Pilot Selection Process

I'm currently a junior and high school and I've had the eagerness to become a fighter pilot since I can remember. A little bit about me: weighted 4.5 GPA, soccer for all 3 years so far including have been captain of my team, involved in student body leadership, top 10% of my class, and plenty of community service. My question is what is the best way for me to become a fighter pilot? I know currently there is a shortage of fighter pilots in the air force, but a navy pilot has told me that if I took the navy route I'd have a higher chance at fighters because that's mainly what the navy flies. Is that true? Should I go OCS, ROTC, or try to go to an Academy? If I got a ROTC s…

I've got a buddy coming up on a Commander's Review Board after hooking an 89 ride...does anyone know the ROE's on these things (i.e. how to best defend yourself)? Is he supposed to "lawyer up" and list every single action/comment/etc that may have played a factor in his failure, or is that frowned upon by those deciding his fate? I've heard that the chances are slim that anyone will be reinstated after one of these, but does anyone know of someone who made it out alive? If so, for what reasons were they reinstated? Any advice on how to fare better on these would be appreciated. We had some guys wash out when I went through, but (to my knowledge) none elected to d…

I hold a PPL and as such was required to get a third class medical. However, as someone interested in pursuing a career in military aviation I understand I'm going to have to pass more rigorous physical test and screenings. Would getting a first class medical prior to any board dates/interviews be worthwhile? I suppose it would at least show I can past the more strenuous civilian tests.

Hey everyone, I've been considering applying to OTS for a while now. I've been studying various AFOQT books, reading about things online, talking to pilots, etc. I contacted a recruiter, and he sent me some generic OTS documents. What really struck me was this: I haven't moved forward with the process, mainly because I don't have a Private Pilot's License. I only have an hour of flight time. I'd like to get my PPL before applying, but is it really necessary? I'm sure it would improve my chances, but I'm wondering how true the "1% chance" thing is. I realize this has been discussed somewhat in other topics, but I haven't seen anyone directly address how OTS is currently d…

Hi folks, This is a repost from the ROTC lounge room. I'm currently starting my final year of college also seriously considering retaking my AFOQT to try and improve my PCSM. AS of the moment, I am planning on commissioning FY18, but that may all change. Hear me out. I'm not really one to be tact so I'll just say this the best that I know how. At the moment, I have an RPA slot and as glamorous as the future of this career looks, it's not something I think I want for myself. That whole idea of flying in a box, disconnected from everything that has defined flying for the past century is something I am still not sure about. As of right now, my PCSM i…

I'm leaning towards trying the Guard to get a fighter unit but I was told by an active duty recruiter I have a great shot at getting a pilot slot for OTS. A few years ago, I remember talking to an airline pilot who said he knew a guy that was able to get guarantee a T-38 slot through OTS/Active Duty. I'm assuming this means he got ENJJPT. Is it possible to do this? I really want a fighter slot. If I don't get a guard one, Active Duty is my backup option. But I would consider this.

Good Morning Aviators! I am a senior in high school, and I want to pursue a fighter pilot career, but have some questions. I am planning on enlisting into my local ANG unit to give me a leg up when applying for the UPT board. Reading these forums, i've seen that the best enlisted jobs to have to get close with the pilots and learn about the aircraft would be crew chief, LM, and life support. I am looking for some insight on these jobs (been there done that). Is there a way to attend tech school and go to college (taking online classes), or am I going to have to do a gap year for basic and tech school? What is tech school like for any of the jobs/ how long…

I (along with everyone else) hope to join the AF and become a fighter pilot within the next couple years and was wondering if it is worth getting a glider pilot's license or a PPL. A few family members keep encouraging me to go for the glider because it has the "fighter feel" (granted, I don't think any of them know what the "fighter feel" is). The other side of the coin is that a PPL would give me a much more traditional flying experience. I have 0 flight hours but I did take an aerobatic glider flight which I really enjoyed. Thank you for the help.

Hey everyone, My girlfriend and I were in a little car accident and I've been helping pay for her medical bills and it's really been adding up quite a bit. I'm in a battle with insurance right now to get reimbursed, but between that and getting my PPL, I've racked up quite a bit of credit debt. My debt to income with O1 pay will still be less than 40% and I will be able to pay off a lot of it in due time. I still have good credit and no late payments. Will I get a chance to explain this to the background investigator? I'm worried that I'll be denied security clearance because of the debt but really it's just bad timing.

Is it possible to get selected and subsequently switch to a reserve or guard unit before you leave for OTS if you get an active duty pilot slot? Background info, I have been applying to guard and reserve jobs for about 2 years now and while that is definitely my preference, I would like to get in the air as soon as possible so now I am considering going active. My recruiter informed me that its about a 1.5 -2 year wait to start training even for active. So I was wondering if I should still apply to units in the meantime while I am waiting for things to happen on the active side of things, or if doing so would burn any bridges. Any info is appreciated. Thanks!

Saw this on Reddit. If I'm interpreting it correctly you no longer need an ETP if you are under 33 and 8 years TFCS

OK.. this is kinda similiar to the two questions posted below.. perhaps not to the same extent but still breaking the law. (I did do a search on "speeding ticket" but the result was mostly for those already in the military.) I got my first speeding ticket about 2.5 months ago. Was doing 108 in 70 zone. I'm not proud of it, I was a knucklehead and unsafe as well (though, the only reason that allowed me to drive that fast was that I was the lone car on the road.) It's kinda ironic because I was on my way to see my accessions officer and when he asked me if I had any citations/arrests I had to say, until today, no. Anyway I do care about my future career as a pilot.. but …

This is my first post here. I've been lurking on this board for a while though. I am working on putting my application together for OTS. I don't believe I'll be able to get my package together in time for the 09ot01 board but I am going to give it a shot. If I am not able to complete my package in time for the 09ot01 board I'll be applying for the 09ot02 board. What would be the most competitive AFSC to have when applying for UPT from AD?

