Jump to content

WOFT(Best Path and Other Questions)


Recommended Posts

Hello my name is Austin,

 

I am currently trying to fill out my packet for WOFT and I have a couple of questions for people in the flight community. Ultimately, my end goal is to be an army aviator and I know there are many paths to take when pursuing this. I know Street to Seat is one way, OCS is another and then there is WOCs for enlisted. I have heard pros and cons of going each way and I was curious as to what you all think is the best.

 

My recruiter keeps telling me to go in as an Enlisted then apply for WOCs once I have some experience under my belt. My only fear with this being that I am not guaranteed a chance at Flight this way. I currently have 200 plus hours in Fixed Wing aircraft as well as an associates degree with a 3.6 GPA. I am going to finish my bachelors right now in Economics. I am 21 years old with a waiver for ADHD medicine I took only when I was 9.

 

I was also wondering what the best way was to obtain LOR from current WO. Any help is much appreciated. This is something I have always wanted to do and I am happy that the ball is finally rolling on it.

 

Thank you,

 

-Austin

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

In my own personal opinion. If you want to be an Army aviator do the WOFT program, apply as a civilian. You can always enlist later if you don't get picked up. But long story short if you know what you want to do, take the most direct path and make sure when you sign the contract its clear what you're signing up to do.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My recruiter keeps telling me to go in as an Enlisted then apply for WOCs once I have some experience under my belt.

 

I was also wondering what the best way was to obtain LOR from current WO. Any help is much appreciated. This is something I have always wanted to do and I am happy that the ball is finally rolling on it.

Seems every recruiter is going to tell you that. They are trying to meet their recruitment quotas as fast as possible, not interested in spending months and months putting together a WOFT packet. You could have 1000 flight hours, 2 licenses, and have personally invented the helicopter, and a recruiter will tell you, "there's no way you are getting in, I'm telling you, it's COMPETATIVE. But you enlist next week and drop your packet, you will get it in no time. I guarantee it!"

 

In reality nearly every who applies from the civilian side gets in.

 

As for LOR from pilots, start buy calling up any army bases nearby and ask if they can put you in touch with any of their pilots.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Austin, I am currently going through the WOFT process (street to seat). I just passed the second part of my flight physical today actually at Ft. Gordon in GA. I initially had a terrible recruiter but then through my wife who is in the reserves I was able to talk to a career counselor . Through the councilor I was able to get in touch with a recruiter that sends alot of Civilians through the WOFT process. If you would like some help and to talk to this recruiter let me know. I also have another one of my recruiters that just left aviation and got selected for Warrant school for aviation maintenance he is going to help me with my letters. Maybe you can garner some assistance through him as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Check out the sticky, it will probably answer most of your questions.

 

http://helicopterforum.verticalreference.com/topic/13468-warrant-officer-flight-training/

 

I would recommend trying street to seat first. You have nothing to lose that way. Get all of your stuff together, apply with the best numbers that you can (GT, SIFT, APFT, etc.) If you don't get selected (you get 2 looks), then decide what you want to do. You can improve your scores and yourself and reapply after the waiting period, or try something else.

 

Decide if you really want to do anything else except for fly. For me, I wanted to fly and be a warrant officer. I did not want to enlist and I did not want to be a commissioned officer. So street to seat was the only route that I would have taken. Had I not gotten picked up, I probably wouldn't have taken either other route.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

In reality nearly every who applies from the civilian side gets in.

 

That was an isolated board event, you won't see it repeated in 2017.
May 2015 - 88.5% civilian selection

September 2015 - 100% civilian selection

November 2015 - 86% civilian selection

January 2016 - 100% civilian selection

March 2016 - 68% civilian selection

July 2016 - 98% civilian selection

 

If you take into consideration the guys who were not selected their first try, but picked up the next board, its like 99% civilian selection over the past year.

 

By no means am I saying its a given, or you should take it for granted. You could end up in a month with a low rate. But it's evidence you shouldn't listen to the naysayers who would have you believe it's impossible.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Where are you getting your stats? If they are from the actual lists that are sent out by DA, then I guess I can't argue. But if they are from looking at the people on this forum, they are severely skewed.

 

I would believe that the selection rate is fairly high for street to seat as compared to inter-service, but not near 100%. For one, it's not a well known process. There aren't a lot of civilians even looking into the option. Secondly, you have to be highly motivated to even apply because it takes a lot of legwork on your end to even get through the application process and deal with recruiters. Also, I think a lot of people that do apply, or want to apply, get weeded out; either by the recruiter, the physical, or the BN board before they even have a chance to make it to the board.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not sure I would use a web forum populated by folks trying to get to the same place you are, as a suitable substitute for first hand board statistics. They are are rarely released, and are usually used for end of the fiscal year trend analysis. Anything else you hear is generally tribal lore, or percentages based on skewed numbers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not sure I would use a web forum populated by folks trying to get to the same place you are, as a suitable substitute for first hand board statistics. They are are rarely released, and are usually used for end of the fiscal year trend analysis. Anything else you hear is generally tribal lore, or percentages based on skewed numbers.

Aren't the lists released right after every board? I don't think I would have any reason to believe the numbers reported by multiple people on the site would be fraudulent. I have seen one of the lists myself, when my recruiter showed it to me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...