Military or Civilian??
- Thread starter DC10FlyBy
- Start date
Seggy
Well-Known Member
Go to a large state school, enjoy college, get involved in extracurricular activities outside of aviation, and THEN decide if you want to pursue a ROTC scholarship or you want to pursue the civilian pilot route.
With the Air Force Academy, no guarantee you will get a pilot slot!
Out of all your schools, I would look into Purdue University first.
With the Air Force Academy, no guarantee you will get a pilot slot!
Out of all your schools, I would look into Purdue University first.
Seggy
Well-Known Member
University of Missouri would be your best bet then.
Seriously, you don't need to fly with a college program. Do it on the side at a local FBO. That is what I did. Worked out great for me. If it did well for me, it can do well for anyone else!
You can always go back and do an Air National Guard slot. The Air Force Academy offers no guarantees for pilot slots.
Seriously, you don't need to fly with a college program. Do it on the side at a local FBO. That is what I did. Worked out great for me. If it did well for me, it can do well for anyone else!
You can always go back and do an Air National Guard slot. The Air Force Academy offers no guarantees for pilot slots.
TheOneMarine
Well-Known Member
Actually, short of getting hurt while your there, EVERYONE that wants a slot out of the academy, gets one. The leftovers go to ROTC. But the rest is very true. Get a degree in something you love thats not aviation related. You'll feel a lot more confident when tough times like these roll around.
TheOneMarine
Well-Known Member
Dude, listen to these guys like I did.... You will not make enough at the regionals to justify a $70K+ loan. Go to an FBO where it is cheap. In Indiana there are a TON of places to go where there's good equipment and it's inexpensive. You're going to do whatever you want, we can only guide you. But when the junk hits the fan, you will feel so much safer and so much wiser if you majored in say, business or something not related to this industry which is a great industry, but unstable. Just my .02 cents though, do with it as you will
N826AW
Well-Known Member
I spent a semester in AFROTC in college and it was a total blast. I wasn't on a scholarship and had to work to put myself through school so the schedule didn't jive. Honestly, I would pop into the Det at the schools you are looking at and check it out. Great way to network and the people all have similar interests.
The images in your sig are way big.
The images in your sig are way big.
Hacker15e
Who am I? Where are my pants?
DC10, based on what I'm reading here, I suggest you avoid the military all together.
The military is an ends to itself...not a means to get to an airline job. If you desire to serve your country as a military officer, then go for it -- it will be a tough enough path just getting commissioned that if you don't really want it you will either see the time/effort as wasted or you won't make it in the first place.
If you ARE interested in becoming a military officer (who has a job as a pilot on the side), and are willing to accept all of the baggage that comes along with being a military officer (the moves, the "needs of the service", the deployments away from home), then you SHOULD not care what path you take to getting commissioned (as in, ROTC is as good of an option as OCS/OTS and USAFA).
In the USAF, at least, it is a 6-year commitment just to be commissioned as an officer, and a 10+ year commitment if you are selected to be a pilot and make it through training. That's 10 years of service even if you are not flying an airplane.
It is NOT a decision to be made lightly.
So, if your ultimate goal is just to become an airline pilot, then I suggest you pass up going the military route.
The military is an ends to itself...not a means to get to an airline job. If you desire to serve your country as a military officer, then go for it -- it will be a tough enough path just getting commissioned that if you don't really want it you will either see the time/effort as wasted or you won't make it in the first place.
If you ARE interested in becoming a military officer (who has a job as a pilot on the side), and are willing to accept all of the baggage that comes along with being a military officer (the moves, the "needs of the service", the deployments away from home), then you SHOULD not care what path you take to getting commissioned (as in, ROTC is as good of an option as OCS/OTS and USAFA).
In the USAF, at least, it is a 6-year commitment just to be commissioned as an officer, and a 10+ year commitment if you are selected to be a pilot and make it through training. That's 10 years of service even if you are not flying an airplane.
It is NOT a decision to be made lightly.
So, if your ultimate goal is just to become an airline pilot, then I suggest you pass up going the military route.
Hacker15e
Who am I? Where are my pants?
