Soaring program at usafa

[RayomandBam]

I've been accepted to the class of 2022, and want to know how to become a sparing instructor at USAFA. Does it start during the first year or how does training for soaring instructor pilot work? It's been a dream of mine to be an instructor, any advice would help.

 

[Hoodlum15]

Sometime during your first year you will be asked your summer schedule preferences and you'll choose soaring. If you don't get put in the soaring program for one of your summer periods then there is zero chance you will get to be an instructor. Then, after you take soaring in the summer, you will apply to be a soaring instructor. About 80 cadets per class are chosen. From there you will spend all of sophomore year learning to be an instructor pilot.

 

[wildblueyonder]

Hoodlum pretty much said it but I thought I'd add in a few details:
1. Taking Basic Soaring (different from AM-250, which is the one everybody takes as a 4*) during your 3* summer is indeed a mandatory prerequisite if you are interested in continuing on to become a Soaring Instructor Pilot (IP).
2. At the end of a particular 3-week period of summer soaring, program staff conduct interviews of all applicants interested in upgrading to become IP's. Approximately ~50 cadets are selected at the beginning of the fall semester, and spend the next year upgrading to IP status (6 hours at the airfield every other day, sometimes including Saturdays). At the start of the spring semester, eligible non-selects are given an opportunity to re-apply, and about ~25 more cadets are added to the program. These "spring upgraders" complete the same program, but only have approximately 1 semester in which to do so, meaning that their completion is significantly more accelerated (including a spring break flying trip and more Saturday fly days).
3. There are also two Advanced Soaring teams (Aerobatic Demo and Cross-Country), which each select ~6 of the upgrade cadets to join the team during spring of each year. From my understanding, these members are typically "fall upgraders" due to the requirement that candidates have completed the baseline IP upgrade program prior to beginning specialty training. Airfield time commitments are significantly higher for those on Advanced Soaring teams due to additional training/practice requirements.
Hope this helps. Feel free to PM me if you have more questions about Academy soaring or the IP program.

 

[USNA2021_Dad]

I would add one small tip on this, based on experience. When you enter soaring, it's important you do well in the program to ascend eventually to IP. If you have any natural talent, skills as a pilot, or past experience, they will try to get you to solo earlier than other cadets without such. DO NOT allow them to push you quicker to solo than your competition, unless you have flat out nailed it and are ready to be graded...take every ride you can and improve, improve, improve. Only then submit yourself to grading...just my $0.02.

 

[wildblueyonder]

Summer soaring performance does play into the IP upgrade selection process, but it is only one factor of many and does not necessarily "make or break" an application (especially if there are circumstances outside the applicant's control--see below). One of the reasons those with prior experience may be "pushed" to solo sooner has to do with time constraints. When I took summer soaring, adverse weather conditions meant that only two people in my flight of 30ish finished the program. Those two had both been "pushed" to solo before most of their peers because of prior experience and/or a natural inclination toward flying. If they hadn't soloed before most of their peers (I am very reluctant to say "competition" due to the inherent team nature of soaring), they would not have soloed at all that summer. While I certainly agree that one should never try to skip training and that every extra ride helps, it is also important to be cognizant of the accelerated nature of the summer soaring program and realize that the IP's are only "pushing" those they truly believe are ready or can get there quickly.