How hard is the US ARMY'S aviation school?

Question

I'm thinking of going Warrant, and flying helicopters. I am not enlisted, though I was prior. I have an associates degree, and have 112 credit hours in total.

Answer 1

How hard?  7, C.  Whatever.  No one can answer "how hard' it is because there is no recognized scale of hardness and no one has your precise abilities and experience.

Answer 2

This is not meant to be a dig on you, so don't take it that way. But I was aviation enlisted and my hubby still is...and we have seen a lot of co-workers go to be flight warrants...and they are total morons and they made it though.

As long as you pay attention and don't freak out, you will be fine.  

Answer 3

It's only as hard as flying a helicopter.

Answer 4

Very Hard. Talk to anyone that has gone there.

Answer 5

The hardest thing is time management....flying the training helicopter, the TH-67, is a pain and you will freak out for about 2 weeks when you first start flying but you will get the hang of it, everyone does.....waking up at 3:30 for the 5:15 bus to the flight line sucks and then you fly until lunch and then classroom after that gets old but again you have to manage your time......if you want to fly and are prepared to be a subject matter expert at flying be a warrant I have plenty of friends who are warrants and they have a good time. Ft Rucker is a schoolhouse so your experience there will be jaded...what I mean by that is that everything will be so regimented for you and you will be treated like a child because there are so many flight students but once you get into the real Army you will have a good time. I just got done with school and am glad to be out of there but had a good time while I was there.  

Answer 6

You first have to get through the 6 weeks of WOC School which isn't all that hard, but is a lot like Basic Training again.

You then have to go through the initial portions of training before flight school such as JOPD, SERE-C, and BOLC IIIA.  Once you complete these, you will then begin the actual Initial Entry Rotary Wing (IERW) course.  It is a lot of memorization, especially the "5 and 9 cards."  These are your limitations and emergency operating procedures for the aircraft.

It takes a lot of dedication, time, brains, motor skills, and committment and not everyone will make it.  However, most of those who do not are kicked out for things besides failure to learn how to operate the aircraft.  Most are dropped from the course for moral issues such as receiving DUI's/DWI's or just doing other stupid things.

The course is also anywhere from 13-24 months depending on how long you get stuck in holds or "bubbles" so be ready for that.  In many cases, you will attend one course like SERE-C, then be on hold doing nothing but details and reporting in for 2 months until BOLC IIIA.  It happens to everyone, but just be ready for that.