Civilian straight to ANG pilot

[NTS ALL 4]

I think it was said before, " don't ever talk to a recruiter". Did we mention, "don't ever talk to a recruiter". The recruiter recruits/hires enlisted people. He/she may know something about the pilot application process, but their job is to recruit/hire enlisted people, not officers. Send all your questions and application package stuff to the Chief Pilot/Ops Officer/Squadron Commander.

After you are selected to UPT, then you will meet the recruiter to fill out the rest of the paperwork which essentially enlist you in the military as an enlisted person until you pass Officer Training School and put on your (butter bars).

If I haven't mentioned it before, "don't ever talk to a recruiter" or else...

 

[Steeler Fan]

I think it was said before, " don't ever talk to a recruiter". Did we mention, "don't ever talk to a recruiter". The recruiter recruits/hires enlisted people. He/she may know something about the pilot application process, but their job is to recruit/hire enlisted people, not officers. Send all your questions and application package stuff to the Chief Pilot/Ops Officer/Squadron Commander.

After you are selected to UPT, then you will meet the recruiter to fill out the rest of the paperwork which essentially enlist you in the military as an enlisted person until you pass Officer Training School and put on your (butter bars).

If I haven't mentioned it before, "don't ever talk to a recruiter" or else...

All of this may be completely valid for ANG/AFRES, but in order to go apply for OTS for an Active Duty Air Force pilot slot, you MUST go through a recruiter. www.airforce.com IF you feel like you're not getting the whole picture, you're probably right as each recruiter naturally is biased towards the product they're selling. I entered the Air Force thru ROTC, and was just in the right place at the right time to get a UPT slot, so I do NOT claim to be the subject expert on Civilian to ANG/AFRES, other than NTS ALL 4 sounds like he's been down that road, and it going directly to the unit pilots/unit POC is the best way to go. When I was hired by my Reserve Squadron, I went VFR direct to them.

Active Duty is completely different, though. But give everything the recruiter tells you a litmus test. I can't talk for Colorado, but I help out the Active Duty AF recruiters in Pittsburgh and Morgantown, WV, and they are not in the business of trying to manipulate applicants. If they did, I wouldn't keep working for them.

 

[pony251]

If you really want to fly, join the Marines. They will guarantee you a flight slot as long as you survive OCS and TBS. The question is, "how bad do you really want to fly?"

 

[hindsight2020]

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[Steeler Fan]

If you really want to fly, join the Marines. They will guarantee you a flight slot as long as you survive OCS and TBS. The question is, "how bad do you really want to fly?"

This is the same deal is the Air Force has. If you wash out of pilot training, you still could owe the Air Force 4 years (from date of commission), depending on what your major was, how your attitude was, and if they need you.

3 guys left my UPT class in 1 week. 2 SIE (Self-Initiated Elimination--ie, quitting), 1 MOA (Manifiestations of Apprehensions--ie, fear of flying--the dude would break into a cold sweat, and spent more time with the flight doc than he did on the flightline). The 2 guys who SIEd left the AF. The MOA guy stayed in.

One more thing, don't do anything to physically eliminate yourself from pilot training, like another guy in my class did near the end of T-38s (he really liked speeding on his motorcycle and hurt himself pretty bad doing)--I saw him later at Yokota, where he was working at the PAX terminal.

 

[rockr]

Check baseops site

Asked and answered to your hearts content. Go guard or reserve: more options, if you like it that much you can then go active duty, its all about choices go with the option that gives you the most. Good luck!

 

[Tweetdrvr]

flyf15,

For a good source of info on the active side of the house with a guarantee of not being pressured to enlist, talk to your nearest AF Academy Liaison officer. My previous squadron commander is one of those dudes, and from talking to him, they usually present the whole picture about ROTC, OTS, and USAFA.

Even though you are about to graduate, the ROTC guys at your school can/should still give you some good info as well. Every person in the AF has a professional obligation to give as much info to anyone who asks about the service and how to join, we are all in a sense recruiters. We just may not have the forms for you to fill out, but we can usually steer you in a direction that can help you.

If you are considering active duty, you may find out that the easiest way into active duty may be to get another degree and go in via the two year ROTC program. If you choose active duty, and they choose you for a pilot slot, with a technical engineering degree, you may or may not stay in the service if for some reason you fail to complete pilot training. Right now, we are in a so called "force shaping" period in an attempt to right size the force of the future. We are in the middle of a conflict that has lasted longer than the U.S. involvement in WWII, and will probably last longer than the longest definition of WWII, but we are reducing the size of the force. Currently, people who either quit or wash out of JSUPT/JPPT are facing a very strong possibility of non-retention by the AF unless they are USAFA grads. I know of three personally in the last six months who were given their walking papers.

Going ANG or AF Reserve is a great way to go, just realize it takes about two years to get to UPT from the time you start the process. So, assuming you really want to serve and to fly, what are you going to do, if you don't get selected? If you can afford it, keep flying and building time, and maybe get hired by a regional before pilot training. Or, consider staying in school to get another degree and do the two year ROTC side while you work the Guard/Reserve. This will keep your active duty option open, if you get shot down by multiple units.

Good luck in your quest.

 

[CCDiscoB]

Of Course...

....otherwise the Guard would be full of senior ranking pilots. Units hire many civilians to go to pilot training. Just be careful which units you target. Some Guard Wings are strictly training Wings, in other words you need to be an instructor. Of the last 10 who went to pilot training from my unit, 8 were civilians.

 

[HoursHore]

Just remember, You never had asthma, or allergies, or a head injury, or anything that you would have to answer yes to on the medical history. and Remember the Line DEFPOTEC (20/20) but only on the chart.

 

[psysicx]

Also it helps if you go to the units your interested in during drill weeks and show them you really want a slot. Its not that difficult to get picked up. And rememeber there are waivers for everything.