Pilot Slots at USNA vs. USAFA

IronEagle7

5-Year Member
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Just wondering since I want to become an aviator how many cadets/midshipmen have pilot slots?
 
i do know that about 1/2 of the USAFA graduating class goes to pilot traing each year.
 
i do know that about 1/2 of the USAFA graduating class goes to pilot traing each year.

You would think it would be a higher percentage. It always baffled me why anybody would go to the Air Force Academy and not want to be a pilot.

The bad thing about the Air Force (as opposed to the Navy) is, if you're not a pilot, you're a second class citizen. Nearly all the high ranking officers in the Air Force were pilots. In the Navy, there are multiple sub-communities that lead to a viable career - SWO, Subs, aviation, etc.
 
In the Navy, there are multiple sub-communities that lead to a viable career - SWO, Subs, aviation, etc.

Do many pilot hopefuls who attend USNA change their mind once they see what else can be offered?

It seems as though nowadays everyone wants to become a pilot. However as you said the navy has many other various service selections.
 
Do many pilot hopefuls who attend USNA change their mind once they see what else can be offered?

It seems as though nowadays everyone wants to become a pilot. However as you said the navy has many other various service selections.

Everyone changes their mind at least twice.
 
Do many pilot hopefuls who attend USNA change their mind once they see what else can be offered?

It seems as though nowadays everyone wants to become a pilot. However as you said the navy has many other various service selections.

I'm not a good one to ask that question to. Too many things have changed since my day.

In my day, losing one's 20/20 uncorrected vision was a killer. There was no corrective eye surgery nor any waivers in those days. If you wanted to fly, you had to take good care of your eyes. That removed many people from the competition. It was not that uncommon to lose your 20/20 vision after 4 yrs of intense study and burning the candle to into the wee hours of the morning.

My experience was that most people who wanted to fly ... who maintained their 20/20 vision ... ended up flying. We had to take an aviation aptitude test - but not too many people had any difficulty with it. Plus, there never seemed any need to invoke any quota since the other communities didn't seem to have any difficulty attracting interest. Nuc Power (subs) was very popular in the 70's. Nowadays, it is very unpopular.

When I arrived at the academy, my company (5th!) had 36 plebes. By the time we graduated there was only 24 us remaining. I was the only one who even wanted to go aviation. Most of my company mates went SWO and Nuc Power. I think 2 went Marine Corps.

But, to answer your question - No, most people who wanted to fly stuck with it as long as they maintained their physical qualification to fly. Many did not.

If I had not been physically qualified to fly (which I was) - I would've gone subs.
 
USNA Job Selection

Hey,

Just incase you haven't seen this page on the USNA Admissions website, I figured I would put the link to it below. It contains the Common Career Choices of the Class of 2008. Looks like almost a quarter of the Midshipmen went Aviation.

http://www.usna.edu/Admissions/choices.htm

As for USAFA, I have no idea. I'm only applying to USNA so I haven't touched the Air Force Admissions website. Anyway, I hope this helps!
 
For the AFA the rule of thumb is if you are medically qualified you can get a pilot slot. Just because only 50% go UPT, does not mean that only 50% who ask for UPT get UPT slots. Many opt different routes, just like the Navy.
 
For the AFA the rule of thumb is if you are medically qualified you can get a pilot slot. Just because only 50% go UPT, does not mean that only 50% who ask for UPT get UPT slots. Many opt different routes, just like the Navy.

I'm sure what you say is true. But, like I said, it amazes me that somebody would want to attend the Air Force Academy, be physically qualified to fly, and choose not to.

Well, I guess I could understand it if one had no career aspirations and was intending to get out of the Air Force at their earliest opportunity.
 
I'm sure what you say is true. But, like I said, it amazes me that somebody would want to attend the Air Force Academy, be physically qualified to fly, and choose not to.

Well, I guess I could understand it if one had no career aspirations and was intending to get out of the Air Force at their earliest opportunity.

Agree.

There is a 10-year ADSC for pilots in the AF. That might be too much to commit to for some people.

I was not USAFA, but was active duty USAF. I was not PQ, and that's why I didn't become a pilot.

(it was a physical issue)
 
I'm sure what you say is true. But, like I said, it amazes me that somebody would want to attend the Air Force Academy, be physically qualified to fly, and choose not to.

Well, I guess I could understand it if one had no career aspirations and was intending to get out of the Air Force at their earliest opportunity.

