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Coast Guard advice


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I'm looking for advice, so post a reply, PM me, send me a pigeon...

 

I'm 24 and nearly finished with my initial CFI, planning to go for my CFII after. I have a bachelors, but it's a soft degree (fine arts). The reason I started flying in the first place was that I wanted to join the military, Coast Guard being my first choice. The fall OCS board didn't happen this year, so while waiting on the February board deadline, I decided to continue my flight training. So now I'm nearly a CFI (check ride this next weekend, all fingers crossed), and I'm weighing my options. I'd like to speak to an actual CG pilot or two (my recruiter's great, but he's not a pilot); what's been your experience? Is it worth the 10-12 yr commitment? I have 185 hours in the R-22 and 300CBi, and my recruiter thinks I have a good chance at getting into flight school despite the BFA, but might I still wash out? And then of course I may finish OCS and not get flight school at all...provided I get into OCS in the first place. Should I just get a CFI job and stay a civilian, or is the CG worth jumping through all the hoops? I mean, I've read the brochures, and of course they make it sound like everything I could want, but I want to hear it from the pilots themselves.

 

If anyone wants to answer these questions specifically, please please do. But I'd like to hear personal experience stories, related or not.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I used to fly in the Navy but I do know many Coast Guard aviators. I'm going to take your points one by one.

 

1. Only you can determine if it's worth your time. I've yet to hear a CG pilot say that their experience wasn't worth it but again its a very personal decision. The type of degree you have does not matter. What does matter is your scores on the Flight Aptitiude Test (I forget the actual name) and your performance at OCS. Also I think that most Coast Guard pilots don't go to flight school after OCS. They spend 12-18 months at either a shore or ship command first so the recommendation of your Commanding Officer will also be important.

 

2. All Coast Guard, Navy, and Marine Corps pilots begin training at Naval Air Station Pensacola. During ground school you'll have academic courses in aerodynamics, flight physiology, aircraft performance, and aviation regulation. You'll get your swim qualification and go through the dunker and drown proofing. You'll also run the obstacle course a number of times and do general conditioning and strentgh building exercises.

 

After you finish ground school you'll go to either NAS Whiting Field in Milton FL or NAS Corpus Christi in Texas for primary flight training which consists of approximately 60 hrs in the T-34C or T-6 Texan II (I'm not sue if they switched over yet). So if its possible get a few hours of fixed wing time also. After you finish primary you'll go to intermediate which is more fixed wing X/C training and then off to Advanced Helicopter Training which is only located at NAS Whiting Field. This will be the first time you touch a helicopter in the entire process. The Navy uses the TH-57 to train helicopter pilots. Flight training should take about a year to complete once you start.

 

 

Hopefully I answered some of your questions. If you have any more just e-mail me.

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  • 2 months later...

I'm a prior Army commissioned pilot in the CG. I've obviously not been to CG OCS, but there are several pilots here that have been. According to them, there are 5-7 flight school slots in every class (numbers vary from class to class), which is also how they got into flight school...direct from OCS. That said, just because you don't go direct to flight training does not mean you'll never get your chance. You'll either go "afloat" or "ops ashore", then you can reapply.

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It sounds like you are off to a good start no matter which direction you decide to take. The degree doesn't matter too much for the Coast Guard. If have sat on multiple OCS boards and our main concern was that you did well in school and would be a good leader. I understand your desire to get the real scoop instead of the recruiters perspective so I will give it my best shot.

 

"Is it worth the 10-12 yr commitment?" Only you can answer that but I will tell you that it is rare to hear a CG helicopter pilot counting down the days until his commitment is up. Most are trying to ensure they do the right things to stay around for twenty or thirty years. Compared to when I was in the Army and just about everyone knew the exact date their commitment ended and you knew it too as it was brought up all the time.

 

"...but might I still wash out?" I guess anything is possible but you have a step up on the basics and if you keep your nose in the books you will do just fine.

 

"And then of course I may finish OCS and not get flight school at all...provided I get into OCS in the first place." You are right, that is a possibility. However, if you perform well in OCS, and do well in your aviation testing (you are a CFII so that shouldn't be too hard) you will be very competitive for a slot. If you don't get flight school right off the bat, you will have multiple opportunities to try again. Also if you never get flight school, the other jobs are not that bad.

 

"Should I just get a CFI job and stay a civilian, or is the CG worth jumping through all the hoops?" You are the only one who can answer that question. I love CG aviation but would never presume to tell someone which direction they need to go in their life.

 

Good luck in whatever you choose.

Edited by dolphindriver
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