[tyler111005]

Hey everyone, I'm sorry if im asking questions that have been asked here a thousand times but I tried to read some of the threads and couldnt find exactly what I was looking for.
I've been starting to stress recently about what to do as a career and I'm really looking towards a military career in aviation. At first i wanted to fly fighter jets but after researching I think that helicopter's would be a better path for me. The problem is I dont know if i would be qualified to fly and the only information i have about the military entry process is from my dad who was a marine in the 70s. Obviously times have changed and i dont know where to get some accurate information.
This may i will have my bachelors degree, does this mean that if i go into the sevice that i am guarenteed to go to officer training school? Also, i am just under 6 foot 4 215 pounds physically fit.
Which branch of the military would be best to pursue my goal of flying helicopters?
Also, if i joined could i be guarenteed a pilot spot. Is there any way they can screw me out of being a pilot and have me stuck doing a job i dont want to for however many years my contract is. How many years does a pilot candidate usually have to enlist for? I know this is a lot of questions and answers to any of them would be appreciated. Thankyou
Tyler

[Lindsey]

tyler111005, on Oct 27 2009, 09:43 , said:

Hey everyone, I'm sorry if im asking questions that have been asked here a thousand times but I tried to read some of the threads and couldnt find exactly what I was looking for.
I've been starting to stress recently about what to do as a career and I'm really looking towards a military career in aviation. At first i wanted to fly fighter jets but after researching I think that helicopter's would be a better path for me. The problem is I dont know if i would be qualified to fly and the only information i have about the military entry process is from my dad who was a marine in the 70s. Obviously times have changed and i dont know where to get some accurate information.

Hey Tyler, I'm in the process myself of applying to Warrant Officer Flight Training for the Army. Hopefully I can give you some insight into your options.

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This may i will have my bachelors degree, does this mean that if i go into the sevice that i am guarenteed to go to officer training school? Also, i am just under 6 foot 4 215 pounds physically fit.

1) You most definitely are NOT guaranteed an officer slot. No matter your qualifications (including school), for every branch of the military it is an intense competition to be accepted for an officer slot, and even after that, you must graduate an officer program for that branch. For the Air Force, it is called "OTS," OCS for the Coast Guard (I believe), and the Army has both OCS and WOCS. Google those terms.

2) Regarding your height/weight - depending on your age, you are basically right at the standard. I would highly recommend shooting for 5-10 pounds below the maximum weight. From what I hear, many recruiters will require you to be 5 pounds below the maximum before they'll send you to MEPS for your physical. ARMY fitness standards are here:
http://usmilitary.ab...lmaleweight.htm

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Which branch of the military would be best to pursue my goal of flying helicopters?

The Army, of course!

Honestly, it is entirely up to you. The branch you choose is a personal preference - they all have different missions, equipment, and standards, but they are all great. If you want a "guaranteed pilot spot," your only option is the Army WOFT Program. Please google it before you ask what it is. WOFT stands for Warrant Officer Flight Training. Essentially, you may apply (not an easy process) as a civilian, interview before a Battalion Board, and if accepted, are guaranteed to go to Flight Training assuming you get through Basic, WOCS, and Dunker/SERE training.

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Also, if i joined could i be guarenteed a pilot spot. Is there any way they can screw me out of being a pilot and have me stuck doing a job i dont want to for however many years my contract is. How many years does a pilot candidate usually have to enlist for?

Regarding the guaranteed pilot spot, see above. Though I just remembered, the Coast Guard has a program called Blue 21 - google it. I'm not sure if it is still in effect, but it is worth looking into. You can always contact a recruiter and just ask.

In the Army, your contract is for 6 Years AFTER the completion of flight school. Flight school can take between 1.5-2 years, so essentially your contract is 7.5-8 years. Consider how much money they are spending on your training.

I can't speak for the Air Force, so I'm not sure what their contract length is. For the Coast Guard, I can't remember 100%, but I BELIEVE it is something like you must serve four years after completing Officer training, and then if you get a pilot slot, you rack on an additional 7 years. So a total of 11. Like I said, I'm not really sure, so...yep, google it.

