Please Help! HS Senior in Distress

[Leo R.]

Greeting! I'm a high school senior, and I'm in a dliemma right now.
First of all, I have applied to both, Annapolis and Air Force Academy. From what I've been told is that I will have no problem being accepted to either. The problem is, my congressman can only give me one nomination, either Annapolis or Air Force. Since I was a kid, I have always wanted to be an Air Force pilot, but I've had second thoughts this past week, and changed my priority nomination to Annapolis. From the research I've been doing, and the people I've spoken to, I think that there is more of an opportunity in the Navy to be a fighter pilot. Statistically, apparently at Annapolis, 99% of those who wanted to go to pilot training got the slot. 216 people from last year's graduating class went to pilot training. On the other hand, the Air Force Academy sends about half of their graduating class to pilot training.
The reason I changed my mind and am currently deciding to fly navy is that I really really really want to be a fighter pilot. It seems like there is more opportunity in the Navy, cause everything in the Navy is either fighter, or fighter support. I would really hate to go to the Air Force Academy, graduate, and serve a 10 year commitment flying the "heavies." Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that there is more opportunity in the Navy to be a fighter pilot.
Also, I think that the experiences that I can get in the Navy outweigh those I can get in the Air Force. I think in the Navy that there is more opportunity to see the world, and I also think that taking off and landing from an aircraft carrier would be sweet. I'm also looking at the distant future. Apparently, the Naval Academy generates more astronauts than any other university, and I have also considered being an astronaut in the future.
Another reason that I am currently choosing Navy over Air Force is the location of the bases. Navy has Air Stations in pretty nice places (i.e. San Diego, Corpus Christi, Pensacola, etc.). Air Force has bases in pretty crappy places (ex. Holloman, and Kirkland). I think the only disadvantage in the Navy is being stuck on a carrier for so long. But I would rather be stuck on a carrier flying a "Super Hornet" than being stuck on land flying a "Heavy."
I know this is long and thank you for reading. I really hope I made the right decision to change my priority nomination to Annapolis instead of Air Force Academy. I would really like to talk to an military pilots and hear their advice. If any of you have AOL Instant messenger my screen name is StreetbikerFZR. Thanks in advance for any advice.


Leo R.
El Paso, TX

 

[rjl2001]

Well I am not a pilot, but can tell you what I think. If you have always wanted to fly fighters your whole life for the Air Force then do just that. You said you are considering the Navy because it may be easier. If you have the opportunity to go to the Air Force Academy then you are already in the best place you could be to fly in the Air Force. It might be tougher but that is for a reason, the Air Force only wants the best. If you choose to go to the AFA and continue to do well in school, and you have no physical or eye sight problems, then there is no reason you would not make it if you tried. Also, you said the navy is all fighter or fighter support, I dissagree. The Air Force's whole mission is based around its fighters. The Air Force pretty much exists to maintain air and space superiority. The Navy is there to keep peace on the water. Everything in the Navy supports its mission on keeping the water safe. Anyways, that is my opinion.
good luck whatever you choose

 

[AlbieF15]

Go to the AF Academy. Sign up for soaring as a cadet.

....work hard....do good.....

Then you can work towards being a soaring instructor.

....work hard...do good

Keep your GPA and military scores in the upper half.

Next...apply for Euro-NATO pilot training at Sheppard. If selected, you will then have a very good statistical chance of getting a fighter. I can't guarantee F-16 or F-15, etc, but odds are very good at Sheppard you will end up as either a FAIP with a follow on fighter or going directly into the AF as a fighter guy.

No slam on the Navy...Holy Cow they land on boats! But you will have a LOT of options choose from in you go the USAFA route. You will also never be pressured to do anything else (surface, subs) besides FLY if you are so inclined. Good luck...in any case you are off to a great start.

 

[MercuryPilot]

Go Navy!

Leo,
I had appointments to both Academies as a HS Senior and had to make the same choice. Here's a few things to consider about the Academy part of your question:

If you go to Navy and for some reason can't be a Pilot (grades, not physically qualified, whatever...), think about what else you can do. There opportunities to see the world and have a GREAT career as a guy in Surface, Subs, Special Operations, Special Warfare, Intel, Crypto, Supply, Medical Corps, Aviation as a Navigator, etc. If you like the outdoors you can also be commisioned into the U.S. Marine Corps upon graduation and choose from a slew of jobs there as well.-The Navy has a lot of important missions that don't involve Aviation.

If you go to the Air Force Academy and can't be a Pilot, your odds of ending up in a Missile Silo are pretty good.-Probably won't see the world from in there. Your odds are VERY high of being treated like a second-class citizen your entire career.-That's unfortunate, but a very real possibility and dirty little secret. Let's face it, the AF is all about keeping the Pilots in their a/c so they can project air power. Everyone in the air force is doing something to keep the Pilots flying. It is an organization for Pilots, run by Pilots. If you get that Pilot spot, YOU ARE THE MAN and will be treated as such! If you don't, it may be a tougher road ahead.

I've been stationed on AF Bases and stood alert at plenty of others. It's a FACT that if you're a Pilot, people treat you differently when you're in the AF. In the Navy, most of the top jobs are NOT held by Pilots. In fact, there are only a handful of Admirals who are Pilots. Nobody treats you differently. Everyone's just doing their job for their niche in the Navy. If you're a Pilot in the USMC you are pretty much guaranteed NOT to be a player in D.C.

What does all this mean? Just make sure you are happy w/the service options facing you out of either Academy should you not get one of the Pilot spots.

Either way it's a great feeling to serve your Country. Good on you for wanting to make that kind of committment.

