Intro and Thanks

I3uller · October 17, 2012

Hello everyone,

I have lurked pretty consistently on this forum and wanted to firstly say thank you to all the regular posters that continue to take time out of their days to help everyone interested in flying. I currently have about 6 months left of college and will be attacking the application process full heartedly around March of next year (due to a surgery) but wanted to get some input on stats and what the trends for acceptance are looking like.

Age: 25

APFT: 290

Prior Military: Yes, Honorable Discharged as a Cavalry Scout E-5, 82nd Airborne, with a 14 month deployment. Airborne Wings and CAB among other decorations (ACM, AAM etc.)

College: April 2013 B.S., cum laude, with 3.7 GPA

Flight Experience: Rotary PPL with ~80 TT, ~60 hours rotary, ~20 hours fixed wing experience. Was sent for checkride and passed at 40.5 hours...I've been told this is noteworthy?

GT: 117, AFAST/SIFT: TBD

Waivers Needed: None, current FAA Class 1 holder.

LORs:

Boss during internship at the White House
Initial flight instructor who is also a retired O-5(also head of the Southern California Airspace Comittee and former USAREC selection board member)
Program head at my school
Prior Platoon Leader during Iraq Deployment

Command CW-5 from the 160th

Other standout notes: Interned at the White House, skydiving instructor with 300 jumps, SCUBA certified, big wall climber, canyoneer, travel experience in ~20 countries, very outdoor/technical oriented.

I have heard that it will be harder and harder to get into the WOFT program in the coming months so I was hoping to get some insight on this from those involved with boards or anyone with some input. Thank you all again for everything you do and I look forward to learning everything I can here.

-Ryan

Lindsey · October 17, 2012

Helicopter PPL rating at 40.5 hours with no prior experience (i.e. fixed-wing) is indeed noteworthy. Would not hurt at all to put that on your resume.

Your stats look very good, as does your prior service accomplishments (awards, internships, etc). Have you done your Class 1A Army Flight Physical? I ask because a civilian FAA 1st class medical is not the same.

Lastly, I know this probably gets old, but--thank you for your service.

I3uller · October 17, 2012

Helicopter PPL rating at 40.5 hours with no prior experience (i.e. fixed-wing) is indeed noteworthy. Would not hurt at all to put that on your resume.

Your stats look very good, as does your prior service accomplishments (awards, internships, etc). Have you done your Class 1A Army Flight Physical? I ask because a civilian FAA 1st class medical is not the same.

Lastly, I know this probably gets old, but--thank you for your service.

Thank you for the quick response and your thanks! I have not done the Army Flight Physical yet but I don't foresee any issues arising. No color blindness, 20/20 vision, 6'2 170 pounds, no ailments etc. The only hiccup in medical is that I had a pretty severe accident on Jan 1. 2012 and had a rod and screws placed in my femur and some screws placed in my collar bone. Just had a surgery to take all of that out on Oct. 9th and will be recovering to 100 percent within a few weeks. I spoke to a recruiter and he said that he has put people through WOFT with metal still in them so he said it should be zero issue, just more of a process because of all the doctors that need to poke and prod me to make sure I'm fine. Because of the surgery I need to wait 6 months to do any processing (SIFT, Flight Physical, etc.). Frustrating that I can't start the wheels rolling until March but from my research and information from the recruiter I don't foresee it being any issue.

Lindsey · October 17, 2012

You can do the SIFT at any time (assuming it is available yet). You do not need your Flight Physical done before you do any academic testing (ASVAB, AFAST, SIFT). Not that you need to take it this instant, but just so you're aware.

Regarding metal, take a hack at AR 40-501 to see specifically if there might be any issues, particularly with the collarbone. You'll want to look at Chapter 4. Link below.

http://www.apd.army.mil/pdffiles/r40_501.pdf

I3uller · October 17, 2012

You can do the SIFT at any time (assuming it is available yet). You do not need your Flight Physical done before you do any academic testing (ASVAB, AFAST, SIFT). Not that you need to take it this instant, but just so you're aware.

