Do you have to pick a college with a Aviation or Flight program to become a Aviation Officer or Do you go to flight school once you graduate?

2019-07-29T22:56:50-04:00

Response by CPT Nicholas D. made Jul 30 at 2019 5:24 AM

2019-07-30T05:24:44-04:00

Your undergraduate program does not have an influence your process to branch Aviation. All flight training will be conducted at Fort Rucker, AL. Whether you have an Aeronautical Degree or a Degree in Sri Lanken Poetry, Fort Rucker will be your first destination after Graduation/Commissioning.

Now. With that said. I am not familiar with GAARNG’s selection process (every state/component has a slightly different process.) An Aviation or Flight Program may make you more competitive than your peers to be selected. Especially if you are receiving FAA ratings. I’ve seen it go the other way too. Board members are more impressed with the well-roundedness of a Science degree that isn’t Aviation. (That impression does not translate to a degree in Liesure Activities or Recreation Management.) Additionally, I saw North Dakota State grads showing up to Flight School with commercial helicopter ratings were able to “challenge” the first few phases of the course. If you can pass a P2 Checkride on your first day of class, they may (provided there’s room in the class ahead of you) move you up a few weeks to the next phase. All you will do is trade about 50 hours of military flight time in order to graduate 8 weeks earlier. (Not worth it in my opinion. Military Flight hours are pure gold, and flight school is a blast.) But becoming an Instrumented Commercial Helicopter Pilot in college doesn’t remove your Flight School requirement. (And that’s a good thing... the Army is going to teach you how THEY want you to fly, which can have big differences from a civilian program)

Lastly, there isn’t a College in the country that has Black Hawks, Chinooks, or Apaches. Except for a small group of Fixed Wing folks, you are going to need to learn a “Go-to-War Aircraft.” The only place to do that is at Flight School on Fort Rucker.

So to succinctly answer your question: No, you do not have to pick a college with an Aviation or Flight Program, and Yes, you will go to flight school once you graduate.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 30 at 2019 9:33 AM

2019-07-30T09:33:25-04:00

Every OML I've ever seen was based on academic (GPA) and athletic (APFT) scores. That said, the NGB does seem to have an additional factor to selection for flight slots.

Because NGB units select aviator candidates to serve in a single state – many times a single unit – for their entire career, there's an element of 'who you know' that plays into guard flight slots. In addition to the basics above, you should be networking with unit leaders (O's, W's, and E's) and knocking out the aviation-specific pre-requisites such as a senior aviator LOR and the FAST. In short, when they're considering who is available to fill that next seat, you need to ensure you're on their short list.

Best of luck!

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made Jul 30 at 2019 11:51 AM

2019-07-30T11:51:30-04:00

Flying training is conduced after your commissioning program is completed. The Services may or may not be particular about the type of degree you have. The Army has the Aviation Warrant program that does not require a bachelors degree for entry into Warrant Officer Training. I believe all the Services require a bachelors degree for commissioning as a 2LT/Ensign out of college. Each service has their own process and requirements for application to their flying training. Physical requirements are similar for each Service. The Air Force has a specialized test for candidates or officers wanting to become pilots or other types of aviators. Army and Navy may have a similar test. All Services have age restrictions for entering flight training.

Back to the degree question. A degree in a science, engineering, math, or technology field may make the graduate more attractive to a Service for flight training. My experience as an Air Force pilot and pilot training instructor indicates that the type of degree makes little difference as far as actually flying an aircraft. A degree in an aviation-related subject might help a student in the academic classes; however, it might also be a hinderance. The Services have a set of desired learning objectives for each academic class. The student is tested against these learning objectives. Each test item has a correct answer within the scope of the class. Knowing too much can make meeting the learning objectives more difficult sometimes. My advice to students with engineering or meteorology degrees: There is the Air Force answer, the wrong answer, and the right answer. The right answer for the test is the Air Force answer.

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Jul 30 at 2019 10:50 PM

2019-07-30T22:50:47-04:00

Cadet 1SG Private RallyPoint Member You have to be selected for aviation branch where you attend flight school. If flying something you want to do, then do it.

https://www.rallypoint.com/command-post/how-do-i-choose-an-army-branch-a-framework

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