*LONG POST *

Lately I've given the military route A LOT of thinking in regard to my flight training. I've read at least half a dozen threads on the topic as well as researched on the actual military websites.

Please bare with me as I ask a few questions which you MAY have heard before.

I'm currently a freshman at a local community college ( transferred after a semester at ERAU ) I'm going to get my degree in comp. engineering and I only have 12 flight hours logged.

I'm basically at the very start. I'm 18.

I plan on transferring to George mason u. (after the typical 2 years at comm. college) in northern va b.c it's a good school and very close but they only offer army rotc and I don't really want to fly helos.

VA tech (2-3 hrs away) has afrotc which I would really like to do so im looking into that option..

So, what I want to know is, whichever school i go to, I plan on getting in the two year rotc program.

Since I want to be a fighter pilot can someone explain how afrotc and OTS are connected and what I'm supposed to do ( other than great grades and passing all the other reqs. ) Should I get my private and instrument first so that I am more competitive in getting a pilot slot?

I've read that I should talk to recruiters but i did that once before and got "harrassed" about joining ( 2 hr convo....)

Anyway, I know my questions have been asked before and I WILL continue to do my own research but what do you guys recommend

1. Should I get any flight training done while i'm in college (most likely summers)

2. Should I stay the safe and convenient route and transfer to George Mason (army rotc)

3. transfer to va tech for afrotc

4. OTS???? do i need to be in rotc to apply or get accepted?

5. Please give me any tips on what I should do starting now since I'm relatively young and I believe I still have opportunities .




I KNOW you guys are prob tired of these questions but please bare with me as I AM aware of google and search functions

 

Simple, go to go to college then OCS in the Navy or do the NROTC program, you'll probably have a better chance to fly fighters!

 

Go to the Air Force Academy. They got 520 pilot slots in 2011 for their graduates.

 

1. Go to the baseops.net forums. Spend a couple days reading everything there. Every question you could ever have, as well as tons you didn't know to ask, have already been answered by the thousands to come before you. If after that you still have questions, ask away.

2. Stay as far away from active duty as possible. If you've really done your research, you'll see that the vast majority of AD folks want out ASAP. There's a reason for this: it blows.

3. Whatever you do, don't go to the academy. Go to a large football school, get a degree in something you'd like to do should flying not work out, have fun, and apply to guard/ reserve units after you graduate. You'll thank me later.

 

Hopefulpilot,

Thrust is absolutely right on all three points.

1. Baseops.net forums offers a huge wealth of information.

2. If you want to just be a pilot, but still have the opportunity to serve your country as an officer, DEFINITELY go into the guard or reserve. See the mistake I made below in item 3. Right now, speaking from not only my experience, but experiences of many of my buddies, active duty morale is at an all-time low and MANY want out. I can't speak much to the guard and reserve, but I would leave active-duty today if I could. From everyone I have talked to in the guard and reserve, they are having MUCH better experiences there. The biggest reason is that active-duty pushes career progression and every officer is expected to someday become a General even if the officer just wants to have the opportunity to serve his country for several years then get out. Either way, I think it is very honorable for a person to serve even if they want to get out after their commitment is up, but active-duty does not see it that way.

3. When I was slightly younger than you, 16, my USAF Academy and ROTC liaison officer (who was a pilot in the Guard) told me "remember there are other opportunities out there like the guard and reserve and they will pay for your school too." I did not listen because I had my sights set on the Academy. I wish every day now that I would have listened to him. I ended up going to the Academy and left just prior to my sophomore year and went to a state school and did ROTC---best decision I have ever made and I had the time of my life at "a regular College" and still was able to get a pilot slot. I am not talking down the Academy, many of my best friends went there, it just wasn't for me.

My recommendation Hopefulpilot:

Go and research guard and reserve. I am currently a pilot training instructor pilot and some of my students are going the guard/reserve route. Some of them joined a guard or reserve unit as an enlisted troop at your age and did their reserve time on the weekends as a maintainer, loadmaster, AGE troop, etc. Their units helped pay for them to get through college and upon graduation, they went to officer training school then pilot training and they went back to become a pilot in their unit. Others joined a guard or reserve unit after college and went straight to officer school then pilot training. The other great thing about the guard and reserve is that you have the option to stay with your unit your entire career if you want to, as opposed to active duty where they move you around every three to four years (from personal experience that is very hard if you have a family). Just do a ton of research and call your local guard or reserve unit and they should be able to help you out. Best of luck!

