Chance for pilot slot.

Flyguy4723

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Mar 30, 2017
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Hello all, just wondering if I could get some feedback as to what my chances are of getting a pilot slot in either the AF or Navy. I have no prior military experience and did attend an academy. I'm currently 19 years old and about 1 year out from finishing my 4 year degree. I attend Western Michigan University, majoring in Aviation Flight Science, currently have a 3.5 GPA(think I can raise it to 3.7 by the time I graduate). I have my Private Pilots License, Instrument rating and am training for my commercial license. The plan is to then get my multi engine rating and CFI. I have about 150 hours of flight time. I have no criminal history or anything like that at all. What are my chances of getting a slot? I don't have a PSCM or TBAS score as I don't think I'm eligible to take those tests yet. Thanks.
 
For Navy, given you are 3/4 complete in your degree, I believe the post-college OCS program leading to flight school is going to be your best path to research. It's not so much getting a pilot slot, it's getting a seat at OCS. That is very competitive. You will also have to meet all officer accession medical and physical standards.

OCS/OTS programs train candidates with college degrees in the basics of their service, commission them, and then they go into their warfare community training or first operational assignment. Very general overview.

Do some basic research at sites below, then find the OFFICER recruiter for your area, though the fine enlisted folks in the local storefront may be able to get you to the right person.

You are building a nice résumé, now you have to figure out your game plan.

http://www.ocs.navy.mil/ocs.html

https://www.navy.com/careers/aviation

Click on "officer":
https://www.navy.com/

Skim this one for anything that could derail you from the get-go. Here's how it works. You fill out medical history questionnaires during application process. DODMERB Qs or DQs you per the standard. The SERVICE may waive or not waive a DQ, per their own internal standards. Pilot standards are particularly stringent. Go browse the DODMERB forum here on SAF.

http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/613003p.pdf
 
Hello all, just wondering if I could get some feedback as to what my chances are of getting a pilot slot in either the AF or Navy. I have no prior military experience and did attend an academy. I'm currently 19 years old and about 1 year out from finishing my 4 year degree. I attend Western Michigan University, majoring in Aviation Flight Science, currently have a 3.5 GPA(think I can raise it to 3.7 by the time I graduate). I have my Private Pilots License, Instrument rating and am training for my commercial license. The plan is to then get my multi engine rating and CFI. I have about 150 hours of flight time. I have no criminal history or anything like that at all. What are my chances of getting a slot? I don't have a PSCM or TBAS score as I don't think I'm eligible to take those tests yet. Thanks.

Being a WMU Bronco alum myself, I know it has a great aviation program. I wish you luck.
 
For Navy, given you are 3/4 complete in your degree, I believe the post-college OCS program leading to flight school is going to be your best path to research. It's not so much getting a pilot slot, it's getting a seat at OCS. That is very competitive. You will also have to meet all officer accession medical and physical standards.

OCS/OTS programs train candidates with college degrees in the basics of their service, commission them, and then they go into their warfare community training or first operational assignment. Very general overview.

Do some basic research at sites below, then find the OFFICER recruiter for your area, though the fine enlisted folks in the local storefront may be able to get you to the right person.

You are building a nice résumé, now you have to figure out your game plan.

http://www.ocs.navy.mil/ocs.html

https://www.navy.com/careers/aviation

Click on "officer":
https://www.navy.com/

Skim this one for anything that could derail you from the get-go. Here's how it works. You fill out medical history questionnaires during application process. DODMERB Qs or DQs you per the standard. The SERVICE may waive or not waive a DQ, per their own internal standards. Pilot standards are particularly stringent. Go browse the DODMERB forum here on SAF.

http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/613003p.pdf

Awesome I will start looking into this information. So you believe OCS will be the real challenge here, not getting a flight slot? (I assume neither are a walk in the park). Also, do you think it would help or hurt my chances with the more flight time I acquire? I believe the more flight hours you have the higher your PCSM score will be but I have heard a few people say that you don't want too many hours otherwise you will be harder to train as a military pilot because of all of the civilian bad habits, tendencies, etc.?? Thoughts? Really appreciate the response!
 
