I am a 16 yr old male and want to be a fighter pilot in the Air Force?

Question

hey guys i want to hear all of your opinions on what is the best way to become a pilot, I am considering goin to ADFA but am un sure of the OP required to study there for this particular job. Oh and by the way I know that i am fit for all of the physical requirements and have 20/20 vision.

Answer 1

becoming an Air Force pilot isn't hard, that's what the Air Force does........fly planes. being an Air Force Fighter pilot is what's hard. I have a guy at my work who was a Marine Sea Knight driver for 23 years then he taught new Sea Knight pilots a few years. Needless to say when he went in with his new "Class" of instructors they took all the instructors into a Room with a Psych and the Psych told them what their Exact feelings where. Each and every one of these sea UH-46 pilots thought the exact same things.......................amazing imo but selection is tougher then you might think. if you don't think like they do. you won't be a fighter pilot, there's a different personality for each type of aircraft you fly ;) goodluck.

Answer 2

JedDoc's right.  Only the very best can become pilots, so if you were to join the Air Force, it might be for nothing.  They might stick you somewhere else with a job you wouldn't want to be doing.  So if you're planning to go for being an Air Force pilot, you better be up to it.

Answer 3

To be a pilot for the Air Force, you need to be an officer, and you need to get a pilot slot through AFROTC, the Air Force Academy, or Officer Training School . At your age, I would reccomend going to college and joining ROTC, or you could go to the academy. I know other Air Force pilots who enlisted after high school, then became officers, but it's a longer process and a bit harder.

To get a pilot slot, you'll need leadership experience and good grades. For me, leadership experience came through cadet jobs in ROTC. The officers in charge of the ROTC detachment watch how the cadets perform their duties and they make their reccomendations as to who gets what jobs in the active duty Air Force. The detachment commander's rating counts more than anything else for getting what you want. A degree in a technical major looks better than a non-technical one, but it isn't required. Previous flight experience also helps, but again it isn't required. I had my private pilot license before I joined AFROTC and the hours I had increased my chances of getting a pilot slot. Getting the license is fun, but it's also a lot of money.

There's a little more to it, but that's the basics of what the AF will be looking for. After getting a pilot slot, they'll send you to an in depth physical exam to make sure you don't have any medical problems that would affect you flying an airplane.

Between getting a pilot slot and going to pilot training, the Air Force pays for your initial flight screening. IFS is supposed to make sure that people have the potential to succeed at pilot training. It's like a short version of the full Air Force pilot training program.  It's held at the airport in Pueblo, CO.  I don't know much about it because I already had my license, but now everyone is required to go even if they have the license already.

At pilot training, you spend 6 weeks in academics, then 4.5 months flying the T-6. At the end of the T-6 program, everyone in the class puts in requests for what airplane they want to fly for the remaining 6 months of pilot training. The choices are:

1. T-38 -- leads to fighters/bombers

2. T-1 -- leads to tankers/transports

3. T-44 -- leads to C-130

4. UH-1 -- leads to helicopters

The instructors, flight commanders, and squadron commander decide which students get which airplanes. Those who did the best in academics and T-6 flying can get what they want. Most of the class goes to the T-1. At most, about 25% of the class could go to the T-38.

At the end of the the T-38 and T-1 programs all the students in the class put in their requests for what type of airplane they want to fly, but not all airplanes are available for each class. On the T-1 side, we were given a list of all the airplanes and locations that were available to our specific class and we ranked them according to what we wanted most. From what I heard about the T-38 side, they had to rank every possible airplane they could be assigned, including bombers. They didn't get a list that said which airplanes their class would be assigned.

That's how it was for my class. I graduated in September 2006. You're still several years away from pilot training. If you get there, there will be some differences, but things should still be pretty similar to what I described. If you have any other questions, you can IM me.

Answer 4

in the airforce you have a small chance of flying you could be ground in-charge

Answer 5

Listen to JetDoc's advice and that dude who was ATP.

And if all else fails there is always Microsoft Combat Flight Sim (wish the zone still had rooms), and FS 98,2000,2002,2004, and X. And if that don't curb your fancy and you want a real flight sim, there's allways Microprose Falcon 4.0 that works in XP, dunno if it works in Vista.

Answer 6

Even if you meet all the requirements, there's no guarantee that the Air Force will accept you into their flight training program.  They only take so many new recruits every year, and they select ONLY the best of the best!  Whatever you study, you'll need that four-year college degree, and it helps if your grades put you somewhere near the top of your class.  See if you can get into a college that has an active AFROTC program, and work to be the best there too.

Good luck.

Answer 7

That's a tough one, I don't mean to be negative but. Less than one percent of the people who go into the Air Force fly. You have to be the best in everything you do, sports, your classes, everything. Then you have to go to college and get a 4 year degree and 4 point it too then maybe they will look at you. I was told that by an Air Force recruiter when I wanted to do the same thing. Now keep in mind that the Army has more flying machines than the air force. I don't know about the Marines. If you just want to fly then the best way is to go to your local airport and sit around and listen to the "airport bums" . And find out if there are any quality instructors there and if not then where. A quality instructor is someone who has really been out and flown some, not some kid trying to build time. If the young instructor is your only option then go for it. But if you get lucky you will find an old airline or freight pilot to teach you along with some good insight.

Answer 8

Call the air force recruiter and ask for advice.

Answer 9

Your best bet is to get into a good university, major in Engineering, stay at the top of your class, and join AFROTC.  Even then, there is no guarantee.  

If you loose your 20/20 vision, you may have to settle for Navigator or Electronic Warfare Officer.  These are exciting in the short term, but in the long term they can end up being dead end careers with little opportunity for promotion and eventual career / retirement benefits.  

If you are really serious about it, you should check into the Air force Accademy.  This is a great opportunity for a great education.  Your high school councelor should be able to help you find information about this.  

I was in your shoes about 25 years ago.  I joined AFROTC and graduated at the top of my class with an engineering degree.  Unfortuatunately, because of all the studying I had to do, I lost my 20/20 vision, and I ended up an Electronic Warfare Officer.  

Good Luck.