High School To Flight School

[BulletCart]

Bumping. I don't think you guys saw my question above one post. ^^

 

Thanks

[Lindsey]

I've got a final in about 45 minutes that I'm cramming for (aren't I a great student?), but I'll post my thoughts on the above when I'm done.

[BulletCart]

Oh yes, at all means stop reading this and go tell that final who's boss!

 

Good Luck!

[zVo]

UPDATE:

 

Hey everyone,

 

I wanted to post a question that I have which will probably be the most important one I'll ask for two years. Its more that I want your opinion and advice:

 

Board Questions Me:

Why should we accept you before college and why shouldn't you go to college before applying.

 

My answer:

As helpful as college may be in ones life; it is not helpful to me in the sense of getting this position. I am confident that I can learn material in college. I am also sure that I can learn material in flight school without college. I am a smart student and am 100% positive that this is my future. I want to serve my country and do not need college to do that. I DO plan on going to college in the future but know that the country comes before my education.

 

Well, my wording sucks but hopefully you get the gist of it.

 

While it's a good idea to have an idea of what you're going to say, don't memorize 'canned' responses. I got 25/25's on the board I sat at and all I did was be myself; they want to get a chance at knowing you on a personal level. Personality and confidence (note: not cockiness) are going to be more heavily weighted than having "the right answer." Obviously you want to say the right thing, but don't get all hung up on the wording. Just be yourself.

 

They're going to tell from your background that you're obviously a very academically strong applicant. The gist of what you're trying to communicate is good, but refrain from telling what them what they already know. Show them a side that doesn't come across in the packet... they know you're smart, they'll know your PT, AFAST, ASVAB scores, etc.

Edited December 16, 2009 by zVo

[Lindsey]

While it's a good idea to have an idea of what you're going to say, don't memorize 'canned' responses. I got 25/25's on the board I sat at and all I did was be myself; they want to get a chance at knowing you on a personal level. Personality and confidence (note: not cockiness) are going to be more heavily weighted than having "the right answer." Obviously you want to say the right thing, but don't get all hung up on the wording. Just be yourself.

 

They're going to tell from your background that you're obviously a very academically strong applicant. The gist of what you're trying to communicate is good, but refrain from telling what them what they already know. Show them a side that doesn't come across in the packet... they know you're smart, they'll know your PT, AFAST, ASVAB scores, etc.

 

Now THAT is some damn good advice, and worded much more clearly than I would have done in my finals haze. I would make a list of questions they would ask you and one or two word responses you would need to remember. For example, if you think it likely they'll ask you about your weakness, don't write down a whole paragraph, just put the weakness down (i.e. procrastinator) - that way when it comes time to do the board interview you'll have prepared enough to answer to the question without panicking because you didn't prep, but your answer will also come off as more relaxed and spontaneous than stating a pre-written, memorized answer. Does that make sense?

[BulletCart]

Yes it makes sense. Because if you remember just a portion or example of an answer to a question they ask you then what will flow out of you will be the truth and not what you have been practicing for three months. I am assuming that these guys are going to be pretty friendly and that will help me a lot. I feel a lot more comfortable with people that are with me and not against me. But yes I understand and that helped a lot both zVo and Lindsey. These guys are local or am I going to have to travel out of state to do this interview. Anyways thanks, and I am sure you did well on your finals Lindsey.

 

Ill report back later.

 

So anxious to get packet.

1.95yrs left!

[Lindsey]

Yes it makes sense. Because if you remember just a portion or example of an answer to a question they ask you then what will flow out of you will be the truth and not what you have been practicing for three months. I am assuming that these guys are going to be pretty friendly and that will help me a lot. I feel a lot more comfortable with people that are with me and not against me. But yes I understand and that helped a lot both zVo and Lindsey. These guys are local or am I going to have to travel out of state to do this interview. Anyways thanks, and I am sure you did well on your finals Lindsey.

 

Ill report back later.

 

So anxious to get packet.

1.95yrs left!

 

 

Not a problem, I love helping. The interview you will do is at the Battalion level, which is typically state, though I'm not entirely familiar. You may have to travel a distance within your state, though. I'm lucky - mine is like 20 minutes away.

