PDA

View Full Version : Being a Fighter Pilot



Tony LoCurto
11-20-2011, 03:04 PM
Hello All,

I am 17 and planning to do Air Force ROTC at Purdue in 2 years. I would very much like to fly for them once I get out but I was wondering what the training is like and how competitive it is. Also if anyone in this form did AFROTC if they could tell me what thats like.

Thanks

WWhunter
11-20-2011, 04:56 PM
My son is currently in AF UPT flying the Texan T-6II. It is NOT an easy job to get selected for. HIGHLY competetive and the selection process is very 'picky'. The only advise I can tell you is to take a lot of math course in school. He graduated from ERAU with a degree in Aeroscpace Engineering. He did this with the help of AFROTC. Go down and talk to your local AF recruiter or search the net for info on AF IFS.

Keith

Todd copeland
11-20-2011, 06:10 PM
Another big help is to get your private ticket now, even an instrument rating too. If you don't know someone within the air force try to meet some. Especially higher ranking people with influence. Don't underestimate how much that can help if youz impress one of these individuals with your character, drive, and accomplishment toward your goals.

Eric Page
11-20-2011, 08:44 PM
Math and science will definitely help you get selected for UPT, but they're not mandatory. I was selected with a degree in Humanities and mediocre grades in the few math and science classes I took. That said, I was enlisted in the AF and had a stellar record and good recommendation letters when I applied, so I was a known quantity.

I don't know if they still do it, but when I applied (~1997) the AF gave each applicant a computerized aptitude test. There was a section on aviation knowledge, but the most memorable parts were the tests of what I would call "skills aptitude." It tested how you process spacial relationships, your hand-eye coordination, your ability to anticipate a hidden object's position based on a brief view of its direction and speed, and your ability to guide two objects around obstacles using two joysticks simultaneously. It was pretty fun, actually. As I recall, the knowledge part was fairly basic; Private Pilot ground school level knowledge.

Keep a few things in mind if you go to a recruiter:

- The AF (and perhaps the other services) use separate recruiters for enlisted and officer accessions. If you walk into an enlisted recruiter's office, he will try to enlist you, and he's unlikely to know much about commissioning programs. Call ahead and be sure you're going to an officer recruiting station. There's usually only one in each area, unlike enlisted recruiters you see in strip malls all over the place.

- Going enlisted first is still a great option if you're interested. There used to be OTS and UPT slots set aside for enlisted applicants which were unavailable to civilians or ROTC cadets, increasing the odds for internal applicants. I don't know if that's still the case. However, there were time constraints on enlisted applicants. You had to have a year in service and a year on station before you could apply. If you had a long tech school, or multiple schools for your enlisted job (causing you to move from base to base several times, it could be two years or more before you were even eligible to apply (ask me how I know...). Again, this may have changed.

Good luck!

Tony LoCurto
11-20-2011, 08:51 PM
Thank you so much! Right now I am going out for my private pilots license but I am having trouble with getting my medical since I have a history of epilepsy.
Keith-tell your son thank you for his service by the way.

martymayes
11-20-2011, 09:17 PM
Right now I am going out for my private pilots license but I am having trouble with getting my medical since I have a history of epilepsy.
Wow......might want to re-think the career plan.

Eric Page
11-20-2011, 09:36 PM
Wow, Marty, how about a little tact? After all, this is a kid's aviation dreams we're discussing here.

Tony, I'm sorry, but you may find that you'll be disqualified from military flying duty because of your history of epilepsy, unless it was at a very early age and has never reoccurred.

Read this: http://www.asams.org/guidelines/Completed/NEW%20Seizures.htm

For definitive answers, you can try to contact either the AF Surgeon General's office or a flight surgeon at the AF base nearest to your home. Call the base switchboard (number should be in the blue pages in your phone book) and ask for the Aerospace Medicine Clinic. You can also find links to each base's website on http://www.af.mil/.

You may also find useful medical and test-prep info at this site: http://www.baseops.net/archive/archivemedical.html

The aptitude test I referred to in my earlier post is the BAT. There's a link on the BaseOps website about it.

Best of luck. I hope it works out well for you!

Anymouse
11-21-2011, 04:14 AM
Tony,

You might want to go on Pilots of America (wwwpilotsofamerica.com) and pose your question in the medical forum. You can do this anonymously if you don't want to sign up. Dr Bruce Chien will answer and give you the straight scoop. He's the guy the FAA listens to.


Wow, Marty, how about a little tact? After all, this is a kid's aviation dreams we're discussing here.

Tony, I'm sorry, but you may find that you'll be disqualified from military flying duty because of your history of epilepsy, unless it was at a very early age and has never reoccurred.

Read this: http://www.asams.org/guidelines/Completed/NEW%20Seizures.htm

For definitive answers, you can try to contact either the AF Surgeon General's office or a flight surgeon at the AF base nearest to your home. Call the base switchboard (number should be in the blue pages in your phone book) and ask for the Aerospace Medicine Clinic. You can also find links to each base's website on http://www.af.mil/.

