Car at USAFA

McCoy

5-Year Member
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Sep 21, 2010
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I thought I read somewhere that you can't own a car while attending the AFA your first two years? Is this true? Or can I get a car in my name?
 
You can't own a car until you are a C2C (Junior). You get a loan before or during the summer before your junior year. You can alternatively rent cars off base for use on leaves before your junior year
 
I thought I read somewhere that you can't own a car while attending the AFA your first two years? Is this true? Or can I get a car in my name?

You can own a car (i.e. if you already have a car titled in your name you don't need to change it), but it can't have a car that you own or maintain at or within 150 miles of USAFA your 4* and 3* years.

You can't own a car until you are a C2C (Junior). You get a loan before or during the summer before your junior year. You can alternatively rent cars off base for use on leaves before your junior year

Correction on the loan. We just had the ability to accept the loan this past weekend. Not over the summer.
 
Car access

However, it is common for C1C's and C2C's to loan their cars to C4C/C3C's for day trips and overnighters. The "payment" is usually a full tank of gas. This got my son to Breckenridge and Boulder several times during his C4C year.
 
Wow that sucks for the guys that come from close to the Springs! My DS lives in the Springs and I live in Aurora and I’m only 60 miles away. What do those students do? If the rule is 150 miles.
 
Those who live close to the Academy (less than 150 miles) may drive their family cars when they are at home on leave and/or vacation; just as if they lived farther from the Academy. The cannot however, park that car on base overnight, in one of the cadet parking lots or in the Springs -- the intent here is to prevent a 4th or 3rd class cadet from having a car (not parked at their parents' home) that they have constant access to. There are always some cadets who break this rule (bring a car from home and park it illegally off base). When caught, there are consequences -- I know of one
3rd class cadet last year (from out of state) who got caught with an illegal car in the Springs -- parked in various parking lots and moved frequently. The AOC for that cadet confiscated the keys until arrangements were made for a parent to come to the Springs and pick up the car. In that situation, other cadets who had driven the car, knowing that it was not authorized, also received consequences from their AOC. The consequences would be at the discretion of the AOC. I am not sure that a 3rd or 4th class cadet is forbidden to own a car -- have it titled in their name -- so long as they do not bring it to the Springs and try to park it so as to have access when not allowed. Maybe cadets are asked whether they own a car at home -- but I don't remember ever hearing that previously.
 
Those who live close to the Academy (less than 150 miles) may drive their family cars when they are at home on leave and/or vacation; just as if they lived farther from the Academy. The cannot however, park that car on base overnight, in one of the cadet parking lots or in the Springs -- the intent here is to prevent a 4th or 3rd class cadet from having a car (not parked at their parents' home) that they have constant access to. There are always some cadets who break this rule (bring a car from home and park it illegally off base). When caught, there are consequences -- I know of one
3rd class cadet last year (from out of state) who got caught with an illegal car in the Springs -- parked in various parking lots and moved frequently. The AOC for that cadet confiscated the keys until arrangements were made for a parent to come to the Springs and pick up the car. In that situation, other cadets who had driven the car, knowing that it was not authorized, also received consequences from their AOC. The consequences would be at the discretion of the AOC. I am not sure that a 3rd or 4th class cadet is forbidden to own a car -- have it titled in their name -- so long as they do not bring it to the Springs and try to park it so as to have access when not allowed. Maybe cadets are asked whether they own a car at home -- but I don't remember ever hearing that previously.

Correct. The intent is to prevent underclass cadets from keeping cars at the Academy. There simply is not the parking space. As dohdean said, if a cadet lives within the radius, there is not going to be a problem driving it while home, as long as it is not stored anywhere on the Academy.
 
I know my sons were always able to borrow a car, and now also loan theirs out ("Can you drive a stick?" being the most important question there). They have usually paid with a full tank of gas, but once or twice, things have gone a different way, including an oil change, and complete car cleaning, inside and out.

Parents, don't forget to alert your insurance company if your cadet will be far from home, around only a few weeks a year.
 
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