Stuff

If I apply to this board, but I graduate in December , will they still accept my package for selection? I was told packages are due 23 NOV, and my grad date is 20th DEC. Looking to go active duty pilot slot if the unit I'm interviewing with doesn't hire me in a few weeks. Sent from my XT1058 using Tapatalk

How difficult is it or how lucky does someone have to be to land a HH60 slot? If you are doing well at UPT and leadership knows thats the airframe you want is that something they can work on? Or is it basically just perfect timing on a drop?

I am an AFROTC cadet graduating in May with a pilot slot, I was curious if anyone had info on how EAD and pilot training dates work? Can you request dates to go to pilot training/EAD? Can you trade dates with other pilot slot selections? I am asking because I would like to use up my full year before I EAD so I can get my masters. Thanks in advance for your response!

Hey all, I have a question about the tbas scoring structure after reading and hearing about some of the pcsm scores people ended up with. For some disclosure I have a 99 pilot score, 55 flight hours (so in the 41-60 bracket), and currently have a 75 pcsm. My 201+ score is 91 and I am retaking the tbas next week. Using some extrapolation I figure I have 8 points to gain if I max the tbas. However, I've been noticing some scores that have been posted that don't align with this (i.e. someone with an 83 pcsm with less than 20 hours). If I were in the same hour bracket that would put me at a 67 which is a 16 point difference, significantly more than the 8 points I figure I hav…

I put together a simulator that is based on the requirements of the TBAS. Now I have taken the TBAS twice and have no use for it any longer so I am looking to sell it. The setup consists of a Thrustmaster Cougar joystick and throttle mounted to a plate and CH Pro pedals. The pedals are the exact ones used for the TBAS. The joystick is the same one that used to be used for the TBAS but some locations have switched to the Thrustmaster Warthog which is very similar. Additionally, I wrote a game that is very close to the first couple of sections of the TBAS. The game has two windows, one for tracking in 2D with the joystick and another for tracking 1D with the pedals. The dif…

My boy wants to be a pilot (god help me), and trying to get some current information but I am obviously MANY years removed from the process. He has the grades and other resume items and we have been told he will likely get a nom to USAFA next year, obviously still has to be selected. He has a lot of schools chasing him including two Ivy league schools (MIT and Brown), which is where I would prefer he go but I don't want to selfish and want him to have the best chance at achieving his dream. I did ROTC and was the only dude in my class that got a UPT slot, the year prior they had six fall out slots and were literally walking down the hall asking the seniors if anyon…

So I am heavily considering getting a dog from a local rescue. It is something I have wanted to do for sometime, and the exact dog I've been looking for was brought into a local shelter recently. I commission in August from AFROTC, and EAD sometime this fall to Vance AFB. However, I've been told I likely won't start UPT until next spring (some of my classmates who commissioned in April have a set date of UPT starting in Feb. Considering I don't commission until August, my NCO's are betting my training dates won't start until after theirs). My big question is: how feasible is it to have a pet while at UPT? I know they aren't allowed in the dorms. The dog is already alm…

I see that Vermont is hiring for F-35 pilots. Vermont is one of my top choices for a guard unit. I have 90 college credits because I changed my major after my sophomore year and had to repeat my sophomore year to study the survey courses of my new major. Also I transferred from Community College to a University and they had a few more gen eds that community college didn't require. Even though I won't likely get hired, I was wonder if it's worth applying so they will get to know me and then after my senior year I can apply again to get hired. I plan on taking the AFOQT in the next month or two. I know the deadline is March 31st.

I took the AFOQT last year and did really well in my Pilot (93) but sucked in every other category (44-Nav, 36-Academic, 28-Verbal and 47- quantitive). I studied for the test using some test prep books and the online practice questions but still managed to underestimate it and score poorly. The hardest part of the test for me was the first 3 sections (Verbal Analogies, Arithmetic Reasoning, and Word Knowledge) I can guarantee that these were the sections that destroyed my scores because everything else seemed relatively easy. The two verbal sections I screwed up on because of my lack of vocabulary and the time constraint. The Arithmetic Reasoning section I scored poorly p…

I saw a couple of forum post on Reddit about the Airforce recently allowing AFOQT Super Scores, meaning that if you do a retake they will take the higher scores between your original attempt and your 2nd attempt. Reddit forums seem to show conflicting information as some say super scores only apply if you fail verbal and/or quant and will only be applied to those sections. Others forums seem to imply that it applies to all sections. Does anybody know how these AFOQT super scores work? Here's a link to the Reddit post for reference: Can the AFOQT be super scored? : airforceots (reddit.com) Thanks!

Good evening aviators. Been reading forums, and I couldn't find specific info for these questions, other than do your best and the scores will handle themselves. When picked up from an ANG unit for fighters, are you guaranteed to track select t-38's? I understand that you can be forced into t-1's from t-38's if you arent making "fighter grades" in UPT, but how badly do you really have to be doing to get switched tracks? is it possible to get picked up by a unit for fighters, make fighter grades, and not track t-38's because there's not enough t-38 slots in a class? I am a long way from UPT (not assuming i'm even going to get picked up by a unit), but I…