Flight school opportunities?

I

IndianaJones

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Feb 11, 2020
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Our DS is awaiting an appointment offer for the class of 2024. Should he be lucky enough to receive an offer, he has verbally expressed interest in flight school. We are curious how many (generally speaking) USAFA graduates continue on to flight school? How competitive? How many slots etc? Thanks!
 
Flight training after USAFA is known as UPT, or Undergraduate Pilot Training. Generally speaking, about half of each class gets a pilot slot. However, this can vary from year to year. I have seen a low of 360 slots and a high of 550 in the past few years. Most USAFA classes are about 1000 to 1100 so it is roughly half.

Remember, too, that not everyone in each class wants a pilot slot, so if a cadet wants to fly, the chances are very good that they will get a slot if they perform even mildly well at USAFA.

Also, just because they get a slot doesn't mean that they will make it through training. Approximately 25% of students starting UPT will not complete it and fly for the AF. If a student washes out of pilot training they still have a commitment to the Air Force for at least 5 years.

The looming pilot shortage and the changes that the Air Force is making to pilot training could change all of this in the 5 years between now and when your son would be looking at a pilot slot. All he can do is forge ahead and try his best to get what he wants.

Stealth_81
 
In the last several years, it has been said that anyone who wanted to a pilot spot (USAFA)and qualifed, got it. Having said that it can change quickly. I hear this year the number of pilot spots dropped although I cant confirm if that is true or not. Traditionally, the acadmies get the most number of spots. Its something like 550 to to the academy, 400 to AFRotc and the rest go to OTS. When they start cutting the spots, the take it away from OTS first. The problem with the AF is that there are only 3.5 UPT schools and they can only squeeze so many students into the pipeline. The other issue is the limited number of trainers although can fixed if desire. As for passing UPT, it looks like very few people fail although it happens. They are trying to push more pilots through and they are now willing to work with the students to make sure that happens. You have to be a complete screw up excluding medical and other issues, in order not to pass. In my sons UPT class, a female pilot failed one time to many and was going to be kicked out. All of the men and women in the class wrote a letter explaing whey she shouldnt and she wasnt kicked out. What happens now is that you sort of work at your own pace and if you get too far behind, they will put you in newer class in order to go through the basics again.
 
I was told this year 500 slots were presented to the 1000 graduating class. Military goes in cycles with regard to Pilots. Currently, The door is open wider than to ever has and the opportunities are plentiful.

In the old days you'd get washed out pretty easy.. Now a days they just slide you back and train more....
 
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