You may also find useful medical and test-prep info at this site: http://www.baseops.net/archive/archivemedical.html

The aptitude test I referred to in my earlier post is the BAT. There's a link on the BaseOps website about it.

Best of luck. I hope it works out well for you!

martymayes
11-21-2011, 06:16 AM
A list of FAA medically disqualifying conditions can be found here:

http://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/medical_certification/faq/response6/

JoeM
11-21-2011, 11:34 AM
Tony, don't write off the Air Force as a career if flying is not an option. The military is a very rewarding career especially if you become an officer. The only regret I have after serving 20 years is that I didn't stay for 30, something I didn't realize until after I got out. As an enlisted avionics tech there was nothing better than working to keep all those fighters flying after the fighter jocks broke them....

Bill Greenwood
11-21-2011, 02:03 PM
A friend's son went through ROTC at Colo State U at Fort Collins, then into the A F and pilot school at, I think, Brownsville. He flys mostly B-52s, but as a grad of the test pilot school at Edward's he has gotten to fly a lot of planes, and had a good career.

I don't know how many pilot openings there will be in the near future, if we are actually getting out of the Iraq war, finally , and may be winding down in Afghan. Also with the poor economy there may be budget cuts in the near future including defense spending.
On the other hand, if there are budget cuts and less defense spending, there is also likely to be less civilian pilot jobs also, especially any that pay a reasonable wage.

martymayes
11-22-2011, 08:27 AM
Tony, don't write off the Air Force as a career if flying is not an option....


Nor should he write off an aviation career if flying is not an option. Famed Lockeed engineer Kelly Johnson wanted to be a pilot but had a medically disqualifying condition.

Joe LaMantia
11-22-2011, 08:52 AM
Here's a few thoughts that are close to home in more ways than one. Check out the 128th Air Refueling Group at Mitchell Field, it's only a short drive from your home in Racine. A very good friend of my son joined after a brief stint in the Marine Corp Reserve I think he was assigned to Base Security initially, but after graduation from college he worked his way into flight school and now flies as an Aircraft Commander! He graduated from high school in 1993 and has been flying left seat for several years, so it can be accomplished. I would strongly suggest you get all the medical requirements information ASAP before you "over dream" and mentally commit to every pilots' desire to fly a fighter. I'm speaking from my past since I lost that dream when I was 14 and have been wearing glasses ever since! There is a lot of great advise on this thread, and still a lot of opportunity in aviation for those who are highly motivated, but it isn't an easy path!

Good Luck!

Joe
X- Loadmaster 440th TAW
Mitchell Field 1966 - 1972
:cool:

rosiejerryrosie
11-22-2011, 12:43 PM
Hey Joe! Thanks for your service.
LTC (Ret)

Joe LaMantia
11-23-2011, 08:33 AM
Thanks Gerry,

I my case it was a pleasure, I was doing something that was really fun with a bunch a great guys. The real heros back in those days were stuck in SE Asia in a nasty situation. During my six years I saw what it did to our Army, and it's good to see that as a country we have stopped blaming our servicemen for the situations that political leaders create. Happy Thanksgiving to all those who have served and are still serving!

Joe
:cool:

Tony LoCurto
11-23-2011, 03:51 PM
Thank you ALL so much! I went and talked with the recruiter and he said i still have a good shot since it was so long ago and my grades are so good.
Tony, don't write off the Air Force as a career if flying is not an option. Joe- I don't think I will, if I don't go into flying I am very interested in aerospace engineering. Eric- I very much appreciate all of the info and advice you have given me and I'll make sure I call the Surgeon General's office soon.

Today I went for my neurology appointment and now I have a 3 day EEG scheduled over my christmas break...yay...not really but hopefully everything comes back normal. But again I want all of you to know how much it means to me to have all of you help me. Thanks again and Happy Thanksgiving to all!!!

Anymouse
11-23-2011, 04:09 PM
Good luck with it all Tony!!

WWhunter
11-24-2011, 08:25 AM
I second Anymouse!!! Good luck and don't let anyone tell you can't do something. I had people that always said "you can't do that", well I guess I am hardheaded and I did a lot of what they said I could not do. Just takes determination and preserverence. My son has done exactly what you are wanting to do and I always supported and encouraged him through the entire process. He found scholarships and graduated from ERAU. Yesterday he pogo'd (soloed) in the T-6 Texan II Air Force UPT trainer. I am a proud father!! So it can be done.
I will tell you to try for every type of scholarship you can, every little bit helps.
Not to turn this into a racial/gender biased thread but if you are a white male, you will find that you have WAY less chances of finding shcolarships. They are out there albiet few compared to ones available to minorities and females. Of course the need to get student loans is also something you have to look inot. If your parents are independently wealthy I guess you can ignore all this.

rosiejerryrosie
11-24-2011, 12:07 PM
Thanks Gerry,

it's good to see that as a country we have stopped blaming our servicemen for the situations that political leaders create. Happy Thanksgiving to all those who have served and are still serving!

Joe
:cool:

Amen!