Chances of being a navy pilot...

Brett

New Member
Once you are a commissioned officer, how good are your chances of becoming a pilot? Or of getting the airplane training you want to get?
 
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Once you are a commissioned officer, how good are your chances of becoming a pilot? Or of getting the airplane training you want to get?

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It all depends. Whether you get a slot, whether you're qualified for one, how you perform, what the needs of the Navy are, etc.
 
Brett, a lot depends on how you are getting your commission.

If you are going via ROTC, i don't know what your chances are. If you earn your commission via the academy, you will compete for pilot slots with your fellow classmates. Graduation order(not sure what they call it but it is a bit more involved than simply your GPA) determines who gets first pick. Lately about a fifth of each class has gotten pilot slots.
if you are going via OCS, you will know ahead of time if you are selected for pilot training.

Aircraft selection is based on how well you perform in your initial studies, preferences and mostly (almost entirely) on needs of the Navy. You have a very good chance of being a helicopter pilot in the Navy as they have a lot of those. Keep in mind that what aircraft you get is not really up to you and enjoy the one you are selected for.
 
It sounds like it's kind of all up in the air.

I think I'd be happy with any position in aviation, since I became used to the idea of serving my country, but I initially sought the Navy in order to be an airplane pilot.

I'm not in the academy, but is there any amount of work and effort that could give me a better chance of getting an airplane pilot slot? Are there better chances with the Air Force?
 
What's your situation? Are you in college, high school? Post graduate?
 
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I'm not in the academy, but is there any amount of work and effort that could give me a better chance of getting an airplane pilot slot? Are there better chances with the Air Force?

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We're still heavy about 4000 officers that we need to get rid of. So right now, acessions as well as early outs (both sides of the manning equation) are taking hits.
 
I'm in my first year of college.

I'm suprised to hear that it is so competitive to be a pilot even in the military. I'm not about to give up on it though.
 
It's ultra-competitive!
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As it should be. Go down to taco bell, look around and imagine the guy behind the counter in charge of a $40,000,000 jet with enough firepower to single-handedly destroy a citiy.
 
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Once you are a commissioned officer, how good are your chances of becoming a pilot? Or of getting the airplane training you want to get?

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If you do the Navy ROTC route, about 40% of the billets coming out of ROTC is aviation. I don't know what the distribution is between naval aviator (the actual pilot) and naval flight officer (flight crew but not pilot), the other 60%go on to drive ships, subs, killing people the hard way (SEALS), or killing people the easy way (Marines
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But if you fail out of your initial accession pipeline nowadays, you're given a pink slip lately instead of getting to choose a second career path. - kind of got rid of the way most people try to get into a non-warfare career in the Navy. - get a flight slot, DOR on the first day of aviation indoc and then go supply or JAG or medical, etc.
 
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We're still heavy about 4000 officers that we need to get rid of. So right now, acessions as well as early outs (both sides of the manning equation) are taking hits.

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If heard the air force is still looking for new pilots, but in other areas they've pretty much stopped looking for applicants. Do you know how true or not this is?
 
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We're still heavy about 4000 officers that we need to get rid of. So right now, acessions as well as early outs (both sides of the manning equation) are taking hits.

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If heard the air force is still looking for new pilots, but in other areas they've pretty much stopped looking for applicants. Do you know how true or not this is?

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We're looking for a reduced number of everyone across the board, right now.
 
Brett,

The Navy wants you to be interested in the Navy, not necessarily aviation. Your job is to make yourself as marketable as possible to be competitive for the position you desire. If you can join NROTC, do so (you might be able to even pick up a partial scholarship). In that case, your number 1 priority is a high GPA, preferably in a technical major. Otherwise, apply to OCS upon graduation, and get into great shape!. I believe that you are still brought into OCS already knowing your pipeline (i.e., aviation, surface warfare, etc.)

I was NROTC myself, happy to help with any questions about that.
 
One of the things that discourages me about NROTC or one of the academies is that everyone graduates with BS's, science not being my strongest point nor having something to do with the career path I want to pursue. I think political science would work but last I checked that wasn't offered.
 
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One of the things that discourages me about NROTC or one of the academies is that everyone graduates with BS's, science not being my strongest point nor having something to do with the career path I want to pursue. I think political science would work but last I checked that wasn't offered.

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Not true. According to the Naval Academy web page, the following majors are offered:

Aerospace Engineering
Chemistry
Computer Science
Economics
Electrical Engineering
English
General Engineering
General Science
History
Information Technology
Mathematics
Mechanical Engineering
Naval Architecture
Ocean Engineering
Oceanography
Physics
Political Science
Quantitative Economics
Systems Engineering

In fact, when I was in the Air Force, I met more pilots with non-technical degrees (History, English, even a Music major) than I did with pilots who had technical degrees (Engineering, Physics).

In fact, in the Air Force, the only time a technical degree is required for pilots is if you want to be a test pilot.
 
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I'm in my first year of college.

I'm suprised to hear that it is so competitive to be a pilot even in the military. I'm not about to give up on it though.

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Very competitive. This isnt civ flight trainin where you pay them, and will get milked through eventually. Also, in the AF right now(active duty) if you do not have a technical major, u are SOL.They have the luxury to be ery picky right now. Keep that in mind
 
Actually, all degrees from the Naval Academy are BS. You get a BS in English. Sounds odd but it's true.

As far as majoring in a technical field that's more propaganda than reality. There are tons of Navy pilots out there with degrees in anything from History to Business. All you need is to graduate.

OCS may be the better bet because you know if you have an aviation slot prior to beginning. If you go ROTC you could easily fail the physical (medical) and find yourself owing the Navy a few years on a ship.

I'm an ROTC grad but work with pilots and NFO's who are from all walks of life. Feel free to ask any questions.
 
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Actually, all degrees from the Naval Academy are BS. You get a BS in English. Sounds odd but it's true.

As far as majoring in a technical field that's more propaganda than reality. There are tons of Navy pilots out there with degrees in anything from History to Business. All you need is to graduate.

OCS may be the better bet because you know if you have an aviation slot prior to beginning. If you go ROTC you could easily fail the physical (medical) and find yourself owing the Navy a few years on a ship.

I'm an ROTC grad but work with pilots and NFO's who are from all walks of life. Feel free to ask any questions.

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Sorry I was talking in regards of the Air Force. I shoudl have made that clear. There are a lot of officers running around with basketweaving degress, but no NEW officers. They are fat with Officers, so if you want in, you must have your [censored] together
 
Brett said:
Once you are a commissioned officer, how good are your chances of becoming a pilot? Or of getting the airplane training you want to get?
And I believe in the Navy you would be an aviator....
 
woodreau said:
... killing people the hard way (SEALS), or killing people the easy way (Marines
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LOL
Because we know the Corps is the "easy" way to go.
Becoming a boat team leader (SEALs) is one of the hardest billets to achieve in the Navy. I believe it is because there are very few compared to other officer positions. I would also bet you that the drop out rate for (enlisted) individuals who are former Marines is much less than that of those who are Navy.
Any of my brethren care to chime in on this opinion?
 
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