Ill Destructor

They look at your GPA and your major. For instance, they might like a 3.5 in physics over a 3.5 in business admin. But it's all part of the overall image you present them. "Whole person" concept and all. Don't get so hung up on your GPA unless you're batting a 2.3 or something similar.

Thanks for that perfect response. Not too much information, but just enough. piperwarrior and positiveg weren't the only ones curious.

Congratulations! I have two friends who very recently completed the naturalization process, one Chilean and the other Thai. They've been in the process forever and both consider it one of the best things they've ever decided to do. Congratulations, again.

Best option: go see a doctor and see what they say. Be absolutely honest with your application as inaccuracies tend to bite you in the ass sooner or later. In your case, you may get picked up, later find out you have excema and be unable to fly. But now you're stuck as a maintenance officer for four years. It is probably in your best interest to know what the real story is before committing to at least a four year deal.

Update: It is a confirmed partial tear of my LT interosseous ligament. I'm meeting with my doctor on Monday to discuss options for treatment which could be anything from casting to arthroscopic surgery. A short cast is placed on the wrist for upwards of 6-12 weeks following surgery with the pins coming out as soon as a solid fusion of the torn ligament is shown on x-rays. Could this have happened at a worse time?! Opinions? Surgery now and push back my entrance to the AF by six months or wait until after OTS for surgery?

I don't remember anything about the FC1 where the flight surgeon checks the mechanics of your joints. Maybe at a MEPS facility, but if you're already in ROTC, I don't think you'll have a problem.

It's not broken and I can still use the wrist in most all situations. This includes pushups and the like. However, there is a pain associated with that sort of weight on the thing. Nothing bad, just not normal. The MRI said I MAY have a torn ligament. I'll be getting a more thorough and specific test done on it soon. I'll be able to make a better assessment then. I appreciate the input a lot. Yeah, I'm careful who I talk to about this. I've asked the question of my recruiter and he said that he only needs to know something if I go through with the surgery. Otherwise I'm still going to the BOT class I'm currently assigned to. I currently work for a large orthopedic practice and get what I need at no cost... advice, injections, surgery if need be. Our hand specialist is an obsessive compulsive germophobe and I'd trust him with any surgery. Hence my question about civilian doctors. But in the end, I'm currently thinking I'm going to pass on the surgery for the time being. However, this next test will better enable me to make a decision. Thanks again.

Alright... No one with some advice. How about a different question? Should I look into getting the surgery now or should I wait until after OTS? There is a concern that something could go wrong with the surgery and I don't regain full motion of the wrist. I assume that would keep me from going to UPT, no? How is the Air Force about letting personnel use civilian doctors for surgery? And finally, if you were in my shoes, what would you do -- surgery before OTS or wait 'til after and run the risk of losing my pilot slot and ending up as a maintenance officer for four years?

I had an MRI done yesterday on my right wrist. The report says I may have a ligament tear. I'm going to be meeting with my doc on Monday who is probably going to want me to get an arthrogram on the wrist. (I hear they're painful?) I am presently scheduled to attend BOT 08-01 at Maxwell sometime in late August and then on to UPT. I was told by my recruiter that breaking a bone may affect my position as a pilot select. So the question is, will having some reconstructive surgery on my wrist keep me from getting into UPT? I would think not assuming a full recovery, but thought I'd check with the flight docs here at Baseops. EDIT: I just got off the phone with my doctor's staff and they say the recovery can take as long as 4 months which puts me into August, the time when I should be starting OTS. I assume that's the type of thing that will push back my start date.

I've heard a lot about work days typically running to the 12-hour mark. That's all well and good, but when do you AD guys find time to go to the gym?! I'm not even commissioned yet and I find it a struggle to fit in an 8-hour work day, all of my daily responsibilities AND an hour or two at the gym. When do you guys work out? (And if this has been answered before, searching the forum didn't reveal a single post that contained the word "gym.")

I'll handily admit that I was fascinated. Hopefully I'll get to see similar things and have similar experience!

Pilots fly. Navigators navigate. Seems different enough. Same aircraft, different "experience." Same G-forces an all. Is there something I'm missing?

First off, maybe someone should move this to one of the other categories. As for the original question, if you go ROTC, your degree matters not at all. I've known plenty of History majors to get slots. And we all know History is the most useless of all degrees. So don't worry about your degree.

As for the money, I'm pretty sure you'll get no help from the AF post-graduation. At least I'm not. I may be wrong. As for your PCSM, don't worry about it. I had 43 hours and no PPL when I applied and I was picked up. Not to mention that I had taken the AFOQT when I was 18 and had absolutely zero experience with aviation. You'll do fine. Begin the application process when you're 6 months from graduating and you should be just fine. Getting selected via OTS is easier than people make it seem.

I began applying in July of 2005. Selected in October 2006. I expect to be at OTS by the end of the summer if not earlier. UPT probably won't start until sometime in mid-2008.

No thumbsticks, bucko. Ever see a thumbstick control a multi-million dollar aircraft? Didn't think so.

Bah... "I have 500,000 hours, a 99.99999 Pilot and my PCSM score is only an 83! The TBAS must be broken!" You think they had some hack just throw some shit together for the Air Force to test pilot candidates with? The TBAS has been in development for years and they've had thousands of hours testing and playing with it. The TBAS is fine. You just didn't do as well as you'd have liked. Wah. Retake it if you must.

PPL not necessary, but you might as well go into it with that intention. For the record, I have 43 hours, no PPL and was just selected to be a pilot. As suggested, getting a job at an FBO is handy. Not only might you get discounted rental rates, but the fact that you're working in the aviation industry will show some real desire to the board.

Good for that. 9 tickets in 6 years for everything from speeding to "unsafe turning movement" (...which was perfectly safe. Who better to judge than me?). I was always a little worried about it once I started my app for OTS.

I thinks it's not even a real advert. Don't believe everything you read on the internet, kids. You'll start believing that the planet was flat and other stupid shit. [ 20. October 2006, 22:37: Message edited by: Ill Destructor ]

Ruined it with the crappy photo credits. Awesome picture nevertheless.

Yes, you can use out-of-state recruiters. In fact, I live in Las Vegas, NV and was working with recruiters from both Washington and Utah. I don't have my PPL and was told I have an outstanding chance at being selected. So yeah, I'd say you're getting the run-around.

If you don't have the passion to fly, don't bother. For me, the idea stirs something deep inside me. It's the only job I can think of that excites me like this. And that's why I would happily sign up for a 12 year committment. Hopefully you can find something like that. If it's Air Force aviation, sign that contract and know that everything else will sort itself out. Otherwise, don't.

Wow. That was awesome. It's funny 'cause we all know there's a kernel of truth to it. Hilarious.

Man... truth is that it doesn't matter. Attraction is not a logical thing and has nothing to do with what job you have. So tell them you're a pilot in the Air Force. B.C. from Valdosta is failing to attract a woman 'cause he's probably playing the "nice guy." That's always a bad idea and never works. (There's a reason we have the cliche of "nice guys finish last.") Truth is, if a woman is attracted to a man, she'll accept pretty much anything... from an abusive boyfriend to an Air Force pilot. So the fact that this man is having trouble picking up chicks is completely independent of his career choice. My advice to B.C. would be to quit trying so hard. Just go out, be yourself and don't try to woo a woman with gifts, compliments and by giving her the power. You're a man. Men women are attracted to don't ask permission for most things. They do what they want. So go out, show some self-confidence maybe even a little cockiness. Truthfully, once you stop trying so hard, it gets easier. [ 12. September 2006, 15:53: Message edited by: Ill Destructor ]