Future airmen parent with ?'s about education

If commissioning is not going to be a viable option, but he wants to fly, he should look into the Loadmaster (1A2X1) or Special Missions Aviation (1A9X1) AFSCs.
 
Joining the AF is a relatively new decision for him, so he didn't really take care of his grades, but we were hoping to make an end-run around those aspects.
RIght, but he has the chance to do that now.
Enroll in Community College and "take care of his grades".
Transfer to a 4-year college and join ROTC.
Then he will be on a realistic path to become a pilot.

Keep in mind that the recruiters job is to recruit, not to set your son up on his best path to his goal.
 
Another potential option: aviation science at a low-cost university and then commissioning. Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina, just one example, has an aviation science program and a relationship with the Coast Guard, which also flies a lot of planes and helicopters.
 
My son is an AF pilot. He should not enlist he wants to be a pilot as you must be an officer. While you can enlist and later become an officer, it just doesn't make sense to me. Three ways to become an officer. While going to college, you join AFRotc. You can acquire scholarships from Rotc as you apply or once you are in college. You don't need the scholarship to be part of Rotc. The Rotc route is the easiest although it's not guaranteed because, after 2 years, they may just say no to you. When my son went to Rotc everyone was invited to continue after the second year. This current year only 50% were invited to continue. The other route is OTS. Basically, after you graduate college, you apply to go through OTS where if accepted you go through some training and become an officer. This is also the hardest way to become an officer because OTS is there to make additional officers when they don't get enough officers from Rotc and the AF academy. So if their aren't enough officers, they allowmore to enter OTS. If there are too many officers (as there are today) they limit the number taken. It's also the best because you can apply to OTS and say you will only accept it if they will make you a pilot. The third option is the Air Force Academy. It is the easiest in that if you make it through and are medically qualified, you will be an officer and you will probably be a pilot. Obviously, it's the hardest because getting into the academy is very very hard.

Having said that, even if you to become an officer, that doesn't mean you will be a pilot. Besides being medically qualified, there other things you must to be be considered for a pilot spot.
 
@jimmyjimmyv - yet another option would be to enroll into a Service Academy PREP program after High School and then apply. Marion Military Institute, New Mexico Military Institute, and Georgia Military College all offer these programs. MMI and NMMI are 2 year community colleges and the credits would transfer anywhere should plans change. GMC is a 4 year school and credits would also transfer.

A SA prep program would expose the student to the military lifestyle and have focused missions on preparing a student to be competitive for the admissions process. Once you have a year of college credits on the resume, the High School performance is less important.
 
like St.Paul Dad my first thought as I read the OP was "Warrant Officer" US Army. This might be one of those times when "DAD" can point to the right trail head. My DD's best friend at USNA went Pilot. He did really well in FLT. School and had the full set of platforms available to choose from. It came down to F18G or SH60 Seahawk for him. He went with the Helo as the more engaging/challenging ride with more "meaningful" operations oriented flying day-to-day.

I am also reminded of a converstation I had with a retired USN A7 pilot years ago. I was just out of grad school and moaning about how much I'd wanted to be a pilot,(I grew up around F86 jocks), but my vision sucked. This guy/engineer, put his hand on my shoulder and said -"Just Dad"-, 9O% of the time its flying in straight lines above 5000ft and, trust me, nothing feels fast at 5000ft.". "It's Sorta like having your own little airliner. " In contrast, an OH6 doing 100kts, 80' off the deck reacting to obstacles, now THAT feels FAST-n-TIGHT------- Ah--- at least it did sitting on the right side flying over coffee fields on Kauai.

Then there's the Coast Guard, which does not require a college degree either. Talk about challenging, meaningful,-hero type stuff--Every single day!


Trust me, it ain't settling -----------------------------------------------Just saying

PS: Now I'm wondering if , as a practical matter, Army and CG really does take raw HS educated types into their flight programs. I know on paper you can do it with a HS education, but the completion for those training spots must be pretty stiff. Wondering also if it would make sense for a HS grad to take out a loan (or talk his Dad into $$$) to take a commercial aviation course to get licensed for Helicopters before going in. I bet that combo would "show those college boys" in testing. He could start out on ground school stuff pretty inexpensively now, (show you he's serious) and move to flight training after he graduates. Post graduation, he takes a day job to fund part of his costs. One year later--bing-bango-bongo-- he goes in to USArmy or C Guard with a sleeve that says he's already a Helo pilot. I bet this is a fairly common path.
 
like St.Paul Dad my first thought as I read the OP was "Warrant Officer" US Army. This might be one of those times when "DAD" can point to the right trail head. My DD's best friend at USNA went Pilot. He did really well in FLT. School and had the full set of platforms available to choose from. It came down to F18G or SH60 Seahawk for him. He went with the Helo as the more engaging/challenging ride with more "meaningful" operations oriented flying day-to-day.

I am also reminded of a converstation I had with a retired USN A7 pilot years ago. I was just out of grad school and moaning about how much I'd wanted to be a pilot,(I grew up around F86 jocks), but my vision sucked. This guy/engineer, put his hand on my shoulder and said -"Just Dad"-, 9O% of the time its flying in straight lines above 5000ft and, trust me, nothing feels fast at 5000ft.". "It's Sorta like having your own little airliner. " In contrast, an OH6 doing 100kts, 80' off the deck reacting to obstacles, now THAT feels FAST-n-TIGHT------- Ah--- at least it did sitting on the right side flying over coffee fields on Kauai.

Then there's the Coast Guard, which does not require a college degree either. Talk about challenging, meaningful,-hero type stuff--Every single day!


Trust me, it ain't settling -----------------------------------------------Just saying

PS: Now I'm wondering if , as a practical matter, Army and CG really does take raw HS educated types into their flight programs. I know on paper you can do it with a HS education, but the completion for those training spots must be pretty stiff. Wondering also if it would make sense for a HS grad to take out a loan (or talk his Dad into $$$) to take a commercial aviation course to get licensed for Helicopters before going in. I bet that combo would "show those college boys" in testing. He could start out on ground school stuff pretty inexpensively now, (show you he's serious) and move to flight training after he graduates. Post graduation, he takes a day job to fund part of his costs. One year later--bing-bango-bongo-- he goes in to USArmy or C Guard with a sleeve that says he's already a Helo pilot. I bet this is a fairly common path.
Pilots In the the Coast Guard are all officers.
 
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