USAFA or USNA flight program?

S

Sock

Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2019
Messages
48
To anyone that might know the answer, please help.
Currently I am a junior in high school and I am obtaining my pilots license as well I am an active member of Civil Air Patrol. Ever since I heard about the academies I have wanted to go, but I want to go into a flight program. I know that the USAFA has a flight program and I believe that USNA as well has a flight program. I was just wondering which flight program has better options? What are the advantages of both flight programs at each schools? What benefits having a private pilots license before attending the academy if I want to go into the flight program at that school? If some of my information is wrong please correct me but it would be very helpful if anyone knew any of these answers. Thank you again.
Hopefully I can attend one of the academies. Class of 2024!!!
 
Are you asking about flying at the academy for the club team or about pilot career options upon graduation?
 
raimius said:
Are you asking about flying at the academy for the club team or about pilot career options upon graduation?
Click to expand...
Possibly both, more on the career options for pilots upon graduation. Possibly flying for that branch of the military.
 
The only benefit that you get after graduation for your career in flying is you don’t have to go through the ift (initial flight training) I’ve heard that’s where most pilots washout at and since you have a ppl already you skip that phase. It also I believe will look better on your application since USAFA is the pilot factory. That is purely opinion though, no one knows exactly what they are looking for, but it can’t hurt!
 
Tmabe204 said:
The only benefit that you get after graduation for your career in flying is you don’t have to go through the ift (initial flight training) I’ve heard that’s where most pilots washout at and since you have a ppl already you skip that phase. It also I believe will look better on your application since USAFA is the pilot factory. That is purely opinion though, no one knows exactly what they are looking for, but it can’t hurt!
Click to expand...
Thats true, thanks
 
Both schools have lots of extra curricular flying activities. I would say USAFA has more with soaring and other options than USNA. USNA has a flight club and has aviation cruises during the summer in which spends time with squadrons. They also have powered flight which Mids complete a solo flight. This is a desired training for this who want to fly as it allows them to skip a very short phase of training at flight school. A current grad or Mid can correct me on exactly what that is. Focus on which service you want to fly in and base your decision there. There are lots of threads about the differences.
 
We used to always believe that if you went to USAFA and wanted to fly, as long as you remained pilot qualified (PQ), you would go to pilot training and become an AF pilot. Calling it the pilot factory is a little simplistic, but it is called the “Air” Force, not the Ground or Sea Force. The Air Force does use Academy grads to supply the basis of future pilot requirements, and then adds all other commissioning sources to fill the quota for that year. But the good point made earlier is to pick the service you most want to fly in and try for that Academy. You won’t fly in every assignment you have so you better like the mission and service you end up in.
 
USNA currently has more heavy/fighter pilot slots than USAFA, per the USNA candidate visit weekend presentation this year (2019). That could change by your senior year if you get in, especially since the Air Force has a shortage of pilots currently. Either way, both academies are the best way to figure out what you want to fly and have the opportunity to get a pilot slot upon graduation.
 
NavyHoops said:
Both schools have lots of extra curricular flying activities. I would say USAFA has more with soaring and other options than USNA. USNA has a flight club and has aviation cruises during the summer in which spends time with squadrons. They also have powered flight which Mids complete a solo flight. This is a desired training for this who want to fly as it allows them to skip a very short phase of training at flight school. A current grad or Mid can correct me on exactly what that is. Focus on which service you want to fly in and base your decision there. There are lots of threads about the differences.
Click to expand...
Thats true. Thanks for the advice. I want to pursue my dream in becoming a pilot and a pilot for the military would even be better. I guess I would be happy flying for either Naval or Air Force, I guess we get to see who accepts me hahaha
 
arizonapride said:
USNA currently has more heavy/fighter pilot slots than USAFA, per the USNA candidate visit weekend presentation this year (2019). That could change by your senior year if you get in, especially since the Air Force has a shortage of pilots currently. Either way, both academies are the best way to figure out what you want to fly and have the opportunity to get a pilot slot upon graduation.
Click to expand...
Thank you
 
70Zoomie said:
We used to always believe that if you went to USAFA and wanted to fly, as long as you remained pilot qualified (PQ), you would go to pilot training and become an AF pilot. Calling it the pilot factory is a little simplistic, but it is called the “Air” Force, not the Ground or Sea Force. The Air Force does use Academy grads to supply the basis of future pilot requirements, and then adds all other commissioning sources to fill the quota for that year. But the good point made earlier is to pick the service you most want to fly in and try for that Academy. You won’t fly in every assignment you have so you better like the mission and service you end up in.
Click to expand...
Thank you, this helps
 
Sock said:
I want to pursue my dream in becoming a pilot and a pilot for the military would even be better.
Click to expand...

Think about which branch you'd rather be in should you not become a pilot coming out of SA. Yes, you may have a pilot's license, but what if something out of your control prevents you from being a military pilot. Will you be OK with the alternatives that branch presents you?
 
arizonapride said:
USNA currently has more heavy/fighter pilot slots than USAFA, per the USNA candidate visit weekend presentation this year (2019). That could change by your senior year if you get in, especially since the Air Force has a shortage of pilots currently. Either way, both academies are the best way to figure out what you want to fly and have the opportunity to get a pilot slot upon graduation.
Click to expand...
That may be true, but the Air Force has more fixed wings than the Navy does. I dont know what the odds are but you have a better chance of flying a helicopter in the Navy (without asking for it) then you would in the Navy. In other words, assuming you want fixed wings in the Air Force, you have much better odds getting it in the AF than you do the Navy.
 