Hello all, just wondering if I could get some feedback as to what my chances are of getting a pilot slot in either the AF or Navy. I have no prior military experience and did attend an academy. I'm currently 19 years old and about 1 year out from finishing my 4 year degree. I attend Western Michigan University, majoring in Aviation Flight Science, currently have a 3.5 GPA(think I can raise it to 3.7 by the time I graduate). I have my Private Pilots License, Instrument rating and am training for my commercial license. The plan is to then get my multi engine rating and CFI. I have about 150 hours of flight time. I have no criminal history or anything like that at all. What are my chances of getting a slot? I don't have a PSCM or TBAS score as I don't think I'm eligible to take those tests yet. Thanks.

Being a WMU Bronco alum myself, I know it has a great aviation program. I wish you luck.

Row the Boat! Thanks.
 
OCS is the first challenge. Pilot slot the second. Your officer recruiter can advise you on how that works per current policy. I am not current on whether you can get an aviation seat going in, based on if you complete OCS successfully. At various times in the past, there was an OCS and an AOCS. Now the it is just one school again.

There are those who would say that too much piloting experience could get in the way. Civilian habits are not wrong, just different. The military has its own way of training. They happily take those who have proven they can solo and start from there. Good news is you have proven you can handle flying mechanics and ground knowledge. Again, talk to officer recruiter. OCS serves the needs of the Navy; it's like an adjustment knob. Need more bodies because intake from ROTC, SA and other commissioning paths didn't yield enough? Open OCS knob, add another section, increase intake. Works the other way too.

After you do some research - expand to Navy missions and airframes. Ditto approach to AF programs. The earlier you talk to the recruiter with specific questions, the better you can prepare and make adjustments.
 
OCS is the first challenge. Pilot slot the second. Your officer recruiter can advise you on how that works per current policy. I am not current on whether you can get an aviation seat going in, based on if you complete OCS successfully. At various times in the past, there was an OCS and an AOCS. Now the it is just one school again.

There are those who would say that too much piloting experience could get in the way. Civilian habits are not wrong, just different. The military has its own way of training. They happily take those who have proven they can solo and start from there. Good news is you have proven you can handle flying mechanics and ground knowledge. Again, talk to officer recruiter. OCS serves the needs of the Navy; it's like an adjustment knob. Need more bodies because intake from ROTC, SA and other commissioning paths didn't yield enough? Open OCS knob, add another section, increase intake. Works the other way too.

After you do some research - expand to Navy missions and airframes. Ditto approach to AF programs. The earlier you talk to the recruiter with specific questions, the better you can prepare and make adjustments.

I thought you can go into OCS with a guaranteed pilot slot. Am I wrong about this?
 
If that is what you have found to be current policy through your research with primary sources, then that is likely correct. I noted I was not up on current approach. The one guarantee with the military is that policies and programs change...
 
I've talked to a couple recruiters and a guy that is active Navy, they all said you know you will be a pilot before going to OCS. I want to stay out of rotors at all costs, is there a way to stay away from those, like if I went Navy do I have a greater chance of getting assigned a helicopter?
 
No way to call that for Navy. It is ALL about the needs of the Navy at any given point. You get through the hoops to get into OCS with an aviation seat, you work hard to get through OCS for your butter bars, you bust your butt on training hops and on the ground at flight school, hope your grades are at the top or near the top of your section, and pray there are a few fixed wing/jet seats available when it's time to pick, and that you get one. Then you hope you can make it through the next phase, repeat all above, and pray you get a slot for your dream airframe pipeline. Then you hope you can get through the airframe training, which might well include CQ - carrier quals. Then you go to your fleet squadron and compete some more...

AF is all about the needs of the AF at any given point, as well. Roughly parallel to Navy. But - they are not so much into rotors...

If rotors are absolutely not something you would consider, do your research and calculate comparative risks.

You're doing all the right things researching this now.
 
