I'm 17 years old with a private pilots license and have my eyes set on the Air Force. I I have a 3.6 GPA and probably will not be accepted to the Air Force Academy and am therefore am probably going to Embry Riddle in Prescott. I have 20/20 20/30 vision and everything else is fine. My question is what is the best way to get a pilots slot. Should I enroll in AFROTC and try for the GPA and class rank to get a pilots slot, or should I go through OTC. I have also given the ANG a thought. From what I have been told my recruters, I am not sure what the best option is and any comments would be appreciated.
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Getting a Pilots slot in the USAF
This is what I was told. But I was told the selection process for pilots goes like this: Academy grads, OCS, ROTC. I guess as ROTC since you have the least amount of military experience, you're last in line for the good spots. At the moment the AF is pretty tight on picking up recruits. So your best bet is to pick whatever path you want and excel at it. You really need to stand out to get an AF aviator slot at the moment.
I got into ERAU Prescott and Daytona campuses too. I chose College Park though (Aero Egr major). I guess with your PPL you're choosing aviation as your major? If you do that I'd attempt the military option available and talk to as many recruiters about it as you can. Even better, talk to former military pilots (I'm sure there are a few on campus), they'll give you better information than a recruiter.
I got into ERAU Prescott and Daytona campuses too. I chose College Park though (Aero Egr major). I guess with your PPL you're choosing aviation as your major? If you do that I'd attempt the military option available and talk to as many recruiters about it as you can. Even better, talk to former military pilots (I'm sure there are a few on campus), they'll give you better information than a recruiter.
CESSNA said:I'm 17 years old with a private pilots license and have my eyes set on the Air Force. I I have a 3.6 GPA and probably will not be accepted to the Air Force Academy and am therefore am probably going to Embry Riddle in Prescott. I have 20/20 20/30 vision and everything else is fine. My question is what is the best way to get a pilots slot. Should I enroll in AFROTC and try for the GPA and class rank to get a pilots slot, or should I go through OTC. I have also given the ANG a thought. From what I have been told my recruters, I am not sure what the best option is and any comments would be appreciated.
Glad I saw this. I am a GSIS (Global Security Intelligence Studies) major at ERAU-Prescott formerly AS (Aeronautical Science-Pilot). I have my PPL but decided that flying for a living wasn't my thing, yet.
But, what I am getting to is I am a recruiter up at ERAU AFROTC Det 028. What I would say for your options is that going here is a great idea for your selection. If you keep your GPA good and your class rank is good, you'll get it. ERAU has a great selection rate into UPT. Any other questions just contact me.
egoz said:Since you're an AFROTC recruiter, I have a question. When you join the AF after graduating. Do you get to pick your job as an officer or is it assigned to you? From everything that I've heard when you graduate the AF picks the job for you.
You pick your top 3 choices. Then it gets sent to the USAF, you're ranked upon your peers on grades, commanders ranking, PFT score, AFOQT score and some other things. Based on that you get what they decide per your ranking.
So if you're a slacker, you're probably going to be personnel or missle man in a silo all alone. If you're good to go a pilot is for you.
along those lines...Gorfour20 said:You pick your top 3 choices. Then it gets sent to the USAF, you're ranked upon your peers on grades, commanders ranking, PFT score, AFOQT score and some other things. Based on that you get what they decide per your ranking.
So if you're a slacker, you're probably going to be personnel or missle man in a silo all alone. If you're good to go a pilot is for you.
i was told that those out of AFA get first picks for pilot, next is OCS, then finally is ROTC. based on that, wouldn't the slots for AF pilots be limited? then, wouldn't your choice at what you want to fly be even more limited at that?
egoz said:along those lines...
i was told that those out of AFA get first picks for pilot, next is OCS, then finally is ROTC. based on that, wouldn't the slots for AF pilots be limited? then, wouldn't your choice at what you want to fly be even more limited at that?
Sort of....
Lets say there are 1200 slots for pilots. (This has no info backing, just using numbers easy to show what happens)
500 slots go to USAFA
500 go to AFROTC
200 go to OTS/USAF (Active duty)
Now USAFA has lets say 700 people in a grad class. That means 200 won't get slots. 500 will.
And then AFROTC has 2000 in their nation-wide commissioning. 500 get slots, 1500 don't.
