PQ

I was wondering where I could find the regulations for being PQ'ed. I am going to call DoDMERB tomorrow but I would like to do some research before.

Thanks

flyusaf93 said:

I was wondering where I could find the regulations for being PQ'ed. I am going to call DoDMERB tomorrow but I would like to do some research before.

Thanks

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You DID SEE a couple threads down one about "Pilot Qualified"? Didn't you?

You can call DODMRB all you want; but as far as Air Force is concerned, they will NOT deem you Pilot Qualified or NOT Pilot Qualified until you are actually at the air force academy as a cadet. All they care about during your DODMRB physical, is that you are "Military Service" qualified. There are too many variables on whether or not you'll be allowed to be a pilot in the air force. You apply to the air force academy to serve first. Then, if you're pilot qualified, you be given the opportunity to apply for undergraduate pilot training. If you're approved, you'll go there after academy graduation. After you have passed UPT and it is complete; you'll move on to train on the actual type of plane that you'll fly. Then when you pass that, you'll train on the actual plane to become a pilot. But there is NO PILOT QUALIFIED prior to getting to the academy.

CC I must disagree, I am attending NWP this August and wHen I called my counselor to see if I was flagged for a Falcon scholarship she said no because I was no PQ'ed. I agree, wholeheartedly, you must apply to serve before anything else, and I am but I plan on flying in the Air Force and was curious of why I was not PQ'ed. I am not short, I have perfect eyesight, and I have no medical disabilities that would prevent a PQ. Therefore, I am just wondering if it was a mistake.

Christcorp said:

You DID SEE a couple threads down one about "Pilot Qualified"? Didn't you?

You can call DODMRB all you want; but as far as Air Force is concerned, they will NOT deem you Pilot Qualified or NOT Pilot Qualified until you are actually at the air force academy as a cadet. All they care about during your DODMRB physical, is that you are "Military Service" qualified. There are too many variables on whether or not you'll be allowed to be a pilot in the air force. You apply to the air force academy to serve first. Then, if you're pilot qualified, you be given the opportunity to apply for undergraduate pilot training. If you're approved, you'll go there after academy graduation. After you have passed UPT and it is complete; you'll move on to train on the actual type of plane that you'll fly. Then when you pass that, you'll train on the actual plane to become a pilot. But there is NO PILOT QUALIFIED prior to getting to the academy.

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This is his DM chiming in. He received a qualified no vacany letter and when we checked to see if he was flagged for a Falcon scholarship the academy told him on the phone today that he wasn't flagged because he is not pilot qualified. He meets the height, eye sight and sitting position requirements as well as having his pilots license. Any other thoughts appreciated.

Well; then as you correctly stated, you probably need to call DODMRB. But I can tell you that the air force academy doesn't do anything with Pilot Qualified during your physical. You mentioned falcon scholarship, that's not the air force academy.

There is a section of this forum dedicated to DODMRB. If you had posted there; which you may have; that would be understandable. DODMRB is for all branches of the military. But when you ask in the "Air Force" forum; I had to assume you were asking about the Air Force Academy. Sorry.

In the other Pilot Qualified thread, an individual emailed Larry Mullen. He is the guru of guru for DODMRB. Here is a quote from that thread.

I emailed Larry Mullen at DoDMERB to get to the bottom of this issue. Here is his response:

1. DODMERB, does not make a "potential pilot" determination.
2. USAFA Admissions does.
3. Qualified, means he is qualified for admission to USAFA

I responded by asking why some candidates were listed as PPQ or PNQ on the DoDMERB site. Here is his response to my response:

"When the website came back up, there were some erroneous fields displayed. We’re trying to correct it."

I hope this provides everyone with crystal clear clarity on PPQ from a DoDMERB perspective anyway..

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The actual thread is:
http://www.serviceacademyforums.com/showthread.php?t=18637&page=3

That is coming straight from the DODMRB. But definitely post your question again in the DODMRB forum and definitely call them if you have questions.

I am definitely going to call, because as I am not worried about getting into the AFA next year because of my attending NWP, I am worried I missed out on the Falcon scholarship sue to a clerical error. Flying for the AF is my dream so I did my research on qualifications and I meet, or exceed, all requirements.

Thank you very much CC for your hasty replies!

No one can say if you'll be PQ by the time you graduate. There are too many variables.

You won't be PQ or not PQ until after your junior year at the academy.