Tmabe204 said:
The only benefit that you get after graduation for your career in flying is you don’t have to go through the ift (initial flight training) I’ve heard that’s where most pilots washout at and since you have a ppl already you skip that phase. It also I believe will look better on your application since USAFA is the pilot factory. That is purely opinion though, no one knows exactly what they are looking for, but it can’t hurt!
Click to expand...
Lots of AF pilots recommend you take IFT although you have a better chance of getting a pilot spot out of Rotc if you do have a pilot license. I dont know how many people fail IFT, but If you dont pass IFT, you probabably wouldnt have lasted long in UPT anyway. There are people who realize that they dont like flying in the middle of UPT. While failing UPT isnt the worse thing to happen, quiting is. I would imagine leaving the program through IFT is going to hurt you less in the long run.
 
arizonapride said:
USNA currently has more heavy/fighter pilot slots than USAFA, per the USNA candidate visit weekend presentation this year (2019). That could change by your senior year if you get in, especially since the Air Force has a shortage of pilots currently. Either way, both academies are the best way to figure out what you want to fly and have the opportunity to get a pilot slot upon graduation.
Click to expand...
Standard disclaimer that I wasn't there and didn't see this document, but that just doesn't sound right. Just using the c/o 2019 press releases, USNA is sending 345 (out of 1069 = 32%) and USAFA is sending 530 (couldn't find total class size, but assuming the same would be ~49%). Besides the job drop, even using wikipedia data (because opsec) just of sheer numbers of combat coded aircraft, there is a lot more hardware in the Air Force than the Navy/Marines.

But to the OP, the chances to fly are great at either one. If you get accepted to both, then ask yourself which service you would rather be a part of, and choose based on that combined with your aviation goals. There are distinct cultural and doctrinal differences between the three services, and that will impact your life a lot more than the aviation opportunity differences (with a few exceptions). If you only get accepted to one, that makes the decision easy.
I went through USAFA and UPT with a PPL, I think it provides a slight leg up in a few areas early on, and I don't feel like my training was impacted at all by missing out on IFT, but the Air Force teaches a different mindset than civilian flying does, and those things I found easier earlier on were quickly thrown out the door as we started advanced aerobatics, low level navigation, and formation flying. Everyone catches up quickly in the first few blocks, and then we're all at square one in those more advanced blocks of training.
 
zachtx said:
arizonapride said:
USNA currently has more heavy/fighter pilot slots than USAFA, per the USNA candidate visit weekend presentation this year (2019). That could change by your senior year if you get in, especially since the Air Force has a shortage of pilots currently. Either way, both academies are the best way to figure out what you want to fly and have the opportunity to get a pilot slot upon graduation.
Click to expand...
Standard disclaimer that I wasn't there and didn't see this document, but that just doesn't sound right. Just using the c/o 2019 press releases, USNA is sending 345 (out of 1069 = 32%) and USAFA is sending 530 (couldn't find total class size, but assuming the same would be ~49%). Besides the job drop, even using wikipedia data (because opsec) just of sheer numbers of combat coded aircraft, there is a lot more hardware in the Air Force than the Navy/Marines.

But to the OP, the chances to fly are great at either one. If you get accepted to both, then ask yourself which service you would rather be a part of, and choose based on that combined with your aviation goals. There are distinct cultural and doctrinal differences between the three services, and that will impact your life a lot more than the aviation opportunity differences (with a few exceptions). If you only get accepted to one, that makes the decision easy.
I went through USAFA and UPT with a PPL, I think it provides a slight leg up in a few areas early on, and I don't feel like my training was impacted at all by missing out on IFT, but the Air Force teaches a different mindset than civilian flying does, and those things I found easier earlier on were quickly thrown out the door as we started advanced aerobatics, low level navigation, and formation flying. Everyone catches up quickly in the first few blocks, and then we're all at square one in those more advanced blocks of training.
Click to expand...
I found that soaring made me a good formation student pilot (flying aerotow)...probably contributed to my FAR/IP rating coming up on assignment night. Today that would mean I would track T-38's.

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83
 
I’m with you, Zachtx. Great, informative post! As an ALO advising candidates looking at both USNA or USAFA, I’d ask if they wanted to fly planes or drive ships. Now they could do both at the USNA, but the Navy’s motto is “Forged by the Sea” whereas the Air Force is “AIM High, Fly-Fight-Win!” While the USNA has flying slots at graduation, I think for someone wanting to fly from the get-go, the atmosphere, culture, knowledge, training, summer programs, etc., at USAFA is about flying, not the sea. Great educations at either place, certainly.
 
Both have a lot of slots, but USAFA will likely have a higher percentage of slots per class. AF has more heavy airlift where the Navy/Marines have more rotary-wing. Both have fighters, strike, and tac airlift.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top