 

I don't know if I've said it yet, but if I did I'll say it again: your persistence, maturity, and dedication at such an early stage says a LOT about your chances, and as long as you keep it up, you'll get in for sure. Maybe not the first, second, or third time, but life is about perseverance. I admire you for knowing so clearly what you want to do at age 16, and ACTING on it. I knew, but I ignored it and listened to others who told me that I shouldn't do it. As a result, I am applying at the age of 20, instead of 18. Not a big deal, but I wish I would have done it sooner. Oh well, life isn't about "woulda, shoulda, coulda!"

 

Soak up knowledge from those around you (mature peers, mentors, teachers, etc.), learn as much as you can, keep your eyes on the prize, and stay out of trouble. You've got a very bright future, keep it up buddy.

[BulletCart]

Thanks Lindsey that means a lot to me. That is my main focus, what you said. Doing well in school, staying out of trouble, etc. Do I expect to make it the first time? It would be nice, but I am setting my eyes on the second or third time. From what I have read on here if you are persistent you are guaranteed for the most part. I am not really thinking about that though at the moment because it can be somewhat discouraging.

 

Another question popped into my head.

From what I have read you go to the battalion board and have a casual interview for about 30min. Next they give you thumbs up or thumbs down. 0-25pts. I don't know how many are on the board, that probably varies. Anyways, if you get good to go they send your packet to a national board who review it with NO interview? They just look over your things and comments from board? So if you are ok'ed by the local board and then sent to the national you can still be "kicked". If national says no then do you have to go through the local board again or do you continue again and again through national before you get it. If you get lets say 25/25 from every guy are you basically guaranteed to get in by national?

[Lindsey]

Thanks Lindsey that means a lot to me. That is my main focus, what you said. Doing well in school, staying out of trouble, etc. Do I expect to make it the first time? It would be nice, but I am setting my eyes on the second or third time. From what I have read on here if you are persistent you are guaranteed for the most part. I am not really thinking about that though at the moment because it can be somewhat discouraging.

 

Another question popped into my head.

From what I have read you go to the battalion board and have a casual interview for about 30min. Next they give you thumbs up or thumbs down. 0-25pts. I don't know how many are on the board, that probably varies. Anyways, if you get good to go they send your packet to a national board who review it with NO interview? They just look over your things and comments from board? So if you are ok'ed by the local board and then sent to the national you can still be "kicked". If national says no then do you have to go through the local board again or do you continue again and again through national before you get it. If you get lets say 25/25 from every guy are you basically guaranteed to get in by national?

 

So, like you said, you go to the "local" Battalion board for your interview, where they "rate" you out of 25 points. They then send that score and your packet to National (can't remember where...) and it is THEM who approves/rejects you. It is entirely possible to get great scores from the local board and rejected by national - akscott said he got 25/25, and was rejected, and he's not the only one. I've heard of this happening many times. National does not interview you. They look at the comments/score from the battalion board and your packet as a whole. Who knows what they base their decision on, haha.

 

If you are rejected the first month you apply, your packet AUTOMATICALLY gets looked at again by national the next month, assuming you did your packet correctly. No additional interview. If you are again rejected, you must wait 6 months to reapply, and then I ASSUME (I do not know, if someone who does know could clarify, that would be great) you have to do the local interview over again, and then national looks at it, etc. etc. Since your packet is already complete, I don't think you have to do anything over again, except maybe get your Letters of Recommendation re-dated since they have to be fairly recent (I think 12 months). If this happens, use that 6 month wait to better your packet - take some college courses, more flight lessons, whatever. Don't just sit on your butt moping around because you got rejected. Not at all saying you would, but I'm sure some people do, haha.

 

Again, like I always say, take my advice/knowledge of the process with a grain of salt.

[BulletCart]

Thanks Lindsey for clearing that up.

 

UPDATE:

Been quite busy this week. I have a job at the local mall and my manager has me working six days in a row. Cleaning up the house as when my father gets back from Afghanistan we are moving. It will be nice since where we are moving there will be a flight school 25-30min from the area. I am pretty sure its the only flight school in NC. -in Concord NC (correct me if I am wrong). The next week or so I will not be on to update because I will be going up north the see family. Happy holidays-

[BulletCart]

UPDATE:

 

Back from my trip. !!

I received:

"The ASVAB" -Laura Stradley and Robin Kavanagh.

Military Flight Aptitude Tests 7th edition(petersons)

 

and a book outlining the purposes of all the different helicopters in all branches

 

thats all the things that pertain to helos.

