Whats the best route to becoming a navy pilot?

Question

I want to be a navy pilot as a goal in life! I have heard that the navy is a little easier to become a pilot in than the air force. I know they are both hard, but i heard the navy's just a little easier to be selected to be a pilot.

What i want to know is, what is the best way to be come a pilot in the navy? I don't want to be a fighter pilot if that helps. I want to be maybe a HC-130 pilot or E-2c hawkeye pilot. So whats the best route i can take to get a pilot slot in the navy?

PLease help me out

Thanks!

Answer 1

depends on where you are in life now.

If still in High school: all the math and science, preferably honors or AP courses.  high GPA ,play a sport, get some leadership roles. NO s*x, drugs or alcohol..period.  don't even smoke cigarettes.  

In college: you need a 3.5 or better GPA in a Hard science..preferably math or Engineering. same rules as High school.. Leadership, sports avoid pitfalls. NROTC if available.

Alternatively, if you are a HS Junior or below: seek an appointment to USNA. If you are a senior, you are too late for class of 2013. less than 5% of the the top 5% of applicants get accepted.

If no ROTC or USNA, get the degree and apply for OCS.

keep in mind that only about half of the people who want to be pilots actually QUALIFY...and of those, only about half actually complete the training.

Answer 2

College ROTC, or an appoinment to the Naval Acadamy. If you hold a private pilots licence that will help.

Answer 3

You'll need a college degree for one thing, ROTC while you get it will also help, as would getting a civilian pilots license, there are also vision and health requirements you would have to meet.  Try talking to a recruiter, he can tell you everything you'll need to do.  

Answer 4

I agree with Desert_Viking    any Naval Aviator can land on a runway - can you say the same about AF pilots being able to land on a flight deck? Doubt it.  

Some have - in fact the AF is flying the EA6-B Prowlers...

Answer 5

1. College degree. Engineering or science discipline is best.

2. Meet the physical requirements, especially for vision, color vision and depth perception.

3. Apply for NavCad aviator training at Pensacola Florida. Pilots steer ships in and out of port and through certain navigable water ways. The Navy has aviators.

4. Disabuse yourself of the idea that it is easier to get selected as a Naval aviator or to qualify as one. The Air Force performs take offs and landings. The Navy performs controlled crashes onto the decks of aircraft carriers. The event is actually called a recovery and the take off is a launch. That includes the two air frames you mention in your question.  

Answer 6

The United States Naval Academy is from what I see the best pipeline to become a Naval aviator in the US Navy or the US Marines. The second best pipeline would be NROTC and the third and toughest pipeline is Officer Candidates' School (which you would apply to post college). The Marines let you know pre-obligation if you can be a pilot, the Navy does not. I don't know anything about the airforce.

I do know aviators who all went to USNA. Now I have heard of NROTC people doing it, but I don't personally know anyone outside of the USNA pipeline who got to be a pilot.

Answer 7

While I'm not fully certain on how the Navy selection process goes, I am familiar with the Air Force.  Both should be pretty similar though.  

Your first goal above all is to get a college education, preferably in some sort of science.  While in college, you must attend ROTC.  In your case, you will need to pick a university that has a Navy ROTC program.  Or, you can choose to apply for the Naval Academy.

Upon completion of your college degree, you will then receive your commission as an officer in the United States Military.

Then, if you are physically able, will begin your formal training in the wonderful world of aviation.  This will include starting out on a basic single engine fixed wing plane and then splitting off to various areas depending on your test scores and capabilities.

Your scores and competence in flying will ultimately determine the outcome of your career.  Keep in mind, fighter pilots are the elite: generally 2 or 3 from each class being picked for this program.

All-in-all, you can be looking at 2+ years in training alone.  Keep in mind, this is usually a 10 year commitment.  No short-term contracts here.

But the first and foremost thing you need to do is get yourself, if not done so already, enrolled into a university offering Navy ROTC.  Speakc with a Navy recruiter if you need a list of universities offering NROTC.  The rest will come along with time.

Best of Luck!