Soaring question

R

ruralakay

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Jun 6, 2016
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I have read that, once BCT is out of the way, a cadet can either jump or soar and that, if they choose to soar first, then they won't have the opportunity to jump again until their senior year. But, if they choose to jump, then they can soar at any point after that. (correct me, if I'm wrong)

How does the soaring program work, and how does it potentially affect things if my son enters the academy already having his soaring license? My son completed two glider academies before his 15th birthday and completed all the requirements to be licensed to soar. In the grand scheme of things, that fact may not have any bearing on what he is allowed to do in the Academy, but I thought I'd ask if that makes it easier to fast track to solo flights at the Academy.

Also, given that he does already have soaring experience, would you (in your opinion) think it would be best for him to take the opportunity to jump first (right after BCT) and open up the opportunity to soar the rest of the time he's there? Again, I know it all boils down to what he WANTS to do, but that one is just more of an opinion question. For current or former cadets, which did you choose to do first, and are you happy with the way you chose?
 
If his desire is to become a soaring IP, those tend to get selected for training at the end of his second summer.

If he wants to try out for Wings of Blue - that group is typically made up of cadets that when through free fall the second summer

If he just wants to complete the free fall and gliding programs those can be done over the summer and/or during the academic year.

Most if not all cadets are cycled through the soaring program by end of the second year.

It is also possible to compete for the Wings of Blue team after your second year, but those that do that are the exception and not the rule
 
If you do jump (AM-490) the summer after your freshman year, you have the opportunity to apply for the Wings of Blue. If you don't do jump at this point, you can do it senior year, but you can't apply to be a WOB. If you do soaring that summer (AM-251), you get the chance to be a Soaring Instructor Pilot (IP). If you don't, you will probably not get to soar solo at all. There is however a program (AM-250) that most freshmen get put into during their first year where they get to soar with an IP.
 
Also, they will get a briefing about all of this in their first semester (around November) before they get to make preference choices about their summer programs.
 
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