I've been away for a while. My kid wants to join the Air Force and is currently looking at the Academy and ROTC, so I'm trying to get a feel for latest!
To the OP, here's my .02000009999:
As many have said, you do not get a "fighter pilot slot" out of the academy/ROTC. If you get a Air Force pilot slot out of the academy/ROTC, you will go off to SUPT (Air Force pilot training). The Navy has their own flight training similar to the Air Force (kindler and gentler than the Air Force IMHO but that's whole new can of worms).
Generally speaking, SUPT consists of two phases unless you attend ENJJPT. Don't worry about what ENJJPT is at this point: Phase 1=T-6. Phase 2=T-38 or T-1 (note: T-44 and helicopter track will not be discussed). The entire program is 52-54 weeks long. After completion of the first phase (T-6) you will be ranked based on flying grades, academic grades, and flight commander rating (officership). Based on these scores and your "dream sheet", you will go off to the second phase, either to T-38s (fighter & bomber track-F, A, and B designated airframes) or T-1s (heavy track-KC and C designated airframes). Remember, timing and needs of the military is everything; a little luck doesn't hurt either. Typically, 1/4 to 1/3 of the class goes off to T-38s and as high as 2/3 of them get fighters, give or take a few. On the low side, I've seen as low as 1/3 go to fighters and rest went to bombers and/or UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles).
Take what I'm about to say with a grain of salt. These are the things I've witnessed as a SUPT Instructor Pilot (IP). I know that you are set on flying fighters right now but you really won't know for sure if it is right for you until you are close to finishing T-6s. By that I mean, you may not like pulling Gs, formation flying, low levels, wearing a helmet, G-suit (as strange as it may sound, some people couldn't stand them) etc. Or worse yet, you may not have the stick 'n rudder skills and/or the mindset to fly a single seat jet. For some, the mission and culture of the tactical jet community may not be appealing for them. You will pickup on these things as you progress through the academy/ROTC, summer programs, and pilot training itself. The good news is that if you have the grades, the desire and a good attitude, the IPs & the flight commander will do everything in their power to get you to achieve your goal. As many have said on here, you really need to do some serious soul searching and figure out a plan B incase pilot training doesn't pan out for you. How badly do you want to be in the military to serve and can you be happy as an officer before a pilot? I'm not trying to scare you but here's the reality; in my pilot training class, more than a 1/3 washed out (at times, 50% washout isn't unrealistic but typically 25% washout and/or quit), of which two of them washed out less than 2 weeks before graduation. One of them was my designated formation partner in T-38s. It's really not over until the fat lady sings.
I'd keep your options open with the Navy if I were you. Pros: get jet grades, you'll most likely get jets (the ones with tail hooks). No need to worry about getting a S-3 or a EA/A-6 (not that there's anything wrong with those airframes) because the F/A-18s have replaced all of their missions, that is, until the F-35 (yuk!) comes online. Another biggy is that the Navy aviators do not fly UAVs, yet. Best of all, Navy flight training, from what I hear, is much kindler and gentler with whole lot less BS than the Air Force. The Navy tells you what you can't do-everything else is fair game; the Air Force tells you what you can do-that's it! That's right..... you heard it from a Air Force guy! Cons: Depending on the needs of the Navy and your grades, you can be stuck with a helo (again there's nothing wrong with being a rotorhead
). Personally, I think they fly some of the coolest missions though it's not my cup of tea. Besides, it puts a big kibosh on an airline career in the majors. You have to live on a "boat" for 6-9 months at a time. For me, that was the straw that broke the camel's back. To each his own.
I'm not here to scare people or crush their dreams. I was just like you when I was your age. The only difference is that I wanted to be an airline pilot vs. a fighter pilot.
Btw, keep it a secret if you want to be an airline pilot. The military leadership, in general, frowns up on that for obvious reason. My advice to you is to keep your nose clean, kick ass in school (and take AP classes and challenge yourself), get involved in sports, clubs, school leadership opportunities, and community service. Also, a good attitude goes a long way as well as helping out your peers with a genuine heart.
If you can/are able/want, shoot for an engineering degree at the academy. For one thing, if you attend the USAFA, everyone has to take the same math (upper division calculus) and science (advanced chemistry & physics) classes meaning, you are half way to an engineering degree; put in that extra effort and it can pay big dividends later in life. It's a lot on your plate, especially at the academy (I'm not an academy grad but I played one as an ALO
) but it will open more doors for you in the future (ie. test pilot school, more opportunities for better non-flying jobs, backup if SUPT doesn't work out). Also, if you go the AFROTC route, you will be more competitive for a pilot slot vs. someone with a non-technical degree. Just understand, an engineering degree WILL NOT help you excel in pilot training; my Aerospace Engineering degree did didly squat for me but it did help me get a pilot slot and better assignments along the way in my limited Air Force career.
Take it day by day. As the saying goes, life is a marathon so don't burn yourself out early! It's about the journey and it's a good one, at least when I look back at mine. Good luck and God bless!
