Navy Flight Officer

Aviator737

Aviator737

New Member
The recent "Navy" thread didn't quite answer my question, so I figured it'd be kosher to ask here: An off-duty Navy recruiter was trying to recruit me (sorta) while I was working at a video store, checking out his movies. I told him about a former interest to fly in the Air Force, but the reason I had forgone that route was the competition, and military committment.

According to him, the Navy is looking for a few good flying men and women. One has to be an officer, of course, but assuming I have a bachelor's degree and apply by 26, I'm eligible. He claimed there are some 350 seats made available for training each year. 300 (yes, that is three hundred) actually apply. Some 275 get approved.

"So, you mean the Navy isn't getting enough pilots?" I ask, a little incredulous.

"Yeah, yeah, we need more guys."

I find this hard to imagine, but I really have no idea. For those who do: Any truth to any of this? Any key bits of information he strategically left out?
 
Check out this thread and you'll see how much the Navy needs pilots: http://www.jetcareers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26883

As far as a recruiter trying to recruit you in a movie store and handing you that nobody applies for Naval Aviator slots, I find it extremely hard to believe...of course, I never was a NA and am out of the Navy loop, so don't take my word for it. Find a current NA and see what they can dig up.

Good luck and make sure it's in black and white before you sign anything!!!
 
I had a slot for the fiscal year of 2006. When I was going thru the application process it was extremely competative.. There were a lot of guys out there with 4.0 GPA's, high scores on the ASTB, and leadership experience. My recruiter was excellent, but he said my chances were really not that good at getting picked up. Long story short, I got picked up the first time around. I had about 1500 hours a 3.0 gpa (low for the average applicant), and a degree from ERAU exteded campus. My scores on the ASTB were decent, but not even close to some of the scores I had seen. Personally, I think it was my flight time that helped me get in. I got to OCS and failed my flight physical. That was a real kick in the nuts.. It a long application process, with a longer wait to start OCS. The Navy was really fat on pilots in 2005. I remember hearing that they changed the grading scale during API to get rid of some of the guys. Send me a PM if you have any specific questions about the application process. Do not talk to an enlisted recruiter about OCS. Make sure you deal with an officer recruiter. There is a big difference between the two. Hope that helps..
 
The navy may indeed be short of Naval Flight Officers, but not Naval Aviators.
A Naval Aviator is a pilot. A Naval Flight Officer is a WSO on an F-18, or an Electronic Warfare Officer on an EA-6B, but they are not pilots. Sounds like this recruiter was trying to hook you. That is their job.
 
Bwatz said:
I had a slot for the fiscal year of 2006. When I was going thru the application process it was extremely competative.. There were a lot of guys out there with 4.0 GPA's, high scores on the ASTB, and leadership experience. My recruiter was excellent, but he said my chances were really not that good at getting picked up. Long story short, I got picked up the first time around. I had about 1500 hours a 3.0 gpa (low for the average applicant), and a degree from ERAU exteded campus. My scores on the ASTB were decent, but not even close to some of the scores I had seen. Personally, I think it was my flight time that helped me get in. I got to OCS and failed my flight physical. That was a real kick in the nuts.. It a long application process, with a longer wait to start OCS. The Navy was really fat on pilots in 2005. I remember hearing that they changed the grading scale during API to get rid of some of the guys. Send me a PM if you have any specific questions about the application process. Do not talk to an enlisted recruiter about OCS. Make sure you deal with an officer recruiter. There is a big difference between the two. Hope that helps..
Click to expand...

what was wrong with you?
 
"Retained hardware in shoulder that would prevent me from piloting an A/C." I just had a commisioning physical at MEPS and it was suppose to be okay. I guess the flight surgeon disagreed. Something about hardware across a joint is not waiverable. I would have loved to fly for the Navy, but it just was not meant to be.
 
Hey man, read Marine NSS policy to see what happened to me. At the end when the Commodore told me that the Navy would have winged me I asked about an interservice transfer. He told me that the Navy, like the Marines, are full. When I started flight school the Navy was attriting guys and sending them to the straight to CIV DIV not even making them fulfill their obligation because they had too many Officers. When I started Jet training, 1.5 years ago, the Navy guys were having to wait 3 to 6 months to start because the Navy was so full and Marines were classing up immediately. However, right now my Navy buddies can't get to the FRS (Fleet Replacement Sqd) quick enough and the Marines are the ones waiting 3 to 6 months. Take it for what is worth, nobody knows. This @#$%&@#$%&@#$%&@#$%& is so Cyclical its rediculous. Its like there's a guy trying to fill a bath tub in another room and all he has is a fire hose and a gauge that reads "empty" and "full". Either there is too many or not enough, its all about timing and luck its hard to say where the Navy will be when it's time for you.
 
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