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I know this is a lot of questions and answers to any of them would be appreciated. Thankyou
Tyler

Not a problem - we were all once where you are now, and I'm happy to help. After you've researched some of those terms I threw at you, feel free to ask more questions here.

A few websites/forums to guide you on your way:

1) http://www.flightsch...de.com/faq.aspx Army WOFT Frequently Asked Questions
2) http://www.cavhooah.com/warrant.htm Basic Info about WOFT
3) www.military.com Go check out the forums --> Army --> Aviation.
4) www.kiowapilots.com Forums, there's a Wannabe Aviator Section
5) forums.goarmy.com --> Transportation & Aviation, there is an 86 page thread about WOFT started by WO1 Eric West, lots of good info

Happy reading!
- Lindsey

[tyler111005]

Thankyou for your help!

[Lucky64driver]

Pretty much exactly what Lindsey wrote. Only one correction, the 6 year contract starts the day you complete WOCS. So 9 weeks of basic training, 6 weeks of WOCS, then 6 years as a Warrant Officer. This is the best way to go if you just want to fly.
Good luck.

[wopilot]

Lucky64driver, on Oct 30 2009, 10:47 , said:

Pretty much exactly what Lindsey wrote. Only one correction, the 6 year contract starts the day you complete WOCS. So 9 weeks of basic training, 6 weeks of WOCS, then 6 years as a Warrant Officer. This is the best way to go if you just want to fly.
Good luck.

When did they start the 6 years right after WOCS? That must've started this year.

It's 6 Years as a qualified Warrant... in flight school you aren't qualified, nor have an MOS.

[Lindsey]

wopilot, on Nov 1 2009, 18:57 , said:

When did they start the 6 years right after WOCS? That must've started this year.

It's 6 Years as a qualified Warrant... in flight school you aren't qualified, nor have an MOS.

Yeah, wopilot, I've heard the same from another Aviator - that it starts AFTER you receive your wings, but I didn't want to argue. Which is it?

[CharyouTree]

Lucky64driver, on Oct 30 2009, 11:47 , said:

Pretty much exactly what Lindsey wrote. Only one correction, the 6 year contract starts the day you complete WOCS. So 9 weeks of basic training, 6 weeks of WOCS, then 6 years as a Warrant Officer. This is the best way to go if you just want to fly.
Good luck.

Again, unless this is a recent, and unannounced change, this is a common misconception. I saw a few people in my flight class fall into this trap. ("I don't care how long flight training takes...every day is a day less on my ADSO outside of Rucker.") The reason is simple, and the same reason they changed it to getting W1 at graduation of WOCS, instead of flight school: Flight training takes a long time.

It's the day you get your wings. I'd have to dig to find the reference, but if you insist, I'll go looking.

[Lindsey]

CharyouTree, on Nov 2 2009, 07:53 , said:

Again, unless this is a recent, and unannounced change, this is a common misconception. I saw a few people in my flight class fall into this trap. ("I don't care how long flight training takes...every day is a day less on my ADSO outside of Rucker.") The reason is simple, and the same reason they changed it to getting W1 at graduation of WOCS, instead of flight school: Flight training takes a long time.

It's the day you get your wings. I'd have to dig to find the reference, but if you insist, I'll go looking.

Gotcha, that's what I keep hearing, and it makes the most sense. No reference needed. Thanks!

[Linc]

There is a six-year Active Duty Service Obligation (ADSO) incurred by your appointment to WO1. However, you incur a new six-year ADSO when you graduate WOBC and pin on your wings. ADSOs are concurrent, not compounding. That means that if you have a previously unfulfilled ADSO, the new ADSO starts right now and runs at the same time instead of waiting to begin until the previous ADSO is complete. So, the delay in training just delays your ability to start the new six-year ADSO.

Rank promotions to CW3, CW4, and CW5 will incur a two-year ADSO

The following courses incur a one-year ADSO:
Instructor Pilot
Instrument Examiner
Aviation Safety Officer
Tactical Operations Officer
Maintenance Test Pilot
ASE/EW
Armament

Additionally, PCS to an OCONUS location incurs an ADSO equal to the minimum overseas tour for that location, and PCS from CONUS to CONUS locations incurs a one-year ADSO.

