How is it being an Army or Airforce pilot?

Question

i decided to take all aviation courses for the fall and i got a study guide book for the AFAST. is this going to help me? i need some advice. what can i expect?

Answer 1

Well...by far, U.S. Naval Aviation is obviously the best out of all of the branches of service. More selection of fighter/attack

aircraft & also helos.

Answer 2

It is lots more fun being a marine pilot.

Answer 3

I've sort of done both in the Canadian Airforce.

When I flew helo's I was in a Tactical Helicopter Unit. I did not like it, I stayed in tents, played in the mud, was cold often, and it wasn't fun. I was told over and over that I was a soldier first and airman second.

Then I switched to fighters. I moved from being a poor cousin of the Airforce (Tactical Helicopter) to the rich one. Temporary duty locations now were under palm trees, with hotels, rental cars, and full per diem.  But that wasn't the best part of it, I now could concentrate on being a pilot 100% of the time.

Answer 4

For the AF, you're better off getting actual flight time.  Though certainly the courses will eventually help you with academics.  Depending on where you are in school, you should make a decision and sign up for ROTC-unless you're planning the OTS/OCS route.  If so, be advised that the AF at least, can't speak for the Army, uses OTS to control the number of new Lts commissioned each year.  Which means that a package accepted in one year, might not make the cut in another.

That aside, the USAF process works like this:

1- Get suitable scores on the AFOQT (including the flying portion, obviously)

2- Pass the Initial Class I Flight Physical

3- Be selected for training by the Flying Selection Board.

Obviously you must also complete a commissioning program as well.

Currently "Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training" (SUPT) runs about 15 months.  What weapon system you end up in will depend on the "Needs of the Air Force" and your own class standing.  Higher up in the class, more likely you are to get your 1st or 2nd choice.  Needs of the AF means not every class gets the same ratio of fighters/bombers/transports-tankers.

Either at the very end of SUPT or enroute to your RTU (where you learn to fly your assigned weapon system) you will attend:  Survival-Evasion-Resistance-Escape School (SERE), and Water Survival.  After that, you will show up for 2-3 year tour at your operational squadron.  At first you will be put in a training flight learning the Tactics, Techniques and Procedures of your Squadron/Wing, until instructors certify you as "Mission Ready".  Then you will, well fly, though you'll also have a squadron job:  scheduling, ops, etc.

Answer 5

Go for the Air Force and get into fighters. It is the best of both worlds, uniform and thrills of flying fighters.

Answer 6

I had a buddy that was US Army rotor qual'd.. and he said pretty much the same thing... he was sleeping in tents.. out in the sand box (Ft Bliss) freezing at night and roasting during the day.. they would bring back the guys that got run over by tracks in the middle of the night because they setup outside the proper areas...  happened a lot apparantly...  all in all ... he didn't have a glowing report...  but then..  if you were a sierra hotel gunship driver and were out on McGregor firing range blasting stuff with an Apache....   I could sleep in a tent for a while...

Being Army rotor rated when you get out would sure help get you a rotor job... but won't do much for you fixed wing. That was not true years ago...  EVERY  Army guy I knew was hired at AA.. I don't know if their CP was ex-Army or not.. but I mean 100% of them got in. These days... probably not..  The regionals are turning out experienced... make that JET experienced, Part 121 scheduled air carrier crew members and they fold seamlessly into the larger equipment... also the military hitches are a lot longer now than they were 20 years ago... they want you to stay....