Posted on Oct 17, 2018
Christian Bowers
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As I near the completion of my undergraduate degree in engineering, I'm beginning to look at future career opportunities more objectively and, charting my course, so to speak, on where I would like to go in life. I have always wanted to be a pilot rather than an engineer, and I have been exploring the Flight Training programs of all branches. While I am contemplating a commission in one of several branches for a pilot billet, I have also known about WOFT for a while as an alternative to commissioning (for instance, more of an opportunity to fly throughout your career vs. Commissioned pilots). From those of you whom are Army Aviators or know a lot about the WOFT Program, what are some pros and cons of the program and/or flying for the Army? In addition, I will also need several waivers for previous conditions already established through DoDINST 6130.03 as waiverable, will this greatly impact my chances of selection in any way? Also, what does the WOFT/WOCS board look for in addition to any scholastic achievements? Some of my qualifications include:
93 AFQT Score
60 College Credits (3.00+ GPA)
Dean's List
Over 750 Hours augmenting the US Coast Guard's Missions through the USCG Auxiliary
LORs: USCG Sector Command Master Chief, Several Previous Engineering Internship Supervisors, Several Professors
Edited >1 y ago
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Responses: 3
CW2 Pilot
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Unless you just love helicopter go to the Air Force they are much better to their people and a lot more organized.
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MAJ Raymond Haynes
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Different services and ranks all produce different results. As a Army WO you can plan on flying rotary wing platforms. There are some fixed wing positions available, but they are rare. As a WO your primary job will be to fly, the Warrant Officer is the technical expert in aviation. Army commissioned officers usually deal with the units administration tasks. If you go Marine Corps, you will be a Commissioned Officer and have about an 80% chance of rotary wing also. The transition to a fixed wing position is much greater than the Army, and is not all that unusual. The Navy's split between rotary and fixed wing is a little more even with rotary having an edge. Once again, transition from rotary to fixed is not that unusual. Admission to the Naval Flight School, which trains both Navy and Marine Aviators is highly competitive, and I heard that you are required to have a certain amount of private pilot time for consideration. Be aware that if you go Marine Aviation after 10 weeks of OCS you must complete 6 months of TBS before you will ever see Pensacola. The Naval Flight School upon completion of primary training sends you down three different tracks Strike(Jets), Maritime (P-3, C-130) and rotary wing. The selection process is based solely on flight grades. I am not quite sure how the Army WO program handles the A/C selection process, but flight grades are always a huge factor in any type of selection process. The selection process for the Army WO aviation program is also very competitive, however, the Army places more value on how squared-away the solder is as opposed to aviation skills. Both programs are difficult and very competitive, just a little different in their approach to the selection process. You mentioned several conditions that are waiverable, just because they are waiverable does not mean either school will overlook the physical flaws of a candidate. Like I said, the slots are very competitive, and both services have the luxury to pick and choose who they admit. Military aviation is the most discriminatory branch with maybe the Navy's Nuke Sub program a close second. Notice I said nothing about the Air Force, I don't really think anybody on the outside really understands how that program works besides graduating from the Air Force Academy. There is a glimmer of good news, there is a serious pilot shortage for both the military and commercial aviation. This means that candidates who normally would be rejected will get a second look. Rumor control says that they are reducing the vision requirement, that is always a leading indicator that they need pilots. If I was you, I would get my private pilots license, it will show all the military flight schools about your aviation aptitude, and skills already mastered. If for some reason you are not accepted to a military school, I would consider a private school like Embry Riddle or FlightSafety. The commercial airline industry is also subject to the pilot shortage and the chances for employment at a major airline in the min. amount of time has never looked better. A career as a pilot either military, civilian, or both is a great career, available to those who work toward their goals.
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SFC Ralph E Kelley
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Clean civil record, a tech ability, and Field grade commander's recommendation are helpful. My uncle made the switch as an E7.
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