Why is it so hard to comprehend? My son's roommate wants to be an engineer, a good friend of his wants to be a doctor, my son wants to fly, some choose to go the administrative side of the AF. It is a great school with many choices.
 
I understand what you are saying, but in the end, I was just trying to make sure people di not assume that 50% meant only 50% of cadets are offered this option, whereas, if you are qualified, you have strong chances of getting UPT.

I am not going to disagree with the 2nd class citizen because let's admit the AF is commonly referred to as the Chair Force.

I think some opt to go to AF because they want to serve, but not on a boat or in a tank. For example, if you want to do Intel, you could go to any branch because they all have Intel.

To me the question would not be which branch gives more pilot slots, but to decide whether or not you want your runway to be in the same spot you left it at when you took off :wink:

The other question is one that has been pointed out before on other threads...what do you want to fly? Fixed wing than it is still an AF V Navy. Helos than you should be expanding the question to WP and CGA, because in numbers Helos are a very small part of the AF inventory, thus it would make sense to look elsewhere.
 
It is a great school with many choices.

Including Missileer at Minot AFB, North Dakota. Of course there are sh#t details in all the branches, and Minot is Paris compared to Afghanistan.
 
Thanks...

Thanks for the responses...
As for what I want to fly it would be the fighter jets
i.e. Air Force F-22
Navy FA-18

My dad was a Naval aviator and flew S-3's and then moved to F-18's.
 

To me the question would not be which branch gives more pilot slots, but to decide whether or not you want your runway to be in the same spot you left it at when you took off


Had a Sqdn friend return to the Battle Group consisting of 4 Carriers! Picked the wrong one and they were happy to wave him aboard, fuel him, paint up his bird and shoot him off the front. Landed aboard the Midway with the CAG, Ship's Band and everyone not on duty to greet him!!:shake:
 
Why is it so hard to comprehend? My son's roommate wants to be an engineer, a good friend of his wants to be a doctor, my son wants to fly, some choose to go the administrative side of the AF. It is a great school with many choices.

ITA. I went to USAFA, but had no desire to fly. I wanted to serve my country as an Air Force Officer. Going in, I had no idea or preference of career field, just knew I didn't want to fly. The Air Force has many important support officer career fields as well. I ended up a Personnel Officer, and loved it!

Some say USNA has more career options, I disagree, because USAFA sends its grads into support career fields, Intel, Aquisitions, Communications, Logistics, etc.
USNA doesn't do this for the most part.
 
ITA. I went to USAFA, but had no desire to fly. I wanted to serve my country as an Air Force Officer. Going in, I had no idea or preference of career field, just knew I didn't want to fly. The Air Force has many important support officer career fields as well. I ended up a Personnel Officer, and loved it!

Some say USNA has more career options, I disagree, because USAFA sends its grads into support career fields, Intel, Aquisitions, Communications, Logistics, etc.
USNA doesn't do this for the most part.

But the upper echelon of the Air Force is overwhelmingly comprised of (former) pilots. Very few in these support communities reach the top of the pyramid compared to their pilot contemporaries.

On the other hand, the Navy upper echelon has a balance of submariners, surface warfare officers, and aviators. Like the Air Force, the Navy's Supply Corps and Intelligence types do not commonly reach the top as easily as their unrestricted line counterparts.

I'm not saying there is anything fundamentally "wrong" with going these other routes - if that's what one truly wants to pursue. It just seems odd that one would be highly motivated to attend a service academy and then choose a career path that is rather pedestrian.
 
In recent years - the past 5, for example - the information used by Admissions in its literature indicates about 300 grads went either Navy or Marine pilot and about 30 - 40 went NFO.
 
IronEagle, I'll let you know in a few years....my son is attending USNA with an eye on NFO either Navy or Marine (they say, the pilot just controls the stick, the NFO controls the fight). His friend from HS is attending USAFA with an eye for pilot. I'm told. but haven't confirmed, that Navy has more planes than AF, but what's that mean in the scheme of things? I don't know, less planes with more seats, or smaller class size? More planes with transient runways, and greater class size? I don't know.
 
Probably the only relevant question in this discussion is how low in class standing was the 'cutoff' for aviation for each class. Everyone, of course, does not want aviation. Also, a lot will 'self select', that is, knowing their class standing is too low for aviation, not even bother putting it down as their first choice. Others do not want the extra commitment. My nephew even fell for the submarine bonus. My guess based on conversations in the distant past is that it is somewhere around 700 or so. Maybe someone with current first-hand data can enlighten us.
 
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