Race-ethnicity unknown: 7.0%
Non-resident alien: 10.8%

bottom line I guess... does ERAU qualify or not?!? I'm confused!

Cargo Man

The CG would have no problem, getting you on a ship.

XL 0901

Check your math...

couchpotato

Bottom line I guess... does ERAU qualify or not?!? I'm confused!

what is considered the minority these days?? or what's the CGs definition of a minority?

race/ethnicity unknown and non-resident alien don't fall into the minority category?

6.6+8.2+5.7+.3= 20.8.... short of 25%

If you include the 7.0+10.8 of the last two categories.... it exceeds 25%...

3212L

Somewhat off subject, but the CG had a program called AVCAD (aviation cadet) for enlisted personnel. From what I recall, the requirements were 60 college credit hrs. and being at least an E-5. You could apply from any of the enlisted rates in the CG (did not have to be in aviation). You had to attend OCS (officer candidate school) for approx. 3 months. and then went on to Primary Flight Training (Pensacola, FL), Advanced Flight Training (Corpus Christi, TX) and CG Aviation Training Center (Mobile, AL). This was fixed wing route (C-130 did not go to Mobile, AL) from what I remember. The CG may still have this if you are interested in taking the enlisted route first.

CGFLYER

I'm not sure if ERAU qualifies for the Blue 21 program. Your best bet to find updated info about this program would be to contact a recruiter. Generally speaking they have the most up to date info about these types of programs. I seem to remember Riddle once did qualify and then it didn't so I don't know where it stands today.

However, being a DB Riddle grad myself, if Riddle doesn't qualify you can still apply for traditional OCS and then flight school once attending OCS. The drawback to this plan is that you don't have guaranteed flight school but as long as your medically qualified, past the ASTB & perform well at OCS your chances are good for getting picked up.

To answer your question about training, to become a CG pilot you will attend NAVY flight school where you will fly various aircraft starting with the T-34, then if you go helos you fly the TH 57 or if you go fixed wing you'll fly the T-44 (King Air). On average it takes about 1.5 years to earn your wings and once winged you will fly your operational aircraft. Operational aircraft include the C-130, HU-25 Falcon and the CASA on the fixed wing side and on the helo side we have the HH-60 Jayhawk and the HH-65 Dolphin.

rickair7777

In general, race/ethnicity unknown would be interpreted as "caucasian, but not admitting it in hopes of gaining affirmative action benefit". If you really don't know you are probably better off picking some other minority group of which you think you may have ancestry. Unless you look like an aryan wet dream, I doubt anyone will second guess you. Your ethnic status is more about how you feel, and less about actual DNA.

Also, I'm pretty sure that non-resident alien (or resident alien) will disqualify you from being a CG officer...you need to be a US citizen. This is certainly true for DoD military officers, not 100% certain about the CG these days.

Coastie Pilot

Honestly, your best answer will come from a recruiter. Any recruiter worth a darn will be able to tell you pretty quickly if ERAU qualifies.

I'm not exactly sure how to apply those percentages you listed to the Blue 21 requirements.

Sorry I couldn't provide better info.