Be careful making statements like that -- while that is the case currently, it is NOT always true. These things go in cycles. I will agree that there is an "increased" chance of getting a pilot slot on the USAF side versus going to ROTC, but "everyone" is an overstatement. Just ask guys who graduated between '91 to '93, and again in '96 and '97.
Given the current budget crunch that the USAF is in, I'd expect to see drawdowns to SUPT again, too. They're all ready predicting that T-38 track slots are going to be drawn down significantly.
No NOT go to an academy because it is a "sure" way to get a spot to UPT. There are lots of reasons to want to go to one, but that is not one of them.
staplegun
Well-Known Member
Are you a warrior?
If not then don't even think about joining the current military.
The fact that you asked the question the way you did suggests to me that you go the civilian route.
Kevin
Commander, USNR (Ret.)
To the OP: Hacker and Staplegun know their stuff from experience - take heed of their advice.
Question for you though - the AF Academy is extraordinarily competitive. Have you applied and been accepted? If you do(did) get in, do you know how tough it is once you're there?
Question for you though - the AF Academy is extraordinarily competitive. Have you applied and been accepted? If you do(did) get in, do you know how tough it is once you're there?
staplegun
Well-Known Member
FWIW, I've had this same conversation with my 18-year-old son!
If you want to be a warrior, then join the military!
If you want to be a flying warrior, then join the military!
If all you want is to be an airline pilot and have "Uncle Sam" pay for it, then there are multiple civilian routes to accomplish this much quicker...
JMHO, YMMV!
Kevin
JoelT
Well-Known Member
I always wanted to do both, military and civilian. But, my eyesight was always too bad so military was never there for me. I actually got a Guard slot to fly C130s but, the unit was unable to get me a waiver.
So, I went the civilian route. As far as which one will get you to a major sooner? In my new-hire class at SouthernJets most of the military guys were my age or older so, had I gone the mil route it would have been a wash. Probably.
Still though, I wish I could have been an USAF pilot. Actually, I wish I could have been a Guard Bum. No reason other than a desire to do it. The airline job was going to come regardless.
Also, get a degree in something other than aviation. I recommend finance, accounting, MIS, or engineering of some sort. I have a degree in finance but, I wish I had one in architecture or building science.
So, I went the civilian route. As far as which one will get you to a major sooner? In my new-hire class at SouthernJets most of the military guys were my age or older so, had I gone the mil route it would have been a wash. Probably.
Still though, I wish I could have been an USAF pilot. Actually, I wish I could have been a Guard Bum. No reason other than a desire to do it. The airline job was going to come regardless.
Also, get a degree in something other than aviation. I recommend finance, accounting, MIS, or engineering of some sort. I have a degree in finance but, I wish I had one in architecture or building science.
staplegun said:
Absolutely.
On a side note - it is nice to hear about the "warrior-mentality" from the Navy and Air Force sides. It's a critical mindset to have in today's non-linear battlefield.
In fact, one of my struggles as a commander was instilling the warrior mentality in my light wheeled mechanics, cooks, and admin people. Too many times I'd see them carrying their weapons around like a suitcase. It took a lot of pulling them out of their day to day jobs and training them for combat to get them to start thinking like they are really at war.
Anyway... sorry for the thread hijack!
OldTownPilot
Well-Known Member
If you want to serve your country go to the AFA or ROTC. There is a chance that the USAF will think that you can best serve your country as a pilot, There is a chance that they will think your best fit is something else. Like the others have said, you will be an Air Force officer first, pilot second.
If you want to bum around airplanes, go to your local state school, major in something cool (preferably with a high female/male ratio) , and find a kick butt FBO/ flight school to get your ratings, and take your female friends flying. By your senior year, if you work hard you should be able to have your CFI by then and teach part time while going to class, and an airline job shortly after you graduate.
If you want to bum around airplanes, go to your local state school, major in something cool (preferably with a high female/male ratio) , and find a kick butt FBO/ flight school to get your ratings, and take your female friends flying. By your senior year, if you work hard you should be able to have your CFI by then and teach part time while going to class, and an airline job shortly after you graduate.