Flying Helos

[msuspartans24]

I'm interested in flying helicopters for the military, and was wondering my options as far as joining the reserves. What branch would be best or would a guard position be better?

I'm not doing this for flight time, I want to do something exciting, and serve my country. Since I'm a pilot already, makes sense to me to try and do something in the aviation field. I'm 24, married, no kids, and do not have my degree. I've done a search already and have gotten some info, but I don't have a clue what half of these terms are, and all the acronims, could someone break it down in laymans terms. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

and I live in Texas.

 

[psysicx]

It depends on what service you want.If you really want to fly helos look at the Coast Guard.The deployment rate is low and locations are great.

 

[JB Bus Drvr]

Army is about the largest for helo flying. Enlist for Aviation Warrant Officer Flight School. You go to Basic training, then Warrant Officer Candidate School (six weeks), get your Warrant then Flt School for about 9 months.

 

[SloDoDriver]

JB is correct. You can check out your nearest reserve unit and see if they have slots open. My unit does after returning from Iraq...

 

[Birdstrike]

That's a noble ambition Msus but realize that today a "reservist" will be deployed one or more times and spend at least a year or more away from home on each deployment. If that's not a problem. then look into either the Texas Army National Guard or the Army Reserve.

Since the Army Guard has more aviation force structure in TX than the Army Reserve (USAR), find out where their aviation units are located, and see if they have any warrant officer pilot openings. The Army Reserve used to have an attack battalion in Texas but I'm not current on whether it's still there.

As a reservist, you'll normally need have a unit to sponsor and send you to warrant officer candidate school and flight training, both conducted as one course at Fort Rucker, AL. Believe a local Army recruiter can assist you in finding a unit and a school seat also.

If you pass your flight physical and a candidate school slot is offered, make sure that you and Mrs. Msuspartans24 are on the same page all the way through. It's a long process and you'll be giving up alot of your (and her) free time. Good luck.

 

[SWABUM]

I'm also going to go for the guard or reserves. What type of schedule do you have while in training. OCS, Flight training, Air Craft type training? Also what rotor units are in Florida and Puerto Rico? Thanks.

 

[SloDoDriver]

I know there is a Black Hawk unit in Fla (reserves). You will be to busy to fart during OCS, it gets better during flight training with most weekends off. You usually attend an Advanced Aircraft Course after graduating flight school, but they are experimenting with flight school combined with the Advanced Aircraft. I got my type rating after the CH-47D (BV234) course by just going to my local FSDO with documentation. Hooker77

 

[pilotyip]

No Degree

Without a degree I believe Army would be the only option, all the other services have commissioned officers in their pilots' slots and require a four-year degree, but there is nothing wrong with Army flying, they produce some great pilots. We have hired a number of Army pilots and they had no problem checking out in the DA-20, some only had 100 hrs of fixed wing time.

 

[Checks]

Go to the Army Reserve unit in Conroy Texas. They fly AH-64's. Doesnt get any better than that.

You will have to be persistant and they wont do the paperwork for you..just consider it part of the interview process.

 

[weekendwarrior]

Army is about the largest for helo flying. Enlist for Aviation Warrant Officer Flight School. You go to Basic training, then Warrant Officer Candidate School (six weeks), get your Warrant then Flt School for about 9 months.

Be careful here. This is true for Active Duty, but many guard/reserve units require you to serve enlisted first. Not to mention, most guard/reserve recruiters don't know JACK about the warrant officer program.

Go directly to the units, and let them get you in touch with the people to get the paperwork going. If you go to a general guard/reserve recruiter, you'll get the runaround. I did about 3 years enlisted before I went to flight school.

 

[SloDoDriver]

My unit doesn't require you to be enlisted first. It does help, but it is supply and demand. Many people are getting out due to the deployments. You can count on a tour in Afghan or Iraq sometime during your initial commitment.....I believe that the Army Nat Guard does require you to enlist first, but I am not positive.....Hooker77

 

[msuspartans24]

I am currently working towards my degree, but by the time I finish I'll be about 28 or 29, is there an age requirment for flight school? and if there is, does it vary for the branches?

 

[weekendwarrior]

Current Army National Guard requirements are not waiverable past 30. However, it is possible. I went at 31. I was enlisted first, and had notable reccommendations. From what I understand is off the street, you can't go (national guard) past 30.

As mentioned by another post, it appears that you can go off the street in the reserves.

If you don't mind going Active, waivers are plentiful.

As far as the comment about staying away from the WOFT program, I disagree. The Army (active) is picking up Warrant Officers all over the place. I just got back from flight school this year, and I tell you, there was some real sh!tbags that made it in, and got their wings. Heck, my stick buddy in primary was 18 years old, out of high school from a small town in Alabama. Degree or no degree, you can get picked up as a Warrant Officer. Just have a good AFAST score, and good ASVAB score, a clean record (credit and background), good eyes and health, (you don't even need good eyes anymore) and you are in.

 

[GCD]

Current NGB policy, as stated at the last SAO meeting, is max waiverable age is 37 for IERW. I have a copy of the email sent out by our SAO.

I should state, however, you better be able to walk on water to get the age waiver.

 

[weekendwarrior]

Sounds like they raised it. It's about time. I do know of a guy that we sent that was 36, but he was a UH-60 crewchief in our state for 10+ years. My age waiver at the time was unheard of, but I had help from a certain famous Arizona senator.

 

[SWABUM]

Is this whole age waiver thing just for a pilot slot or any position? Would you need a waiver or would it be easier to get one for the infantry? Or is it for OCS? Thanks for the info.

 

[mudkow60]

Ummmm... helo quality of life in the Navy? Yeah right! Go Air Force or Coast Guard. I have friends in the Army that love that life style too.