They covered this in WOCS a while back for me, so I'm surprised some WO1s believe otherwise. Perhaps they aren't teaching it anymore, which would explain some things.

AR 350-100, Chapter 2, para 2-7, pp. 3-4 for reference.

[Lindsey]

Linc, on Nov 2 2009, 15:13 , said:

There is a six-year Active Duty Service Obligation (ADSO) incurred by your appointment to WO1. However, you incur a new six-year ADSO when you graduate WOBC and pin on your wings. ADSOs are concurrent, not compounding. That means that if you have a previously unfulfilled ADSO, the new ADSO starts right now and runs at the same time instead of waiting to begin until the previous ADSO is complete. So, the delay in training just delays your ability to start the new six-year ADSO.

Rank promotions to CW3, CW4, and CW5 will incur a two-year ADSO

The following courses incur a one-year ADSO:
Instructor Pilot
Instrument Examiner
Aviation Safety Officer
Tactical Operations Officer
Maintenance Test Pilot
ASE/EW
Armament

Additionally, PCS to an OCONUS location incurs an ADSO equal to the minimum overseas tour for that location, and PCS from CONUS to CONUS locations incurs a one-year ADSO.

They covered this in WOCS a while back for me, so I'm surprised some WO1s believe otherwise. Perhaps they aren't teaching it anymore, which would explain some things.

AR 350-100, Chapter 2, para 2-7, pp. 3-4 for reference.

Whoa, thank you! Very detailed.

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Additionally, PCS to an OCONUS location incurs an ADSO equal to the minimum overseas tour for that location, and PCS from CONUS to CONUS locations incurs a one-year ADSO.

Apologies, but I'm rather unclear on this - does it mean that if you PCS to say, Germany, you must serve an additional year on top of the 6? Accordingly, if you PCS midway through your 6-year term, from one CONUS base to another, you also incur another year?

Thank you Linc.

[Linc]

That means that if you PCS to Germany and you had one year of ADSO remaining, you now have up to three years of ADSO remaining.

[Linc]

If you PCS with at least a year or more left on your ADSO from one CONUS location to another CONUS location, you don't incur an additional year of ADSO. Remember, they run concurrently, they don't compound or add on to the end. For a quick rule of thumb, you can look at it as whenever an ADSO rule is invoked, you get the longer of the two ADSOs; either the current ADSO you are already serving, or the newer ADSO. In your CONUS-to-CONUS PCS scenario, if you had six months left on an ADSO, you now have a year-long ADSO.

Almost as important is to note what the ADSO means. Basically, it means that you cannot project an ETS date earlier than the end of the ADSO. If the Army gives you a school, they will get their time from you.

[Lindsey]

Linc, on Nov 2 2009, 20:20 , said:

If you PCS with at least a year or more left on your ADSO from one CONUS location to another CONUS location, you don't incur an additional year of ADSO. Remember, they run concurrently, they don't compound or add on to the end. For a quick rule of thumb, you can look at it as whenever an ADSO rule is invoked, you get the longer of the two ADSOs; either the current ADSO you are already serving, or the newer ADSO. In your CONUS-to-CONUS PCS scenario, if you had six months left on an ADSO, you now have a year-long ADSO.

Almost as important is to note what the ADSO means. Basically, it means that you cannot project an ETS date earlier than the end of the ADSO. If the Army gives you a school, they will get their time from you.

Understood, thanks for the clarification!

[tyler111005]

How was everyones experience in army training or flight school? Do you have free time for kids and significant others or are you basically on your own and hoping they stick around? Thanks

[IWannaFly]

tyler111005, on Nov 9 2009, 00:58 , said:

How was everyones experience in army training or flight school? Do you have free time for kids and significant others or are you basically on your own and hoping they stick around? Thanks

Well, it's kind of up to you. It all depends on how much you want to study. I make at least an hour a day to spend with my wife. The rest of the time I'm pretty much studying. I don't study Friday night or Saturday either. Sunday, it's back on. That's just me though. It's different for everyone.

Blake