This is why its easier in USAFA to get them then in AFROTC. True the fact, though, that USAF looks at AFROTC first if they are going to make less slots. USAFA is like the USAF baby, they usually get what they want.
is there a certain ratio that the military likes to keep when selecting these positions? i realize the numbers are ficticious, but you have 200 OTS candidates vs the 500 from rotc and 500 from AFA. i realize you might not know this because it's other services, but are these the same for other branches? i assume the selection process is similar?
egoz said:but are these the same for other branches? i assume the selection process is similar?
Well, a great leader has humility. I don't know.
But the reason I gave OTS 200 is because they don't graduate all that many people there and now they (USAF) are getting more stringent on OTS slots.
Well thanks for the information, looks like ROTC is the way to go. I am still in the process of applying to ERAU with an aeronautical science degree with a military pilot specialty.
I have 2 cousins in freshmen and sophmore year of college doing AFROTC as well and another going in behind me. That means there is four of us and the acceptance rate is 1 out of four. Well see how it goes!
I have 2 cousins in freshmen and sophmore year of college doing AFROTC as well and another going in behind me. That means there is four of us and the acceptance rate is 1 out of four. Well see how it goes!
a few more questions, these are ones that no recruiter has ever been able to give me a decent answer on.
I currently have 20/20 and 20/30 vision and a 3rd class civilian medical certificate. I am not sure if it is correctable or not, I dent use glasses.
Well this effect my chances of getting a pilots slot if everything else is in line.
Well it prohibit me from flying some types of aircraft while not others.
Is it true that Air Force eye requirements are not as strict as the NAVYs.(carrier landings)
And concerning laser eye surgery...I have heard from recruiters and otherwise that all corrective laser eye surgery is not permitted by any of the services and will disqualify someone who has it. However, my older cousin, in AFROTC has been told otherwise and is setting up an appointment for this surgery. Maybe he knows something I don't. Do you think he should go through with the surgery.
I currently have 20/20 and 20/30 vision and a 3rd class civilian medical certificate. I am not sure if it is correctable or not, I dent use glasses.
Well this effect my chances of getting a pilots slot if everything else is in line.
Well it prohibit me from flying some types of aircraft while not others.
Is it true that Air Force eye requirements are not as strict as the NAVYs.(carrier landings)
And concerning laser eye surgery...I have heard from recruiters and otherwise that all corrective laser eye surgery is not permitted by any of the services and will disqualify someone who has it. However, my older cousin, in AFROTC has been told otherwise and is setting up an appointment for this surgery. Maybe he knows something I don't. Do you think he should go through with the surgery.
What I heard was that they were currently testing laser eye surgery patients to see any side effects and how they would respond in the cockpit during combat. As of now I don't believe they accept anyone whos had corrected vision or less than 20/20 vision in fighters. As for the Navy requirments vs the AF requirements. I think the real difference was making sure that their vision was well enough to respond to night carrier deck landings. I can't remember the name of the condition at the moment, but my friends father was washed out of the program because he had it. Everything else was perfect except that he had night vision problems that prevented him from making those night carrier landings.
CESSNA said:a few more questions, these are ones that no recruiter has ever been able to give me a decent answer on.
I currently have 20/20 and 20/30 vision and a 3rd class civilian medical certificate. I am not sure if it is correctable or not, I dent use glasses.
Vision for pilots distance can be 20/70 correctable to 20/20
Near vision for pilots must be uncorrectable 20/20
CESSNA said:Well this effect my chances of getting a pilots slot if everything else is in line.
From what you say, so far, no it won't affect you.
CESSNA said:Is it true that Air Force eye requirements are not as strict as the NAVYs.(carrier landings)
I really wouldn't know. Everyone is different.
CESSNA said:And concerning laser eye surgery...I have heard from recruiters and otherwise that all corrective laser eye surgery is not permitted by any of the services and will disqualify someone who has it. However, my older cousin, in AFROTC has been told otherwise and is setting up an appointment for this surgery. Maybe he knows something I don't. Do you think he should go through with the surgery.
Surgery, for the Air Force...
PRK surgery may be waived only....
PRK is the only surgery you can get and make sure you know the air force knows and get them to sign off. They will find ways to disenroll you if you screw up. Its the hard truth.
Anything else???