 

Here's the deal dude. It's great you have your sights set on being a fighter pilot, that's awesome and don't change that for anyone. The best option of obtaining that specific goal would be to join a guard or reserve fighter squadron either now or after you have a degree but Bojon explained why it would be beneficial to go in now. THEN all you have to worry about are a few things like not getting picked up by them, they get BRAC'd into a Predator Sq, you don't make it through T-38's, You can't handle the G's in the Fuge, You don't make it through IFF or the FTU you know sometimes it just doesn’t pan out.

But to answer some of your questions.

OTC is totally separate from ROTC. The military's only quick reaction shut off valve or fill valve for making officers is OTS/OCS. The other 2 options take over 4 years so therefore the likely hood of getting into OTS with a Pilot slot is dependent on the needs of the Air Force right then. So if you've read the above posts then you know we're all getting out and if you've watched the news you know there's going to be a massive war soon so after the AF loses all their pilots to the RIF's and the resignations they'd be desperate to have you. Which brings me back to get your degree and re-assess.

Should I get any flight training done while i'm in college (most likely summers)
- Yes but don't go in the red to get it.

2. Should I stay the safe and convenient route and transfer to George Mason (army rotc)
Hell NO! You wont fly Helicopters you'll be an officer in the Infantry, which is the toughest job on the planet. I was an infantry soldier as an enlisted dude and that was cool at 19 but seriously you can't play in the mud all your life.

3. transfer to va tech for afrotc - If they offer a 4 yr full ride I'd seriously consider it. But once you do it's fights on because from that moment you're competing with every other ROTCadet for a pilot slot

4. OTS???? do i need to be in rotc to apply or get accepted? No totally separate talk to an officer accessions recruiter

5. Please give me any tips on what I should do starting now since I'm relatively young and I believe I still have opportunities – keep your nose clean.

Well I'm winded... Now off to my own post titled "thinking about going the civilian route"

 

520 slots huh? That's a lot of new MC-12W drivers.

 

It would be great if you could get a Guard or Reserve pilot slot. Understand, though, that the Air Reserve Component (or ARC), meaning Guard and Reserves, are going through a significant drawdown beginning next year over the next 5 years, outlined on page 6 of this document released by Chief of Staff of the Air Force earlier this month:

http://www.af.mil/shared/media/docum...120203-027.pdf

Here are the ARC planes being cut in 2013:
There are fighter cuts over the next 5 years: Five A-10 squadrons, one F-16 squadron and one F-15 squadron are being eliminated. Fighters can be your goal, but they are becoming much harder to obtain than it used to be, as the AF makes its big transition to UAV's.

You need to ask yourself why you want to fly. Is it to go to airlines? There is definitely an easier route. Is it to fly advanced aircraft for the AF & serve your country? More than fighters do that. Is it to be like Tom Cruise in Top Gun? Well, good luck with that. Once you've defined your goal specifically & why, then all of these great folks here can give you more specific advice.

 

My guess is that ROTC programs have slashed recruiting as well, considering the AD drawdown that we're in. I'd call up the detachments you're interested in and find out if they're even offering 2-year programs. If you're interested in Active Duty, ROTC was a good way to pay for college and get a job right away, though your chances of landing a UPT slot are slim. If you're totally sold on Active Duty and flying then the Academy is the way to go. Just be aware of the costs which have been mentioned already by Academy grads on this thread.

Bottom line: it's a hard time in the Active Duty right now, and even if you're lucky enough to get to UPT there is a real possibility of flying UAVs for your entire career. Most pilots in the MAF (tanker/airlift) are being crushed by the TDY/deployment rate, which has no end in sight. Fighters are facing a cockpit shortage with recently announced aircraft retirements, never-ending UAV tours, and 8-10 month MC-12 deployments.

Being in the Air Force has allowed me to live a comfortable life and pay the bills, but it comes at a great cost in time away from home and family.

 

Hopeful,

I was half serious in my previous reply. It sounds as though you're pretty set on going the USAF/ANG/Air Force Reserve route. I would also encourage you to look at the USN/USMC options. If you look at the budget cuts right now...you'll notice the BRAC and unit closures and how many FTRs that is. Couple that with transiitions to UAVs and well the math is pretty clear. USN is still buying ALOT of new airplanes both F/A-18 E/F/G and JSF. 11 carriers are still on the books and forecasted to be on the books and aren't getting cut(yet) nor do POM 13/14/15 show future cuts for carriers. Each carrier air wing has 5 pointy nose squadrons so you do the math there as well. USMC TACAIR is a bit of a tougher code to crack and as of yet the Marines are not buying Superhornets(remains to be seen). I am merely telling you to open up the aperture ab it in your research and realize there are other options out there to fly FTRs. Play your cards right and you might just get to land on a boat! Good luck!