Regarding metal, take a hack at AR 40-501 to see specifically if there might be any issues, particularly with the collarbone. You'll want to look at Chapter 4. Link below.

http://www.apd.army....les/r40_501.pdf

Looks like orthopaedic hardware is disqualifying until reviewed by USAAMA but I have since had all of my hardware removed so I don't think it will be any issue. I am a cyborg no more.

Lindsey · October 17, 2012

I am a cyborg no more.

That's unfortunate; I've always wanted to fly with a cyborg.

Jester2138 · October 17, 2012

You're who I'm competing with for selection? Yikes.

CushionCreep · October 17, 2012

That's unfortunate; I've always wanted to fly with a cyborg.

With the introduction of optionally piloted aircraft you may well have your chance.

av8rnik · October 17, 2012

l3uller, good luck with the application! As the recruiter said, the surgical history shouldn't be an issue especially since you are hardware free now. I dont know what information you will get asked for, but i had to get the surgical, both pre and post, records for when i had three small pins put in a finger back 14 years ago. You might get asked to supply the same information, for both the surgery to put the hardware in and to take it out, for your MEPS physical so it might not be a bad idea to go ahead and get copies of that stuff now to just be a step ahead in case they ask for it.

I3uller · October 17, 2012

l3uller, good luck with the application! As the recruiter said, the surgical history shouldn't be an issue especially since you are hardware free now. I dont know what information you will get asked for, but i had to get the surgical, both pre and post, records for when i had three small pins put in a finger back 14 years ago. You might get asked to supply the same information, for both the surgery to put the hardware in and to take it out, for your MEPS physical so it might not be a bad idea to go ahead and get copies of that stuff now to just be a step ahead in case they ask for it.

Very good to hear that you didn't have any problems with the surgeries. Thanks for the heads up on records, I have the initial surgical records (about 5 feet high in papers) and can get the recent removal surgery records easily. How long did it take you to go through their "poke and prod" process?

av8rnik · October 18, 2012

The doc didnt poke and prod me too much. He just looked at my finger and wanted to see how much extension i can get.

I had to get the paperwork reviewed before i was allowed to go for my MEPS physical. Not sure that you will run into the same hurdle, but if i remember right it took a couple weeks to get the okay to come in for my MEPS physical.

I3uller · April 10, 2013

I'm revisiting this thread to update it with my progress through the recruiter in hopes that someone with a similar situation as mine can learn from it. The first major hurdle that I've encountered shouldn't even be a hurdle at all but it is.

Due to my prior Army service I am still in the Inactive Ready Reserve until December of 2013 and because of this I apparently need to speak to a very specific person to continue with the process. Funny enough, if I was any other branch in IRR it would be a simple form and off I go, but due to my Army IRR it is a much more complicated process. I'm essentially waiting a week for the battalion 1st Sergeant to get in touch with the one person who can clear me to continue (but of course he's "unavailable" for another week). I called several other recruiting stations in different battalions and was told the same thing so it appears to be a real thing that began around 2008. Just a heads up for any prior service members, you're going to have to deal with this as well and the recruiters "can't touch" you until this issue has been cleared.

Second thing I've learned is that my local MEPS only does SIFT testing once a month, which thanks to the previous issue plus a med read I need to get done, I missed. However, the SIFT can be administered at colleges that have ROTC programs. I called around to a few and was very nice to the administers of the test and got myself scheduled a week from now as opposed to a month at MEPS. Certainly not a guarantee as it depends on the kindness of the test administer at the ROTC program, but well worth a few calls to local colleges if you have just missed the schedule at MEPS and are trying to save time.

I'll continue to update this thread with anything else that I run into and learn along the way in hopes of helping others with the issues they will run into. Also happy to answer any questions anyone has.