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Thunder 15

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  1. As a Junior at USAFA, I'd like to give my perspective. I do not consider Academy graduates to be superior to ROTC/OTS counterparts nor do many of my classmates have that opinion. I came to USAFA for intrinsic reasons and will not reference my commissioning source when I graduate because performance on operational duty is what matters. Many people are saying the Academy "sucks" and this cynicism exists with cadets who merely try to skid by. We have the chance to party it up at local colleges such as Boulder, CSU, or DU on the weekends, but we can't drink in our dorms. We do have a bar which many cadets occupy until 2300. If you're a high performer, there are some pretty cool opportunities. I was able to get over 30 glider sorties and planning to head to the aeroclub every other day next semester. I'm scheduled for Basic Parachuting senior year. Last summer I did language immersion training for three weeks and spent another three weeks at an Air Force base touring the various career fields. This upcoming summer, I will be conducting research at an intelligence agency. Next fall semester, I will be on a semester abroad to a civilian university, yet I will still commission in May 2015 with the AFSC that I want. We also have a pre-IFS course that cadets can take for free along with everything else. All that military stuff we do is a small price to pay for what we have here. I don't know if there is a quality difference between the commissioning sources or if the Academy is worth it, but I know it has pretty neat perks for its students.
  2. I would say the problem is a little bit of both. I couldn't land on my own; I had difficulties managing my air-brakes, rudder, and stick at the same time. I thought about going down the RPA path because you're putting the heat on the bad guys, but what I did gain from soaring was appreciation for being in the air. Even if you don't directly engage in combat, you're still vital for the service. I want to support the special operators on the ground by either giving them firepower or taking them where they have to go. I would rather be flying aboard an AC/MC-130 or U-28 as a CSO rather than being the pilot-in-command of a C-17 or other platform.
  3. I should rephrase something. I like flying and being in the air, but I do not like piloting/ physically controlling the aircraft. Also, I am pretty sure there is nothing inhibiting my pilot qualification as I am cleared for the eye, and neuropysch portions so far. My only experience with actual flight is 19 hours with gliders, I was still not good enough to solo. I plan on going to the local aero club next semester to try my hand on powered planes. I may be naive, but I want the chance to "be in the fight" and not go into airlift, tankers, AWACS, etc.
  4. Hi, I'm currently a cadet at the Zoo with about three more semesters to go, so I apologize in advance for any ignorance. I am ranked decently high enough to guarantee myself a pilot slot but would much rather be a CSO. I would like to bounce off my rationale in hopes I don't screw myself over: I do not really love flying and feel I do not have the "monkey skills" to rank high enough in UPT. A lot of cadets are satisfied with flying anything, but I am really adamant on AFSOC platforms. My rationale is that I will be able to perform better in CSO training to hopefully get the aircraft I want. Just by browsing the track assignments for CSOs and UPT, I can gauge I have a better chance statistically to go AFSOC. I understand that the role of CSOs on certain aircraft is limited and job satisfaction maybe low, but I will motivate myself to perform well enough to not end up there. If I elect to go towards CSO will I face a "glass ceiling" down the road? I heard its hard to leave the AFSOC community, but would I still be able to pursue those foreign affairs jobs, etc? I really appreciate any feedback, thank you!
  5. Thanks I'll try that! I got selected to be a Soaring IP, so I will have to take the OVT in a couple days.
  6. Thank you for all the replies. I did scan these forums about the OVT Test. I tried all the tricks, but they don't work. The optometrist has worked with me and given me a set of eye exercises to strengthen the eye muscles. How does one qualify for a waiver, does it have anything to do with how competitive of a candidate you are?
  7. Hi, I am a USAFA cadet, but I have taken the OVT depth perception test many times for solo flight considerations. The results were failures, so I am wondering if one needs to pass the OVT to be CSO medically qualified?
  8. I'll be doing Powered Flight when I am a senior, but that's probably too late as AFSC selection is before then. I am very interested in being a Nav/CSO if being a pilot doesn't work out.
  9. Hi, I'm currently a sophomore at USAFA who just completed Basic Soaring. I am horrible at flying gliders, after 9 sorties I can not get takeoff, aerotow, or landing without the IP taking it. All of these were graded as hooks. On sorties 7 and 8, I flew with the cadet soaring commander who said my problem was being passive aggressive and letting the glider fly me. My application to be a soaring IP is very good; it's just flying ability which may hold me back. Does this information show that I don't have what it takes to be a pilot of a powered plane?
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