Flying Alternatives

Packerfan735

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I've always wanted to be an astronaut... ALWAYS... so i would like to attend the academy, graduate, and go to flight school... but in order to do so, i need perfect vision.. i have this now but before i accept i would like to know what i could do after the academy if i were to have an eye poked out or something tragic happened to where i could not fly..
 
There's so many jobs available in the Air Force, I'm sure you wouldn't have a hard time finding one you liked. It has every job that the civilian world has, plus more.
 
i know but im having a hard time finding a good one... i have to have this planned out before i accept my appointment... any suggestions?
 
i know but im having a hard time finding a good one... i have to have this planned out before i accept my appointment... any suggestions?

Who says you need to have it planned out and set in stone? Circumstances change and things don't always go as planned. I have no idea what I want to major in or what exactly I want to choose for my AFSC. Don't think that you have to have everything decided now because there are some cadets who only decide on majors and AFSCs the day of the deadline of the choices.

I'm keeping an open mind because I know that if I'm going to be the best officer I can be, i'll need to love what I do.
 
We should make a wanna-be astronaut club!!! I'm in the same boat, and you know what, I don't even have perfect vision. You don't need perfect vision to be an astronaut, you know. Just pilots, I think. And I believe there is a thread somewhere about how corrective eye surgery is available if your Pilot Qed except for vision. Don't stress out so much. There are plenty of backup plans available even within the "confines" of chosing the Academy.
 
I want to be a pilot as well, but I hardly know about many of the jobs in the Air Force. You'll be exposed to them while at the Academy.
 
You don't have to have perfect vision to be a pilot, needs to be correctable to 20/20 though.
 
There's a lot more to going to the academy and becoming a commissioned officer than flying. I am all for figuring out a backup in case you don't get a flying slot. I.e. there's a lot of reasons you might not get a flying slot. And having a backup job in mind is good. But if you think that if you can't think of a good backup job and you are questioning accepting an appointment in case you don't get a flying slot; then maybe you really need to think hard whether to accept the appointment. Part of you should want to attend the academy and become commissioned as an officer no matter what the job you get is. Not saying that you shouldn't be trying to aim for what you want to do, but if you are thinking that it's pilot or whatever 1 backup (Which you can't seem to figure out); or you don't want to go to the academy and be an officer; them maybe you should indeed look at your other options.

You could choose pilot and 2 other backups and I can give you scenarios where you might not get any of the 3. The #1 factor in your job is your OPA (Overall Performance Average). This is the combination of your cumulative GPA (Grade Point Average) 60%; MPA (Military Performance Average) 30%; and PEA (Physical Education Average) 10%. This OPA (Your class ranking) is then the main ingredient when the board meets to determine your job. Assume for a second that an injury or whatever disqualifies you from being a pilot. Approximately 500 of the 1000 will be offered a pilot slot. So your backup job you want is "Intelligence". Unfortunately, let's say they only have 12 opening for that. And maybe your class ranking puts you at a point in the list that all 12 slots were chosen by others before it was your turn. Well, then what. My point is; you should have 3-4 jobs in mind that you'd really like to do. By all means Aim High. But if you are reconsidering taking an appointment because you can't quite get the guarantees you want, then maybe you should really think hard about what you really want.

Here's a decent web site with air force officer specialties. It describes them pretty good. Maybe it will help you find something you like. best of luck.... mike....

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/officerjobs/a/afoffjobs.htm
 
Approximately 500 of the 1000 will be offered a pilot slot.

Is this really true? My ALO said if you graduate and are qualified, they ask you if you want to be a pilot or not. If you are qualified and want to, you go to flight school basically.
 
Yes and no. Basically; if you want to be a pilot and you are qualified, then yes; you will be offered a UPT slot. The 500 is because believe it or not, at least half of the cadets don't want a flying slot. Some because they have other interests. Some because they want a FIVE AND DIVE. (Do their 5 years to pay back their obligation; then get out). But you are basically correct. If you are qualified and want to fly, you should have no problem getting a UPT slot.

Realize however that the word "QUALIFIED" is a loose term. In theory; if 1000 students graduate, and your class rank is #1000; you could still get a UPT slot. Will you? Hard to guarantee. Put it this way. If your ranking was in the top 500, you'd have a much better chance.

Also; realize that just because you got a UPT pilot slot doesn't mean you WILL become a pilot. There are some that fail out of flight school. There are some that wanted to be a pilot their whole life, but the first time they go in a plane, they puke their guts out and realize maybe they don't want it so bad. Or those that get into the altitude chamber and freak out. I don't know the wash out rate in UPT; but 100% don't graduate and become pilots. Some take other flying jobs. Some go into non flying jobs.

But if you are qualified; and you want to fly; you pretty much will be given a UPT slot. My previous post was to basically mention that there are 101 scenarios that make it where you don't get your #1 job.
 
The vast majority of those who are medically qualified and want a pilot slot will get one from USAFA. There are usually about 50-80 who get on the alternate list (and some of them have nav slots).

Don't be near the bottom of your class, and you will have a VERY good chance.
 
I've heard the same from my ALO too. The whole reason why I wanted to go to the AFA was to have the best chance of getting a pilots slot.

From my understanding of every resource I have communicated with about this subject, as long as you are medically qualified, you get a pilots slot if you want after graduating from the academy.
 
My dream is to fly too, but I would need the PRK. Do they accept cadets into upt with the prk?
 
My dream is to fly too, but I would need the PRK. Do they accept cadets into upt with the prk?

If you're otherwise medically qualified, the Academy will do PRK for you normally early in your junior year - but if you have PRK done in the civilian world at any time you're automatically disqualified.
 
Excellant post christcorp thanks for the clarification!
 
I've heard the same from my ALO too. The whole reason why I wanted to go to the AFA was to have the best chance of getting a pilots slot.

From my understanding of every resource I have communicated with about this subject, as long as you are medically qualified, you get a pilots slot if you want after graduating from the academy.

Totally true from what I've heard, its part of the reason I prefer the Academy to ROTC, but even people who go ROTC have a pretty good chance if they're qualified. As far as I know everyone at my det. who applied for pilot/nav got a slot, and only one person up at OK State didn't. I'm not sure if that's true for other schools but...
 
I am hoping to become a pilot, but if that doesn't work out, thats perfectly fine with me. Thats why I have been looking into alternatives.....

Im having a hard time finding information on Air Force Troops. I want to know what my alternatives are in that direction....possibly Security Forces? Or is that mainly an enlistment job and Air Force Academy Officers tend to not be security forces? Thanks...
 
Dan, look in CC's post on page one, which has all of the commisioned officers' careers explained in detail. I am considering SF as well.
 
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