I made my first contact recently, helo pilot in Afghanistan.

 

Will be contacting some people soon for volunteering.

 

Got my drivers license!

 

That is all for now.

[Lindsey]

UPDATE:

 

Back from my trip. !!

I received:

"The ASVAB" -Laura Stradley and Robin Kavanagh.

Military Flight Aptitude Tests 7th edition(petersons)

 

and a book outlining the purposes of all the different helicopters in all branches

 

thats all the things that pertain to helos.

I made my first contact recently, helo pilot in Afghanistan.

 

Will be contacting some people soon for volunteering.

 

Got my drivers license!

 

That is all for now.

 

Awesome!!! Good on ya for moving forward so swiftly!!

 

Congrats on the license. Don't go do stupid sh*t with it.

[BulletCart]

UPDATE:

 

Had a course changing email today. Had a contact with a pilot in Afghanistan who is currently a CW4. He gave me his input and enlightened me on my course of action.

 

"Okay, the truth as I know it. Not sure where you got statistical info on age but I will tell you that it is very difficult to get in right out of HS. There are VERY few pilots under the age of 20 roaming around in the Army. Not impossible but extremely difficult."

 

"Ground school isn't a bad idea but actual flight training in helicopters is expensive. Not sure it will help you as much as you think."

 

"I do recommend college if you don't go the enlisted route just to plus up your opportunity to get selected."

 

 

Ok, so after this email I have been lit up with ideas. My current proposal is to continue doing what I am doing and going for the board right when I am 18. Everything I have been planning on doing minus the flight hours. (not including ground school).. It won't hurt to hit the board once. You never know, I may be just the right guy at the right time. Movnig on..considering I don't get accepted.. I could enlist and serve for a couple years which would get me a good feel for the Army. Not going to talk about MOS, but just generally enlisting in able to further down the line have a better chance. So I'd say 3-5 years, Id be 21-23 and could then apply for flight school. My chances are now much better and I have had much more time to prepare. That is all. Comment.

[Lindsey]

UPDATE:

 

Had a course changing email today. Had a contact with a pilot in Afghanistan who is currently a CW4. He gave me his input and enlightened me on my course of action.

 

"Okay, the truth as I know it. Not sure where you got statistical info on age but I will tell you that it is very difficult to get in right out of HS. There are VERY few pilots under the age of 20 roaming around in the Army. Not impossible but extremely difficult."

 

"Ground school isn't a bad idea but actual flight training in helicopters is expensive. Not sure it will help you as much as you think."

 

"I do recommend college if you don't go the enlisted route just to plus up your opportunity to get selected."

 

 

Ok, so after this email I have been lit up with ideas. My current proposal is to continue doing what I am doing and going for the board right when I am 18. Everything I have been planning on doing minus the flight hours. (not including ground school).. It won't hurt to hit the board once. You never know, I may be just the right guy at the right time. Movnig on..considering I don't get accepted.. I could enlist and serve for a couple years which would get me a good feel for the Army. Not going to talk about MOS, but just generally enlisting in able to further down the line have a better chance. So I'd say 3-5 years, Id be 21-23 and could then apply for flight school. My chances are now much better and I have had much more time to prepare. That is all. Comment.

 

I would say that is a very fine plan of action, and would also recommend that if you aren't picked up, and enlist, to knock out as much college as possible when you're in. You'll be a stronger candidate, and the Army will pay for it, so why not?

[speshul]

Have you considered ROTC and finishing college with a degree? Basically going through ROTC you have to get a good PT score, score well on LDAC, and get around a 3.7 to be selected out of ROTC. Right now I am just going to state school as a history major. History is an easier degree so I get better grades, PT is easy to work on because I have 3 years to get a 300. LDAC is a competition you go to at the end of your junior year where you get evaluated on your leadership abilities. You would know 3 years after you graduate from high school if your MOS is aviation or not. Also if I am not mistaken you could still apply for flight school if you don't get your MOS and you would have a college degree to back you up. If money is an issue the scholarship you can receive is a very valuable option and there are some other ways to pay the rest of the bills. I would suggest looking into that. I don't know how much of my information is correct since i have only been in the program for a semester so if anybody wants to correct me I am all ears.