No way to call that for Navy. It is ALL about the needs of the Navy at any given point. You get through the hoops to get into OCS with an aviation seat, you work hard to get through OCS for your butter bars, you bust your butt on training hops and on the ground at flight school, hope your grades are at the top or near the top of your section, and pray there are a few fixed wing/jet seats available when it's time to pick, and that you get one. Then you hope you can make it through the next phase, repeat all above, and pray you get a slot for your dream airframe pipeline. Then you hope you can get through the airframe training, which might well include CQ - carrier quals. Then you go to your fleet squadron and compete some more...

AF is all about the needs of the AF at any given point, as well. Roughly parallel to Navy. But - they are not so much into rotors...

If rotors are absolutely not something you would consider, do your research and calculate comparative risks.

You're doing all the right things researching this now.


Yea I think the Air Force will be the way I end up going just because theres not as much rotor involved, also I've heard the Air Force pilots fly much more often than the Navy guys do.(Just what I've heard.) I have some recruiters that I'll be talking to next week and a few Air Force officers that will be in contact with me, that should provide me with a lot of more insight.
 
Flyguy4723,

I would suggest you go over to Baseops.net and read everything that you can. Especially the sections about getting a pilot slot. That site had a lot of good information on the AF side of flying. Read everything over for at least a week or more before posting any questions. They expect you to have done that over there and are not kind if you don't.

Stealth_81
 
Another option to research is the Marines. They need pilots also, but do have a large percentage of rotery craft. You can get a "guaranteed" pilot slot.
 
I agree with Stealth check out baseops.net to get some more info.

The one thing you need to know is that it is separate boards. Rated or non-rated. They typically meet twice a year. However, when you apply for the rated board it is for all rated positions. You cannot just say pilot or nothing. Now if they come back and say RPA, you can't decline it and say I will go non-rated and try for the next board. If you turn it down they will never allow you to apply for rated again.
~ Our friends DS a couple of yrs ago did not get pilot from the OCS board, but got CSO which he took due to the rules. He is now waiting to apply for the ADAF pilot board. Basically Big Blue holds boards for ADAF officers that want to xtrain, in his case he still wants to be a pilot. It takes a couple of years because between OCS, UNT, SERE, water survival and RTU (air frame school house), than time to become operational it adds up to about 2-3 yrs. from start to finish.

Since you are a year out from graduating you should be eligible to apply for OCS this summer board. The friend I referred to earlier, applied as a rising senior (July board). He found out in Aug. that he was accepted for OCS. Did his senior yr. was sent to Maxwell about a month after he graduated.
 
Hello all, just wondering if I could get some feedback as to what my chances are of getting a pilot slot in either the AF or Navy. I have no prior military experience and did attend an academy. I'm currently 19 years old and about 1 year out from finishing my 4 year degree. I attend Western Michigan University, majoring in Aviation Flight Science, currently have a 3.5 GPA(think I can raise it to 3.7 by the time I graduate). I have my Private Pilots License, Instrument rating and am training for my commercial license. The plan is to then get my multi engine rating and CFI. I have about 150 hours of flight time. I have no criminal history or anything like that at all. What are my chances of getting a slot? I don't have a PSCM or TBAS score as I don't think I'm eligible to take those tests yet. Thanks.

Your chances at becoming a pilot (aviator) in the US Air Force or US Navy are, in my opinion, very good. Very, very good.

First off, congrats to being 1 year from earning a college degree at the age of 19. No small feat.

At this point in time, due to the improving economy in the US, and worldwide actually, the need for commercial airline pilots is so great that trained pilots from the US military are leaving the service in historically large numbers to fly civilian aircraft for greater pay and benefits. Hard to blame them.

This leaves a dramatically enlarging demand for new pilots.

If you had a 3.5 GPA in, say, political science, with no aviation experience whatsoever, you would have an excellent shot at getting an OCS or OTS slot for a flyer in the Navy or Air Force. Thy like having some flying experience, sure, but the military likes to train you "their way".

