As a sophomore in college pursuing an Accounting degree, if I enlist in the Air Guard as a loadmaster, would the Air Guard pay for all, if not some, of the flight training at a private flight school? Will I have time to obtain my ratings while attending college and the ANG? Would I have to put my semester on hold to attend Basic Training? How does that work? I hear that as a load master you have a better chance of networking with current pilots for future opportunities. The end goal is to fly majors someday.
How do I fly with the ANG?
- Thread starter ShaggyAce
- Start date
ryan1234
Desensitized Member
A cursory search may yield some good results and information. Also if you haven't checked out and searched www.flyingsquadron.com and www.wantscheck.com
Having said that... The Guard will pay for school, but not flight training at the moment if you were to enlist right away (may be possible through some GI Bill stuff). Basic training could possibly be in the summer time and your follow on technical school, the semester after (depending on the length, etc). You could probably figure on being out of school a year while at training.
Will you have time to obtain your ratings with the Guard? - totally up to you how you manage your time, but yes it's possible depending on your work/school schedule, etc. I was flying, working a full time job, and taking 21 credit hours... it was hell, but can be done.
Just keep in mind that enlisting won't guarantee you anything in the way of a pilot slot... it may give you a leg up, but no guarantees.... and you never get a second chance to make a first impression. If you're a to some guys, who know some guys, you may completely shoot yourself in the foot.
Each unit has their flavor in what they look for - you may get back to the unit you enlisted in and not mesh with the group of pilots or mesh with the unit down the street.
There is a thread a couple rows down about being a USAF pilot.. it has some info about the Guard process.
As a final word of advice, make sure it is what you really want to do (enlisting, pilot slot, etc), it is a very long process. To be realistic, if you enlisted today it would be, at best, 3+ more years until you finished your degree if you're unit didn't deploy, etc. From the board to AMS will be around a year (plus or minus a few months), and UPT a few months later.
http://www.aopa.org/advocacy/articles/2011/110111gi_bill_for_flight_training_passes.html
Maybe this will answer a few questions with the cost of your flight training.
Maybe this will answer a few questions with the cost of your flight training.
HuggyU2
Well-Known Member
You must know Mike Hampton. That's a funny guy!