Airforce Academy?

Question

I'm 15 how do I get in? What will prepare me and if I go will I have a better chance at being a fighter pilot? I want to be a pilot

Answer 1

I have to agree completely what "Lover not a Fighter” said about being ready. First of all the military has to make sure that they are spending millions of dollars on right person. I wish you all the best to be a “Top Gun”. But if you are like the rest of us, there is still hope to fly professionally. Do not be “Fighter Pilot” just to say people that you are one. Make sure that you have the life’s commitment to that. Flying for your country is much tougher that flying for dough. But we all have one thing in common-our love of aviation. That may be for a SR 71 or a J3 Cub!!!

Do not give up on your dream and GOOD LUCK!!!

Answer 2

Jensmith's brother is obviously in the regular Air Force, rather than the Academy.  You can be a flight officer through other routes, but the Academy is the best way.

What "Lover not a fighter" said is basically right.  What jensmith said is not correct.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Thank you for investigating serving your country.  Not many adults have a vector on what they want to do; for a teenager to be seriously thinking about a career is OUTSTANDING.

First off, recruiters DO recruit officer candidates for Officer Training School.  Here's the highlights:

The Academy competition is stiff; each year they accept about 400 applications out of 2000 applying.  You'll need outstanding grades (not necessarily perfect), good record of participation in extracurricular activities/volunteer work, and a recommendation from your congressperson, or least an active/retired Colonel.  

Normally there's more pilot slots allocated to the Academy than the other commissioning sources.  Becoming a fighter pilot is all about "needs of the Air Force", your class ranking and personal preferences-not your commissioning source.

Fighter assignments don't normally come down in large numbers; a lot would be 4-5 out of a class of 35-40 students.  So it behooves one to get as near the top of one's class as possible.  Highest ranked students get to select what they want-MOST of the time.  It's also possible your class will get none (happened to the Nav school class two behind mine as a matter of fact), or several.  

The vast majority of officers of all services come out of ROTC.  You sign up like any other college class: they also have full-ride scholarships available.  Officer Training School is the third way; you apply when within one year of college graduation.

Best ways to prep now are get those grades up, participate in something like JROTC or Civil Air Patrol-and show some leadership.  Also, consider starting some flying lessons, if your parents approve and you can afford it.  BIG plus in your application package.

Answer 4

Get good grades. Stay out of trouble. You may want to look at joining the civil air patrol.

Answer 5

i hate to contridict what the last person said, but doing all of those things may not help you. My brother is in the airforce, and he drank alot before he entered and didnt do so great in school. you take a test once your in, and they assign you to your position. My brothers friend decided to not sign up because he couldnt get the job he wanted. My brother wanted to fly, but ended up on something else, although he is happy with what he got.

to make it through, you will need to make it through a bootcamp. it will kick your *** if your not fit. be sure to stay healtly.

get in touch will your local military center. I'm sure theyll have lots of tips to give you.

Answer 6

Air Force and Navy (military) pilot program is probably the MOST difficult program (college) that is out there.  Here are the steps

(1) get great scores in HS

(2) stay out of trouble (no underage drinking, etc.)

(3) get a commission (recommendation) from a U.S. congressman

(4) get accepted to AF/Navy program

(5) study hard

(6) graduate

(7) fly

(8) be happy.

Only officers become pilots.  And only college grads become officers.  The competition to become AF/Navy pilot is fearce.

===

Don't go to military recruiters.  They don't recruit officers.  Officers are COMMISSIONED by congressmen (YES THE FEDERAL US CONGRESS)

Good Luck...

P.S.  Talk to your school guidance counselor.  They would know for sure exactly what to do.

Answer 7

Get good grades, take standardized tests as many times as necessary to get a good score (and you can take your best math score, english score, and writing scores from completely different SATs to create your highest score) participate in extracurriculars, find people that will write good references for you.  From there you'll just have to apply for a nomination and to the academy.  If you get accepted pending nomination, then make sure to let the panel know....you'll be more likely to GET the nomination.  Thousands apply each year, and around 1300 are accepted.  

Once at the academy, your chances of becoming a pilot are far better than through the other commissioning sources.  In the past, the academy has gotten as many pilot slots as ROTC.....but ROTC usually produces at least twice as many officers.  In 2005, the academy was unable to find enough people that wanted to fly to fill all its' pilot slots.  

Assuming you graduate and get a pilot slot, the next part is pilot training.  Don't do anything stupid---there are a few every year that lose their wings before they even got them.  Work hard in pilot training.  The driving factors in selection are your performance and needs of the Air Force.  You can only control one of those.  You'll have to pass a physical test to fly fighters, but it is based on percentaged of body weight and is relatively easy.  Unless you are both weak AND somewhat overweight, you'll pass.  It is far easier than the Physical Fitness Test at the Academy....so if you graduate, then you'll have no problems unless you really let yourself go.  So don't sweat it.  You will also need the recommendation of your flight commander.....which if you have generally avoided doing any really stupid things as I suggested before.....you'll get.  

Then down to the nitty gritty.  Depending on where you go to pilot training, you'll be looking at around 10-25 people in your class.  My class was one of the bigger ones (Columbus AFB).  We got 4 fighter/bomber slots, 3 C-130 slots, one Helo, and the rest heavies.  This was generally about the breakdown at the time, but a couple classes behind me got a drop of 9 fighter/bomber in a slightly smaller class.  You're not going to know what it's like until you actually get your slot, so do your best to leave yourself the best opportunity.  

On that note, get as much flying experience as you can starting now.  Almost all the top third of a class will consist of people with a bit of flight time.  I'd suggest Civil Air Patrol.  A guy in my class got 1200 hours for free with the Civil Air Patrol.  He did very well in pilot training.  Of the top third of our class (8 people) only a couple of them came straight to pilot training without first getting a few hundred hours somewhere.  Only one person in the bottom third had that sort of flying time.