Hey guys,

I wanted to ask what my chances would be if i wanted to go into the military and be a pilot? I'm currently a Flight Instructor but i only have 400 hours. I'm a senior in college. I'm not looking for a fighter jet job but a cargo job, lie flying the c-130's, c-5's, etc. i highly appreciate your feedback. I really don't know where to start.

Thank You

 

I joined the Military after being a CFI and now I fly A-10's. It's definitely doable but it will take you a while to get in. It took me 1.5 years after seeing a recruiter for the first time until I went to officer school. I'd suggest going to the Guard or Reserve. That way you will know excatly where you'll live, what you'll fly and you can have an airline job too. You need to see a recruiter for officers and let them know you are intrested in a pilot slot or start looking into guard units. Good luck.

 

Swing by your local ROTC detachment and ask questions. You're probably past the point of joining unless you want to go to grad school, but it's a place to start asking questions face to face. Then look for the nearest OFFICER recruiter (vs standard recruiter, you're not looking to enlist, you're looking for a commission). And never forget the powers of google Officer Training - Opportunities in the U.S. Air Force - AirForce.com.

 

You can start by proofreading, you're supposedly a senior in college.

 

I guess they don't teach those guys how to use an apostrophe anymore.

 

Yes, I know several people who have done this. All else being equal your flying background might provide you with a leg up, most applicants have no flight experience. Check out baseops.net, but read before posting...

 

Hi Pima,
I'm a regional captain that went through the process recently - got hired by a C-130 unit (was an FO when hired) and am now in the process of fighting a medical disqualification. First you need to decide if you want to go active duty or Air National Guard/Air Force Reserves. If you decide on the latter, there was a similar thread some months ago where I wrote a detailed post:
http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/mi...e-reserve.html
I don't think it really matters how many hours you have as long as you can convey your passion and motivation. Obviously if you have zero hours and you're talking about how passionate you are about flying that makes no sense but that's not your case. Every unit may have different criteria they are looking for. My unit made it clear that the most important thing they were looking for is the person as a whole. That being said, I was the most experienced candidate they hired but that may just have been coincidence, I don't know. (others were CFIs or not actively flying.. I'm sure the latter would not look as competitive though.)
You're obviously young so at least you have many years to achieve this (UPT by age 30 to be exact). I, too, started the process in my last semester of college and here I am 4.5 years later I've still not even begun training.
For many people though if they stay persistent the process can be a lot shorter so don't be discouraged by my example.
Read the other thread, and please PM me if you have additional questions about where to start.

 

That thread was full of valuable information. You should definitely take a look at it. Also, make sure you're joining the Military because of a desire to serve your country.

 

About 1 in a million.

YouTube - Dumb and Dumber 'There's a Chance'

 

Thank's for your help guys