1) Do most people who come out of the Air Force Academy become pilots?

2) If i want to become a pilot, but don't have the eyes or cannot take the G's, will they tell me I can't fly after i spend my years in service? before?

3) do those who try to be pilots but fail get put as mechanics, etc??

4) are the requirements to fly for the air force different then flying for the navy on a carrier?

5) do you have to be of a certain rank before you can fly?

6) how fast is the speed of sound in mph!?

please answer these!! thanks!!

I cant answer all of them, but i can answer some:

3) I doubt mechanics, because not many pilots are trained to repair aircraft and such [Though i guess they would have basic training for it incase of emergencies in enemy territory]

4) Yes, landing on aircraft carriers is much more difficult and dangerous compared to landing on a lovely airstrip in the outskirts of Novosibirsk.

6) The speed of sound in three different speed measurments:
- Mach 1 = Speed of sound
- 1200km/h = Speed of Sound
- 745.644 Mph = Speed of Sound [I used a converter, i dont use Mph.]

You might want to look at this thread for answers: Want to be a pilot or an aviator?

DerK, if you want to fly but you don't have the eyes for it, it's time to look elsewhere.
Think about it. Why should anyone risk putting you in a multi million dollar fighter jet when there are hundreds of other guys who can do a better job than you can and don't have any physical problems? You'll be a danger to yourself and those around you.

Although the USAF may operate differently from the Canadian Forces, I might be able to shed some light on a few of these questions.

1) There are many more trades in the Air Force than Pilot. Although a good number of USAFA Graduates go on to be pilots, there are many more who do other jobs.

2) As far as the eyes go, if it's anything like Canada, you'll find out when you do your Aircrew Medical, or the American equivalent. As for the G's...well, you'll find that out when you go through your training. If you can't hack it, then you'll be in line for another job.

3) Mechanics (properly called "Technicians") are an enlisted trade. Officers (and as a USAFA Grad, an Officer you shall be) who work with techs are in more of an administrative position than anything else. So no, you won't be a tech if you fail Flight Training. But, you can easily be slotted for another Air Force Officer job, ie: Air Defence, Air Traffic Control, Navigator, etc...

4) You'd have to compare the job qualifications from the respective websites or recruiters. I'm willing to bet that Naval Aviators have similar requirements to Air Force Pilots, but only at a basic level. Advanced training will obviously reflect the field.

5) You have to be an Officer. Right from 2Lt and on, you can fly. However, by the time you're finished all your flight training, you'll be well on your way to your Captains.

6) Although the actual speed of sound can change depending on the air temperature, a rough average would put it around 767 MPH.

Now, for most of these, I'm basing them on the USAF being similar to the CF. Clearly, there will be some differences, but I think I've about covered the basics. Any other questions, the best place to look is your local recruitment office.

thanks for all the help guys. im a junior in highschool right now so i still have time to think about what i want to do. i know that i want to fly, but im not very particular about it, (preferably anything with weapons =D). Im not sure which branch i want to join but i want to "play it safe" for example, if i KNOW that i meet the requirements to fly helicopters for the army then i would rather do that than take a chance with jets and be stuck watching the pilots hop into the cockpits! if anyone has any suggestions or anything please tell!!

Originally Posted by DerK

thanks for all the help guys. im a junior in highschool right now so i still have time to think about what i want to do. i know that i want to fly, but im not very particular about it, (preferably anything with weapons =D). Im not sure which branch i want to join but i want to "play it safe" for example, if i KNOW that i meet the requirements to fly helicopters for the army then i would rather do that than take a chance with jets and be stuck watching the pilots hop into the cockpits! if anyone has any suggestions or anything please tell!!

I suggest that you thoroughly read what I posted above in post #3.

Want to be a pilot or an aviator?

yea i just went through that entire thread. it helped a little bit but mostly sparked mroe questions!! i guess my #1 question would be this:

-I don't care what i fly as long as its got lots of guns on it (helicopters, jets, attack planes, etc)... what branch is the easiest to fly for?? both physically, mentally, etc

Well, fighter planes dont always fly around shooting each other down, you know. And most planes have roughly the same amount of missile hardpoints [10-14]

Originally Posted by DerK

yea i just went through that entire thread. it helped a little bit but mostly sparked mroe questions!! i guess my #1 question would be this:

-I don't care what i fly as long as its got lots of guns on it (helicopters, jets, attack planes, etc)... what branch is the easiest to fly for?? both physically, mentally, etc

Easiest answer:

None.

All of the branches have their own challenges to face, each of which can put on just as much mental and physical stress as any of the other branches.