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Is it possible to switch from Army WO to AF fixed wing?


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Ok so just a quick question, is it possible to go from an aviation WO to flying fixed wing in the Air Force? I would have a 4 year degree; the reason I'm asking is because I've always wanted to fly fixed wing but i know AF OTS basically never has any pilot slots available so i was wondering if this could be almost a back way in? Thanks for the answers

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Ok so just a quick question, is it possible to go from an aviation WO to flying fixed wing in the Air Force? I would have a 4 year degree; the reason I'm asking is because I've always wanted to fly fixed wing but i know AF OTS basically never has any pilot slots available so i was wondering if this could be almost a back way in? Thanks for the answers

 

Try the Coast Guard, Navy, or the Marines. It doesn't make sense to go to an almost exclusively-helicopter service if you want only to fly airplanes. Is that your only reason for considering Army Aviation?

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Also I'd say if your ultimate goal is to fly for a different service then your energy would be better spend trying to get selected for that service. Pilot slots are competitive no matter the service. If you want to be an Air Force pilot, then be an Air Force pilot.

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I've always wanted to fly fixed wing, but I never did ROTC in college for either the AF or Navy. So now im almost done with school and i feel like the only way i can fly is if i go with the Army and do the WO program (for helos). I know you can do Marine/Navy OCS or AF OTS but they don't really offer many pilots slots, especially with the sequester. So i was just wondering if anyone had gotten that flight experience from the army and then a few years later tried to get into the Air Forces flight program.

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I've always wanted to fly fixed wing, but I never did ROTC in college for either the AF or Navy. So now im almost done with school and i feel like the only way i can fly is if i go with the Army and do the WO program (for helos). I know you can do Marine/Navy OCS or AF OTS but they don't really offer many pilots slots, especially with the sequester. So i was just wondering if anyone had gotten that flight experience from the army and then a few years later tried to get into the Air Forces flight program.

 

Not to be harsh, but then what are you planning on writing for your "Why I want to be an Army Aviator" essay? What are you planning on telling your Battalion Board? It seems like you think the WOFT program is a slam dunk and let me tell you - it is not. There are plenty of people fighting to get into this program because they want to fly for the Army. Those are the people you will be trying to take a slot from. My opinion is screw the odds - if you want to fly airplanes, apply for a service that flies them. If you don't get selected, then you can look at your alternatives (Army). But don't go for this option just because it's "easier."

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Not to be harsh, but then what are you planning on writing for your "Why I want to be an Army Aviator" essay? What are you planning on telling your Battalion Board? It seems like you think the WOFT program is a slam dunk and let me tell you - it is not. There are plenty of people fighting to get into this program because they want to fly for the Army. Those are the people you will be trying to take a slot from. My opinion is screw the odds - if you want to fly airplanes, apply for a service that flies them. If you don't get selected, then you can look at your alternatives (Army). But don't go for this option just because it's "easier."

In no way do i think that getting selected will be easy, but it will be easier than say getting selected to fly in the AF. This isn't a knock on the Army it's just a numbers game, the Army has thousand of more pilots than the AF. For me serving my country is the number one overall thing i want to do, but if i can land my dream job by doing it why wouldn't i look at every possible way to make it happen?

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For me serving my country is the number one overall thing i want to do, but if i can land my dream job by doing it why wouldn't i look at every possible way to make it happen?

 

I'll answer your question.

 

It does not seem that serving your country is the number one overall thing. I'm not knocking you for that reason - everybody has their own motivations - but let's be honest.

 

Why wouldn't you look at every possible way? Mainly because the way you would be going about doing it would be by lying. Many people on this board, and especially current warrant officers like myself, are very serious about integrity.

 

You will be asked many times in the process, from your essay to interviews and boards, why you want to become a warrant officer. If your answer is because your "dream job" is to become an Air Force pilot and therefore "why wouldn't I look at every possible way to make it happen" you will not be selected, guaranteed. If you are selected it will be because you lied about your reason for joining. Omitting information is the same as lying.

 

While I do not have a problem with a current military pilot looking at other options should they find that they are better suited for something else, I have a serious problem with a wannabe trying to fly with me with an ulterior motive in mind. If you are not coming into this for the right reasons, please leave those spots for the people that are.

 

This is not college. It is not the minor leagues. It is not a commuter airline on your way to the big boys. To answer your original post, it is not a "back way in." You will be outed just as you already have been here.

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Going Army will have little to do with wanting to fly fixedwing. There is an inter service program but that is helo to helo, not helo to fixedwing. If you want fixedwing you'll have to get out and start from the beginning like everyone else. There is no "back" way in from the Army.

 

I've had friends go AF and CG from the Army but none to the Navy/Marines. Most went to ANG flying FW transports. Not sure if they applied to a particular ANG base or not. Not sure how much of AF flight school they had to do. Knew two guys who got out completely and applied to active AF and went through the whole thing from OTS. They now fly A-10s at Moody AFB. Known a bunch of guys who transferred CG but all are flying helos.

 

I agree with those above. If you have a degree then apply to the other branches with a contract for flight school. It's no different than those I described above. They all had flight school guaranteed in their contract. Don't go Army if you want FW all along. All you are is delaying the process.

 

Also where did you get your numbers that Army has thousands more pilots than AF? Never read that before.

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I kind of scrolled through this without reading all the replies. Consider Marine aviation. They have fixed wing aviation and contracts. You are guaranteed a slot in flight school if you finish OCS and TBS. Look into it, contact your local Marine OSO.

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