I think your idea about having a better chance at being a fighter guy in the Navy than in the AF may be inaccurate. There are fewer spots for Jets out of Navy Primary than there are for the P-3, E-2, E-6, and Helos.

It's going to take the same thing to get a fighter spot out of either service. -You're going to have to study very hard and beat out the other students. I flew Heavies and all of my AF buddies who fly Heavies love it. All of my friends who fly Tactical love it. All of my friends who fly the P-3 love it. For that matter, I don't know any Pilots who don't love what they're doing regardless of platform. You'll just be happy to be a Pilot.

PM me if you have any USNA specific questions.

Go Navy, Beat Army!

 

[Purple Haze]

You can't go wrong either way, provided you are there for the right reason and you give it all you've got. I would suggest you not be naive about the large number of support (non-fighter)aircraft the Navy flies - I don't know the ratio, but they have a fair number of P-3s and C-130s (among others).

I don't know where your fighter opportunity is greater. I do know the Air Force has a substantially greater number of fighter aircraft (of course they have more heavies, too).

Best of luck - I hope you find what you are looking for.

 

[thumper7]

You aren't a fighter pilot yet!

Hopeful aviator:
it is good to know you have your focus set on a specific goal, but the Navy is very fat on fighter pilots at this point in time. I did not goto the AF academy, but have visited it several times since I have been in. I am currently a 37 instructor who knows that the navy students going through vance are all getting helicopters or p-3's. In order to compete for a fighter slot you must have an NSS of 50 or better. I have known of only one Navy guy at Vance who has gotten a fighter slot. If you were to make it in the fighter world in the Navy you will not fly as much as your AF counter parts. Think about the kind of technology the AF has and is flying compared to the Navy. The F-14 is one of the best fighter jets out there, but they are getting very old. You could possibly make it into the Navy fighter program and not make it because you can't land on the boat, that is not going to happen in the AF. I know the feeling you have about wanting something so bad, but the track you are taking is no sure thing. I really think the AF will give you a better education and a better shot at getting a fighter. I really hope you change your preferrence and GO AF!!!

 

[furloboy]

I wouldn't pick a service based on what's going on with their fighters this week. You've still got four years of matriculatin' before you even start primary training. What's going on now with any service and their selection process could change a couple of different times by then.

If you've always wanted to fly fighters for the USAF--then do it. By and large they do the fighter business better than anyone in the world (except below 80 knots and above 30 degrees AOA ;-). They're a great bunch of folks--you'll have a blast.

BTW, for Navy fighter bases you've got Lemoore (ugh) and Oceana (not bad--but not what it used to be). And a couple of squadrons in Beaufort (look on a map).

There are many, many things that can happen between now and then--and you can't control most of them. Pick a path, bust your backside and make the best of what's presented to you.

Good luck!

 

[P3tarbaby]

Albie and Mercury both had some good info for you. Let me add...

Another option you may want to consider is ROTC. I did and loved it. You get the military commission but you also get to enjoy the normal college experience. There is nothing wrong with going to one of the academies but make sure you are ready for that lifestyle. Both NROTC and AFROTC can get you the same end result...a pilot slot. Once you get the slot, you have to work hard to get into the platform of your dream, but even then, the needs of the service can overrule that (at least in the Navy). My selection week in primary it was 5 jets, 5 props, 9 helos, but the week after me was a whole class of helos and a few weeks later a whole class of jets. Timing is everything.

A few other things to consider:

The pay is the same for either.

Navy bases are in better locations (usually near water) but AF bases are nicer (they spend money on bases, not ships).

Mercury had a good point about your options if you can't fly with the Navy vs. the AF, but all things equal, I think your overall chances of getting a pilot slot and flying are better in the AF.

If you fly for the AF, you will be flying fixed wing whether its a fighter or a heavy. With the Navy, there is a chance you'll end up in helos. If you can't handle that, go AF.

In the Navy you will have a ground job in addition to your flying duties. I have heard (AF guys correct me if I'm wrong) that AF pilots only fly and don't have ground jobs.

I don't know how AF deployments work, but in the Navy you are gone for 6 months and home for a year. The jet guys are on the boat for those 6 months and cruise with the carrier to their respective AOR like the persian gulf. During that year at home you'll spend a couple months (cumulative) doing workups on the boat prepairing for your next cruise. In P-3s, you deploy overseas to Japan, Diego Garcia/Oman, Keflavik/Puerto Rico, or Sigonella for the entire 6 months and you stage flights and trips out of there. You spend most of your year at home, at home with an occasional training detachment (no more than a week or so). Helos follow that same cycle as the jet guys for the most part.

Once you finish training and get to your first squadron, you'll spend 3 - 4 years there on sea tour and then go to a 2-3 year shore tour which can be a flying tour like the training command or a non-flying tour like a wing, post-grad school, or the Pentagon. You will continue this sea-shore rotation for the rest of your career with the possibility of getting back to back sea tours. Can't speak for the AF here.

If flying is what you want to do, you really can't go wrong either way. You just have to decide what secondary factors are most important to you. Hope this helps.

 

[Leo R.]

Everyone, thank you so so much for all of your advice. Actually, I have ultimately decided to change my primary nomination back to Air Force. I hate being so indecisive, I know it can't look good on me. I spoke with both, my liason officer, and the Academy recruiter, and I will go head and get the nomination to Air Force. It took some act of God, cause both of them were not at all happy with my indecisiveness. They lectured me, but hopefully, all is well. Once again, thank you very much. One thing I definitely took to heart though is I should go to the academy because I want a great education and to serve my country as a military leader; flying is a plus but not everything. Once again, thank you very much!
Leo Romero
El Paso, TX

 

[AD SUPT Hopeful]

Best of luck to you. Kick @$$ at the Academy.