questions about becoming a pilot in the military

Flying Bison

Flying Bison

Well-Known Member
I have been talking to an army national guard recruiter to try and get in flying helicopters. He basically told me I need to go to OCS and then I would have to apply to become a pilot, nothing guaranteed. Is this guy trying to enlist me or is there any way to go into the guard with a secured slot to fly? If its not possible to be guarenteed a pilot slot im not gona cry about it, I just want to know if im being dicked around.

And i know this is a shot in the dark, but is there any branch that isnt active duty that will offer you a pilot slot before signing on?
 
Flying Bison said:
I have been talking to an army national guard recruiter to try and get in flying helicopters. He basically told me I need to go to OCS and then I would have to apply to become a pilot, nothing guaranteed. Is this guy trying to enlist me or is there any way to go into the guard with a secured slot to fly? If its not possible to be guarenteed a pilot slot im not gona cry about it, I just want to know if im being dicked around.

And i know this is a shot in the dark, but is there any branch that isnt active duty that will offer you a pilot slot before signing on?
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I'm not the SME (Subject Matter Expert) with regards to the gaurd. It is my understanding however that if you apply to a gaurd unit that fly's C-130's and are accepted, you will fly C-130's if you make the grades and complete flight training.

Now I do believe the Marines have a flight contract gaurantee and there is a program in the Navy as well. I went through the old fashioned way, NROTC, applied and was accepted into the flight program. No gaurantee the way I went about it.
 
Flying Bison said:
is there any branch that isnt active duty that will offer you a pilot slot before signing on?
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True statement. The Air National Guard will offer you a pilot slot before swearing in.

Search around in these military forums, and search over at Baseops.net and WantsCheck.com .
 
If you want a guaranteed* pilot slot in the Army, the only way to get there is as a Warrant Officer.

The only way to get into Army OCS without enlisting first is via a direct commission. This is nearly impossible on the AD side unless you are prior service or have a specialized skill (doctor, lawyer, etc). However, it may be possible on the guard side - I have no idea. No matter what, there is no guarentee you will be brancheed aviation.

* (There is actually little guarantee because if you DQ or medical out you'll be reassigned per the needs of the Army.)
 
Thanks for your help everyone

Ian: I know that i have to go the WO route, when you say specialized skill does that include prior experience as a pilot?

As far as I'm concerned, being guaranteed a pilot slot is what I want, but the big thing I wanted to know was if I was being duped by the recruiter I was talking to, and after doing some research I found I was.
 
bunk22 said:
Now I do believe the Marines have a flight contract gaurantee and there is a program in the Navy as well.
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The Marines do have a flight contract through PLC, but all USMC officers have to start off in the active forces. For pilots you have to stay in until your flight school pay-back is satisfied. I'm not sure what the current deal is; last I knew it was around 6 yrs after flight school.
 
Flying Bison said:
Ian: I know that i have to go the WO route, when you say specialized skill does that include prior experience as a pilot?
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No. It may help with your application but it won't get you a direct commission.

By specialized skills I meant important and useful skills. :)
 
Flying Bison said:
I know that i have to go the WO route, when you say specialized skill does that include prior experience as a pilot?
Click to expand...

When I went up for the board for my WO flight slot I already had my PPL Airplane (Which I got on my own dime to make me more competitive), and I had worked as an electro-optical engineer for the contractor that built and repaired the TADS/PNVS, MMS, PaveTack, and other laser designator/ranger-finder systems. I also had a secret clearance (Due to the aforementioned work)

These factors made me more competitive, I was told.

Take it with a grain of salt however. When I was in WOCS there were 7 other WOCs with pilots slots for AD, and none of them had prior flight experience. In fact, one of them was a high school to flight school guy. He had a rough time.
 
Nihon_Ni said:
The Marines do have a flight contract through PLC, but all USMC officers have to start off in the active forces. For pilots you have to stay in until your flight school pay-back is satisfied. I'm not sure what the current deal is; last I knew it was around 6 yrs after flight school.
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All Navy and Marine Corps aviators have to serve a minimum time on active duty. There is no type of ANG or AFR type of thing off the bat. The minimum is 7 to 8 years now I believe. When I earned my wings in the Navy, it was 6 years for helo/fixed wing (P-3/E-6), 7 years E2/C2 and 8 years for jets. I was E2/C2 so I had just over 10 years before I was eligible to go reserves or punch out.
 
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