[BulletCart]

Have you considered ROTC and finishing college with a degree? Basically going through ROTC you have to get a good PT score, score well on LDAC, and get around a 3.7 to be selected out of ROTC. Right now I am just going to state school as a history major. History is an easier degree so I get better grades, PT is easy to work on because I have 3 years to get a 300. LDAC is a competition you go to at the end of your junior year where you get evaluated on your leadership abilities. You would know 3 years after you graduate from high school if your MOS is aviation or not. Also if I am not mistaken you could still apply for flight school if you don't get your MOS and you would have a college degree to back you up. If money is an issue the scholarship you can receive is a very valuable option and there are some other ways to pay the rest of the bills. I would suggest looking into that. I don't know how much of my information is correct since i have only been in the program for a semester so if anybody wants to correct me I am all ears.

 

Speshul,

 

Many people pose the question of college and why I plan not to attend. I plan to get a degree in computer engineering. Technology is rapidly advancing; going to school, (flight career here), then getting out for a job in the computer engineering business would make my college experience useless since so much will have changed since then.

 

Instead, I plan to get steady in a flight position, and then when I have time go to school, get a degree and get out.

 

Of course there are always different perspectives.

 

Maybe my mind will change, but I am in highschool, and college sounds like a pain.

[speshul]

I guess the way I see it is a little different. I see flying helicopters as a job instead of as a degree or schooling. A college degree, to me, seems to show commitment to the Army telling them that you were willing to get an education to get ahead of everyone else. I personally don't look at getting a degree to get out of a flying job to work for a company. When you go into aviation in the Army it is a big commitment because of how much flight school costs for them to train you. Just remember that you most likely will not have the opportunity to do the bare minimum and move on into a civilian job. They will keep you as long as they can. I currently know a CW4 who is in Korea serving his 22nd year now. He was telling me he was trying to retire but just got offered a promotion and has been thinking about it for the last year. He was telling me that helicopter flight has something appealing to it that is hard to get yourself out of it and doing something else. To me I can't imagine doing computer engineering if I can climb into a cockpit of an extremely expensive machine. But to each their own I don't know how you look at college but I feel like it is almost necessary now a days.

[BulletCart]

I guess the way I see it is a little different. I see flying helicopters as a job instead of as a degree or schooling. A college degree, to me, seems to show commitment to the Army telling them that you were willing to get an education to get ahead of everyone else. I personally don't look at getting a degree to get out of a flying job to work for a company. When you go into aviation in the Army it is a big commitment because of how much flight school costs for them to train you. Just remember that you most likely will not have the opportunity to do the bare minimum and move on into a civilian job. They will keep you as long as they can. I currently know a CW4 who is in Korea serving his 22nd year now. He was telling me he was trying to retire but just got offered a promotion and has been thinking about it for the last year. He was telling me that helicopter flight has something appealing to it that is hard to get yourself out of it and doing something else. To me I can't imagine doing computer engineering if I can climb into a cockpit of an extremely expensive machine. But to each their own I don't know how you look at college but I feel like it is almost necessary now a days.

 

I totally agree that college is a necessary commitment if you want to be successful in today's job market. Saying that, the college I would be taking would not be for the Army. It would be for further down the line when I get out. In no way am I saying that I am using the military as a step to jump up into a comp engineering spot. Flying helos is something I have wanted to do for a long time as well plus doing some computer engineering work. Totally committed to getting in and will do whatever it takes to get in. Fortunately for everyone there are many routes available, one being to enlist and then apply which fits my aspirations.

 

So yeah. Flying wouldn't be a job for me, more like a dream come true. And I agree, with it being a multi million dollar aircraft the only ones that should be allowed to fly are people that are committed, responsible, and loyal.

[BulletCart]

UPDATE:

 

School related....

 

Finish my first semester tomorrow.

Exam grades:

Spanish: 86 (not great, but good for me in a foreign language)

Discrete math hnrs: 93

Chemistry hnrs: 95

Engineering 2: 100

 

Overall, not bad. Could have done better in Spanish if I studied. Wasn't worried about it, since I have had all A's in that class all year.

 

Army related,

nothing new really. Working out. Will start up my 4day running schedule on Feb1st. Drinking a lot of protein. I need to dig into these books I have for the ASVAB. Have been busy lately getting the house ready for selling.

 

something I learned in math..

 

TEN HED 2row picket-fence code. Figure it.