Aviation Opportunities at WP

[wp_classof2023]

What are some of the fixed wing aircrafts or helos available to WP officers after graduation and how does that process work. I’m considering USNA and USAFA but I really want to go to WP but I can’t really find a lot of information about their avaiation processes within the academy or what opportunities are available to cadets. Any help would be great!

 

[Jcleppe]

What are some of the fixed wing aircrafts or helos available to WP officers after graduation and how does that process work. I’m considering USNA and USAFA but I really want to go to WP but I can’t really find a lot of information about their avaiation processes within the academy or what opportunities are available to cadets. Any help would be great!

Aviation is one of the 17 Branches you can request when you commission. You will place your branch choices in order of preference, on Branch Night, Aviation can be one of those choices. On Branch Night you will find out which branch you have received. Army Aviation is different then the other services, the majority of pilots in the Army are Warrant Officers. Commissioned Officers are Aviation Officers. If you are selected for AV then you would go to Ft. Rucker following graduation and attend Flight School. During flight school you will go through airframe selection based on your class OML and select your airframe. Your choices will be one of the following, Blackhawk, Apache, Chinook, C12 (Fixed wing prop plane).

Once you graduate flight school you will go to your unit, there you may be a PL right away or be on staff for a while, it all depends on your unit. After a couple years you will move more to the staff side of things, while you will still get hours you will be more involved with planning and later command.

Army Aviation Officers come from both West Point and ROTC