How do I line myself best up for success for an Aviator Slot ?

[zoom_zoom17]

Back again as the soon to be college freshman. I was recently awarded the NROTC National Scholarship with my major selection being Pro Flight. I've looked for lots of threads on here about what the most important thing for ROTC guys to focus on is on getting there ideal billet, but I haven't come across very much information. I've heard the university NROTC commanders say that grades and PT scores are the most important, others have said they've made it with a 2.65 GPA but a good ASTB score?

On top of that I've heard things like speeding tickets and extracurricular activities also play a role in landing an aviation spot, so for former NROTC to aviators to answer, what did you do that separated you from the competition and allowed you to gain that spot?

 

[Herman_Snerd]

The good news is that you are taking steps in college to train to become both an officer and to have a career in aviation. Your certs and training and flight hours will get you there. However, your role as an officer may not be as an aviator, despite your aviation training/ certs/ hours from college.
Professional Flight is a Tier II major in the Navy, which carries more weight than tier 3 majors, and less weight than Tier 1 majors (ex. Mechanical engineering) in the closely guarded Colonel's secret recipe for who is given a role in Naval Aviation among those who put this on their preference sheet. There are always success stories - I know of two Tier IIs from this year who are a commercial and private pilots who are heading to Pensacola eventually as SNA, but I also know of 1 private pilot/ 1 professional flight degree pilot from last year who went SWO / SNFO path respectively.
Grades, evaluations/ recommendations, ASTB scores, fitness scores are components you can certainly influence and if you put forth a solid package in all these areas, then you increase your chances. You can prepare for the ASTB including stick/rudder skill, but I wouldn't worry about that, yet.

The Marines have guaranteed aviation contracts *any guarantee is contingent - meaning as long as you have no disqualifying condition, and the Air Force puts a higher value in their scoring on prior flight experience than the Navy. You can confirm too if the Army currently has guaranteed aviation contract option. You should learn about the mission and airframes of each and consider applying there too.

I recommend you get a Class I flight physical by a physician who normally performs these for the military before you go the professional flight path and pursue a flight career with the military - it will cost you, but a good investment to confirm if you have any disqualifying conditions - imo better to know this up front.

Honestly your best focus in year 1 in ROTC as a flight student is to learn like a sponge in NROTC/ be present with a good attitude, excel in grades, be active in your unit, excel in the basics of flight in your degree program. the flight blocks and NROTC time along with studying require great time management, but you can do it.

Good luck.

 

[Skipper07]

Get good grades. Get good ASTB scores. Perform well in your unit. Be a good dude.

Fortunately all of these are things that you can control.

 

[ProudDad17]

Don't do things because you think they will help you secure a pilot's spot. Do things because they genuinely interest you, they will help you develop into a good officer/leader or they help others be successful. And if you can do something that meets all three of these criteria, that's a great bonus.

 

[Herman_Snerd]

Just one other thought - both for your future career as a military officer, and most definitely for a career as a pilot with the airlines, you want to avoid any arrest for drunk driving, drugs arrest of any kind. For meeting ROTC standards, safest to avoid any civic incident - arrest, egregious ticket for speeding- read your regulations and know what's acceptable. And you always want to be truthful - a speeding ticket you tell them about is far less risk than one you tried to hide.

A faculty member at Purdue University described a DUI conviction for a flight student as career poison for being hired by an airline. Officially or unofficially, you need to demonstrate you can make solid judgments in a stressful operating environment - be that in a cockpit at 30,000 feet with 204 souls relying on you, or in the theater of combat. or even on a crossing of the Pacific, when per my relative who took a lot of those trips, boredom and space confinement breed conflict.

I would also avoid being in a car with any substance present or an impaired driver (at any age) set up an Uber account and use it if you need to - a lot cheaper than repaying your scholarship and ending your career opportunity to serve or fly.

 

[FastFood44]

Agree with all the above info

as a current SNFO, I can say this:
good grades and good ASTB (STUDY FOR THIS!! do the online practice joystick stuff)

There is obviously other factors but hammer these home

 

[goirish1]

I would add, that even if you do all of these to the best of your ability, at the end of the day, it all depends on the needs of the Navy at the time of your selection, which is the item you can't control. Spend your time honing your leadership skills and becoming well rounded.