PPQ'ed

An AFA counselor said that our DS is Pre-pilot qualified and would then be a likely candidate for the Foundation Scholarship.

also once you get here, they won't tell you you're PQ'ed until 3-degree year

I have written this before but here goes:
Some of the confusion about this comes from the online application status. For example, DS's application states "Qualified". If you to go to the DoDmerb section of the application and click the link, it will take you to your login for DoDmerb. Once you log in, at the top, it MAY say "Potential Pilot Qualified". There are other things that it may say as well. I don't want to say for certain what those things are because DS's stated "Potentially Pilot Qualified". When some posters have been writing that their DS or DD's status stated "PPQ", folks thought that they meant that it stated that on the ON-LINE APPLICATION. It did not. It is on the DodMerb site that they are seeing the status as "PPQ" or any other of various Dodmerb status designations. I think everyone understands that you are not "PQ'd" until the Air Force says you are and until well into your 4 years at the academy. But what people are wanting to understand is the Dodmerb status. I hope this helps. And yes, if my DS or DD's DODMERB status stated anything other than PPQ, I would probably have him find out why. AGAIN, RECOGNIZING THAT THIS IN NO WAY MEANS THAT THE AIR FORCE IS GOING TO PQ YOU even if your Dodmerb status states PPQ. As PIMA says, "I hope this didn't muddy the water". I'm trying to help some folks clear up two different references on the site! So if anyone plans to contact Dodmerb to find out about the Dodmerb status, make sure that it is the Dodmerb status that you are referencing and NOT the online application status. Two different things.

JMPO, throw it in the circular filing cabinet after reading it

Honestly, have you thought about the statistical chances of flying compared to the chances of serving?

Fact is if you enter and graduate You WILL serve be it as a flier or desk jockey. End of subject if you are qualified you owe 24/7 365 for 5 yrs. END OF SUBJECT.

It is great to have that ultimate goal. It is another thing to only take this path for that specific goal.

Reality:

Only 55% of AFA grads will go UPT...@ 550

Out of those 550:
55 will bust UPT
55 will get fighters.
440 will get airframes.

In other words if you are going to be a fighter jock, when you enter with 1100 other cadets, understand that 1 out of 20 will fly fighters. 1 out if 3 will fly. Yet 100% of the class will owe at least 5 yrs, including those who bust.

Go to the AFA for the education, go for the military training, don't go only to fly.

Think about it, are you willing to be 27 yo on a good day and never fly? That is on a good day, no Masters degree. If so roll with it, if not think about it.

just to tell yall how becoming actually "Pilot Qualified" or "Nav Qualified" or "Commission Qualified" works when you're here...

starting your sophomore year, you'll have your eyes tested. acuity, refractive error, depth perception, color vision, etc. If you ask, they'll tell you whether or not they're "PQ." However, there's a TON more to being "PQ" than just eyes.

You have to undergo a full USAF Flying Class 1 physical. During Junior year, you'll have a neuro-psych evaluation (iq test, cognitive test, personality tests). These arent directly related to your medical status, but they're still required. You'll also have a set of chest x-rays, blood work, urine tests, etc. Finally, you'll have the "graduation physical." You'll go in, have a hearing test, EKG, sitting/standing height, weight, read a paragraph to see if you stutter, and they'll go over your medical history (remember those huge forms that said: "have you ever in your life had/broken/been in a hospital/ X?").

This is where the flight doc will flag any areas that may require a waiver, additional tests, additional comments, or are disqualifying. You'll usually know when you come out of that where you sit, if you need any waivers, and what the chances are that you'll really end up "Pilot Qualified".

After all of this is complete (including a dental exam, too), the clinic will send off your medical packet during the fall of your Firstie (senior) year. It takes AETC in texas about a month to review it and send it back. If you need a waiver, they'll look over it or give it to the people that need to look at it, then send it to the clinic. When the clinic gets it back, they upload the status into CAMIS (our cadet info system) and voila, you're either PQ or not. This will be sometime Firstie year, depending on when your packet gets to/from the medical folks in texas.

Questions?

flyusaf93 said:

I am definitely going to call, because as I am not worried about getting into the AFA next year because of my attending NWP, I am worried I missed out on the Falcon scholarship sue to a clerical error.

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Hey, fly, I may have misunderstood your statement above, but it hit me as if you're saying getting into usafa is a done deal more or less because of attending nwp, regardless of falcon status. I can tell you that most of the nwp free agents from this past fall are holding QNV letters at this time. Of course, we all are hoping the status changes, but there you have it. Thanks to budget cuts. Just a reality check...

PS--I feel your pain. I do hope you get your error fixed if there is one. Be persistent. Same thing happened to me about my eyes when I applied long ago. Got it corrected, and got a UPT slot in the end.

Pima said:

Reality:

Only 55% of AFA grads will go UPT...@ 550

Out of those 550:
55 will bust UPT
55 will get fighters.
440 will get airframes.

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I realize the point that you are making, but I did want to correct the numbers a bit.

Yes, USAFA gets about half of the available UPT slots in a year, about 550. The dropout rate for UPT is historically 12-15%, so that would be more like 80-85 will bust UPT.

Fighter/bomber slots given out were:
2008 - 334 slots
2009 - 234 slots
2010 - 237 slots


So, statistically, even at the low point of the last few years, the odds of getting a fighter are better than the 10% that you quote. It is more like 20%-25%. (Figuring that half of the fighter slots go to the 470 UPT grads from USAFA UPT slots)

I am not saying that it is easy, by any means, but I had to point out that the odds are not nearly as dismal as posted.

Stealth_81