Air Force Test Pilots

[stonewall]

Tailhook
Cheating
Drug dealing
Chaining girls to urinals

Tailhook and chaining girls to urinals (along with hiding in closets) can certainly be humorous. Drug dealing and cheating...maybe. Murder? That just isn't really funny. Nobody is sensitive about it and everyone at USAFA/USNA is familiar with the story. It just isn't funny. If you want us to laugh at you...be funny.

I agree that every alumni group has its bonds. It's just that in the AF about half your squadron will be from one alumni group. Everyone else might be an alumni group of one or two. Like the -15E guy said, it no longer helps you advance in your career (at least I haven't seen that).

As far as civvie connections go, it does help. One laywer buddy go hired at a prestigous firm because one partner was USAFA. Another bud got a job as a financial analyst through Academy connections, and I've written about 10 recs for Academy buds for my airline.

Anyway, U of M is a great school and I think you'll be as competitive as anyone for a UPT slot. The driving factor for the ROTC guys four years from now is going to simply be the number of slots available, not GPA or major. Of course, if you keep a 4.0 in engineering, you should be safe no matter what. Good luck.

 

[stonewall]

So go Big Blue kid. Major in basket weaving, break some hearts and never look back. There is a place for you in the USAF.

That sounds like a bad line from a Top Gun movie. Cheeseball.

BTW, what's an ascot?

 

[Oh-ryan]

That sounds like a bad line from a Top Gun movie. Cheeseball.

BTW, what's an ascot?

Alright, Alright... no humor in murder. Standup is my weekend profession. Still a work in progress.

An ascot is a feminine hygiene product that the USAF has found other uses for.

Now whadya say saw we take a shower, towel off and play some volleyball together?

PS
Jshrk22- if you are having a tough time making this decision, let me help you. Go to UofM. Not because of all the career crap that we have been taking about on this board, but because if you are not 100% dedicated to being a cadet at the USAFA chances are you are not gonna make it. Period. If you do you make it you will spend the next four years being miserable and always thinking "what if".

 

[Joshrk22]

PS
Jshrk22- if you are having a tough time making this decision, let me help you. Go to UofM. Not because of all the career crap that we have been taking about on this board, but because if you are not 100% dedicated to being a cadet at the USAFA chances are you are not gonna make it. Period. If you do you make it you will spend the next four years being miserable and always thinking "what if".

Fair enough.

 

[DaveGriffin]

Yeah, either that OR the 100-million-a-day war overseas.

The cost of the Raptor fleet is peanuts compared to the cost of the GWOT (TWaT).

It's game time Mud. You guys got your share of the budget that Congress sees fit to allocate all the services. The AF fighter jock leadership made choices on how to spend their budget and chose the F-22 and fewer Airmen. Now you have to live with that decision.

 

[Mongoose69]

What do you want?

Josh,
What do you really want? If you want to fly for the AF more than anything, and you will be crushed if that doesn't happen, then you have to look at the numbers:

(Caveat this with anyone with more recent hard numbers please chime in with the update/correction)

Percentage of graduates who get a pilot slot:
USAFA: ~69%
ROTC: ~25%
OTS: ~10%

If you don't mind rolling the bones, and won't be crushed being an Engineer for the AF/anyone else and making 4x what I make (after you get out), then I would say go ROTC. Have a blast at UoM, do all the normal college stuff that USAFA grads wish they had the chance to, and do your best for that pilot slot.

If you want the best opportunity (percentage chance) to get a pilot slot, you can't beat the Academy. Period.

And as for the TPS thing. If that is your goal, then an engineering/physics/math degree is required. Doing well in pilot training and getting a fighter will come later, and is not a guarantee for anyone, no matter how smart/hard worker they are. Some folks have it, some don't, and some do but don't want it (I don't understand that one, but those folks are out there).

Bottom line, figure out what you want, and set yourself up for success. That's probably good advice in any situation.

Cheers,
Mongoose

 

[Joshrk22]

Mongoose,

I thought that there were 500 ROTC slots for 1,000 grads. Wouldn't that make it 50%? Just what I read a few places, so I don't know for sure.

 

[Mud Eagle]

Mongoose...did you come from the Green squadron at Shady J?

 

[stonewall]

Mongoose,

I thought that there were 500 ROTC slots for 1,000 grads. Wouldn't that make it 50%? Just what I read a few places, so I don't know for sure.

97 slots when I graduated. I think he was talking about the overall number of pilot slots in a given year. Anyway, I mentioned earlier that if slots are cut for whatever reason (and they can and DO cut slots at a moment's notice no matter what the predicted number was), the Academy will feel it least.

 

[Deuce130]

LOL..

Speaking of USAFA, I received my nomination in the mail today. I hate that I keep second guessing myself. I just want to throw both into a hat and decide that way..

Josh, how about this.... Go to the zoo for one year. Get through your fourthclass year and then decide if the zoo is right for you. It will cost you one year of your young life, you'll be way ahead on credits if you decide to transfer to UofM, it will be a life changing experience for you, you can always say you made an honest attempt and truly got the info you needed. I made a deal with my parents that I would go for at least my freshman year before deciding to stay or go. I decided to stick it out and don't regret it. A very good friend of mine chose to go to Univ of Northern Colorado after his first year and went on to become a great pilot in the AF. Good luck.

 

[Joshrk22]

Josh, how about this.... Go to the zoo for one year. Get through your fourthclass year and then decide if the zoo is right for you. It will cost you one year of your young life, you'll be way ahead on credits if you decide to transfer to UofM, it will be a life changing experience for you, you can always say you made an honest attempt and truly got the info you needed. I made a deal with my parents that I would go for at least my freshman year before deciding to stay or go. I decided to stick it out and don't regret it. A very good friend of mine chose to go to Univ of Northern Colorado after his first year and went on to become a great pilot in the AF. Good luck.

Probably the best idea yet.

 

[Mongoose69]

Mongoose...did you come from the Green squadron at Shady J?

Sure did. 00-03, OEF and OIF. Timing was perfect. You still in the community?

Joshrk22: Like I said, my numbers are old. But those were the numbers when I went through.