CH7Adriver

I have a question or two about going from a civilian career to Air Guard, Reserves, or the regular Air Force. Basically I'm 25 3/4, with a community college pilot degree, 1300 hours, and glasses. I've got an eye appointment scheduled, and an online college that will accept all my AAS credits, I'm just curious whether it will matter what my Bachelors is in when I try to apply. I know I'm starting late. I'd wanted to fly for the Air Force until I got glasses in 5th grade, and never considered it until two months ago, but now I've been thinking about it real hard.

HuggyU2

Type of degree (technical vs non-technical) has mattered in the past for active duty, and I know someone applying for OTS now who told me it was actually less of a factor for those attempting to get a pilot slot.
Guard/Reserve: type of degree not as important.
Eye sight can be waived within certain parameters. Don't sweat that too much.

Lots of info out on the web. Bottom line, yes, you can probably do this.

WARich

Go guard/reserve......highly recommended over active duty.....check out baseops.net most units will list UPT boards on that site........don't talk to the recruiters.......call every unit around the country you're interested in and talk to the chief pilot......keep good notes, call back every so often (walk the fine line of being annoying).....

550pilot01

I concur. If you can get a guard or reserve job that is the way to go. All of the benefits and none (or at least fewer) hassles than the full time guys.

Just find the right unit and the type plane you like to fly in the right location. Hopefully you can find both location and plane without having to compromise on either.

You will have to pass a few tests (from a physical to flight school and with 1300 hours that should not be to challenging for you, just different. It is the same flying that you have done in the past, just a different technique.

gr8vu

Active duty has traditionally been very competitive and degree is not critical but GPA and AFOQT score and leadership/job history determine much of how you look on paper. You have way more hours than most applicants. I usually interviewed applicants in three flying categories...25-100, 200-300, and a few with 500 give or take a hundred. Most had less than 100. Boards happen about twice a year and the AF gets enough applicants under the current numbers to be very picky. Unfortunately you can make it all the way through the selection process and they won't give you the final flt physical until after the final selection board and may then find out something is medically disqualifying.

Get moving on either path now...age could eliminate you from UPT in a few years and it could take a year or two to get it all lined up.

One person that got selected for AD is just finishing up T-38s and got a call from a reserve tanker unit last month that he had applied to over 2 years ago. He shipped to OTS 2 weeks before the AD age deadline and we had to work an eye waiver for him at the last minute.