Call an officer recruiter (not an ordinary recruiter) with both the AF/Navy & get started on your application package. You can apply a year from earning your bacherlors.

Check out https://www.airforceots.com & www.airwarriors.com.

Seriously, flyguy, if you want this and work for it you've got a good shot. The US military needs pilots badly. Earn it.
 
More on the need for more pilots:

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2016/12/29/whats-ahead-air-force-2017.html

Simultaneously, the service plans to increase the number of fighter pilots in its ranks by as much as 20 percent a year in part by using more F-16 Fighting Falcons and trainer aircraft. The hope is to boost the number of fighter pilots it trains each year to 1,375 officers.

http://www.military.com/daily-news/...ave-to-be-concerned-about-pilot-shortage.html

Pilot Shortfall
Despite an inventory of nearly 1,600 combat aircraft, the Air Force now faces a shortage of 700 pilots and 4,000 maintainers, according to the 2017 Index of U.S. Military Power, released Wednesday by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in Washington, D.C.

http://www.flyingmag.com/air-force-running-short-on-pilots

No matter where you look inside the U.S. Air Force, the shortage of pilots is an issue. For years it looked as if the shortage only affected the fighter pilot ranks, but even the supply of aviators for the Air Force’s transport arm, the Air Mobility Command, is running dry, according to the Air Force Times.

https://www.airforcetimes.com/story...ing-selection-rates-near-70-percent/73041024/

Nearly 70 percent of the active-duty enlisted airmen and civilians who applied for Officer Training School were selected for the third class to be announced this year, the Air Force said Tuesday.

It is the second class in a row in which the acceptance rate has topped 60 percent. In May, the Air Force said that 65.78 percent of the 599 applicants to attend the 15OT02 class were accepted.

The higher selection rates are part of the Air Force's strategy to beef up its officer ranks, which is a component of its overall plan to rebuild the entire force. In a May interview, Brig. Gen. Brian Kelly, director of military force management policy, said the Air Force admitted 520 candidates to attend OTS classes that take place in 2015, but expects to admit more than 1,100 candidates for the 2016 classes, which are now being announced. Those higher selection rates are helping OTS field more aspiring second lieutenants.

https://www.airwarriors.com/community/index.php?threads/may-pilot-nfo-board-lessons-learned.44092/

Average GPA of those recommended for Navy OCS Naval Aviator was 3.26. 59% selection rate. Average GPA of those recommended for Navy OCS Naval Flight Officer was 3.17. 54% selection rate.
 
Ok great! Thanks for all the info and advice. I talked with Navy recruiter today and he said that with my GPA and my aviation experience I have a very good shot at getting selected for a flight slot. The thing that I'm really struggling with is which branch to go to. I think I've narrowed it down between the Navy and the Air Force. Navy service obligation is 6 years(2 year training, and 4 AD), and the AF obligation is 10 years(I think that timer starts after UPT, so more like 11 years). I think 11 years is way too long for me, plus I also like the culture of the Navy better. The only problem I have with the Navy is that they assign about 50% of their pilots to helicopters. I would very much prefer to stay out of rotor, it's not that I would not necessarily like flying helos, but I don't think I can land a job at a Major airline like Delta, AA, Fedex with just Rotor time. (After my service time) Plus I also like flying fixed wing more, it's what I learned to fly on and I'm good at it. Thoughts? Thanks.
 
Hello @Flyguy4723 i was wondering what u ended up doing? And also isn't a naval aviator comminent 8 years after getting your wings?

I got busy with work and other stuff this summer. Big decision to think about. I will probably take some tests this fall and see where I fall with those.
 
Awesome I will start looking into this information. So you believe OCS will be the real challenge here, not getting a flight slot? (I assume neither are a walk in the park). Also, do you think it would help or hurt my chances with the more flight time I acquire? I believe the more flight hours you have the higher your PCSM score will be but I have heard a few people say that you don't want too many hours otherwise you will be harder to train as a military pilot because of all of the civilian bad habits, tendencies, etc.?? Thoughts? Really appreciate the response!
 
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