Life as an Army Helicopter Pilot

[dnall]

If you have a collge degree, there are other options beside Army WO. The Navy has AOCS, which guarantees you an aviation spot and a commission as an Ensign once you finish AOCS. It may be slightly harder to get into, but allows you to skip the enlisted time prior to AOCS.

 

That's going to be active duty for the most part. Which if you want to do that, more power to you. Check out the airwarrior forum if you're interested in that. Personally, the age issue is what put me in the Army versus fixed wing in another branch, but I'm happy with how it worked out.

 

As far as the enlisted time... there is none if you go active duty WOFT, well other than the couple months of basic before you start WOCS. For the guard option, you do have to complete both basic & AIT, then come back to the unit enlisted before you can drop your packet, but you can be at Rucker 6-8mos later in a lot of cases if you're on top of it. You can do a wknd per mo for that long at least.

[USMC98]

I appreciate the topic started and the posts that have been made so far, I also have a few questions myself. First, I am prior service with the USMC reserve, have been out for the last 2 1/2 years, but would like to go into the army's helicopter program. If I submitted a complete packet for review would they still look at me as a civilian or someone with time in grade and deployments under their belt? Second, besides the deployments every couple of years how is the day to day life on base, as far as time with the family goes? Third, would I have to enlist first and then apply or could I apply first and then enlist or which one migh be better? Thanks

[dnall]

Active duty you can put in a packet as a civilian (take a year or two) and go straight to WOFT. Guard or Res you need to enlist, then put in a packet (takes 6-12mos, much more likely to pick up, and can still apply for the active duty program if you want).

 

You will compete against civilians (cause you are one), but all your prior service experience will be considered in your favor.

 

Deployments are not constant, not even for the busiest of active duty units. And, at this point things are winding down in Iraq. So, after two years of flight training... yeah, I'd expect to catch one deployment somewhere, but I wouldn't expect the constant optempo we've been seeing.

[Cole]

DNALL, Would love to pick your mind, sent you a PM. Hopefully you all still get on here, i realize this post is almost 2 years old.

 

Thanks!

[Black Sheep 13]

Black Hawk instructor pilot, former Huey pilot, starting in 1988, left 1997. I was in the 82nd Airborne during a time when we had a LOT of turnover, a lot of junior instructor pilots, W2 and junior W3. We should not have tried all the stupid stuff we did, like Oh, staff weenies not current in NVGs, let's just have them fly multiship over water UNAIDED on the stinking East Coast where it's cloudy and foggy, so we can practice our inadvertent IMC breakup procedures. So, yeah. Let me tell you what I know.