How can I become a helicopter pilot?

PO2 Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 04 Jul 2015 00:55:41 -0400

I am an ITSA (E-2) in the Navy. Flying a helicopter has always been an interest of mine. Every time I see a helicopter in the air, I can't help but stop and stare. I love flying helicopters in simulator games like Arma, and watching videos of people flying in real life. I was wondering if anybody knew of a possible route I could take to become a helicopter pilot for the military (whatever branch).

Response by SFC Mark Merino made Jul 4 at 2015 1:31 AM

SFC Mark Merino — Sat, 04 Jul 2015 01:31:40 -0400

Would you be willing to change branches? I can only speak for the Army. The Army is at the worst possible moment for trying to bring in new potential aviators. They killed the OH-58D an that left hundreds of qualified aviators out in the cold. They were only able to retrain 1/3 and the rest got kicked directly in the junk. Of the remaining 1/3, they keep getting bumped by senior officers who als have to transition to assume command. The home of Army aviation is Fort Rucker, AL. Go to http://www.army.rucker.mil and look around.

Response by SPC Jeffrey Bly made Jul 4 at 2015 10:11 AM

SPC Jeffrey Bly — Sat, 04 Jul 2015 10:11:19 -0400

Aviation really is tough. You better have a clean background and a clean bill of health both physically and mentally. I always wanted to do it also, but once I went to the hospital and they said I had anxiety and depression and put me on meds that killed my dream of doing that. For a backup plan, I suggest start taking flying lessons or save up your money to do that. It's not cheap and you really should investigate schools like Embry Riddle in Florida. I'm not necessarily endorsing them, but I think they have a pretty good name. Talk to as many helicopter pilots as you can, military and private, to get a good idea of what to expect and where and how they got their training.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 5 at 2015 5:00 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 05 Jul 2015 05:00:06 -0400

Have you looked into the Coast Guard?

Response by PO1 John Miller made Jul 5 at 2015 3:38 PM

PO1 John Miller — Sun, 05 Jul 2015 15:38:03 -0400

I was going to type out a long response to help answer your question as I used to be a Divisional Career Counselor. But ENS Jeremy Medlen gave you the best possible answer for your goals.

The only thing I can add to that is good luck and DO NOT give up on your dream!

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 10 at 2015 12:29 AM

1LT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 10 Jul 2015 00:29:06 -0400

I can only answer from an Army or Coast Guard perspective.

I'm in the Army and I got my aviation slot through ROTC. It requires being competitive academically and do well on the PT test, as well as passing the SIFT (Aviation test) and having a clean flight physical. I'm not going to lie to you, it's a competitive field to get into. However, the pro of going Army is that 99% of pilots are helicopter pilots. I was that lucky guy who got to fly helicopters AND airplanes.

I have a friend in the Coast Guard and it is possible to get flight school through OCS there. Obviously to go to any OCS you need to already have a bachelors degree and be competitive as a service member.

Probably my biggest tip would be this: Any Aviation career in the military will be a long, tough road with a lot of hoops to jump through. Just remember that if you perform well academically in your college degree, keep an excellent physical fitness profile and do everything you're required to do, you can make it. It takes a bit of drive and patience, but the military usually makes it very clear on how to apply for flight programs and what to do along each step of the way. Good luck! Helicopters are just as fun to fly as you imagine them being. I love being a qualified UH-60M pilot!

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 8 at 2015 12:27 AM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 08 Aug 2015 00:27:01 -0400

Here's some advice from what I've found out talking to guys who have gone E to O, and those who tried. First off, the most sure way to get a flight school slot is through ROTC, STA-21, or the Naval Academy. These commissioning sources almost exclusively commission unrestricted line officers. Which means the most flight slots go to them. There are slots available for OCS, but you may just as likely end up as a staff officer. If you want to stay in while earning your commission, you can do STA-21 or an enlisted applicant to the Naval Academy. Whatever your course of action, don't let the age cutoff sneak up on you. You must be commissioned by your 28th birthday for a flight school slot. Also, the rate of attrition in flight school varies year to year. They mostly do this in API by raising or lowering the cutoff scores for tests to weed out more or less people depending on the needs of the navy. Best case scenario though, plan on somewhere around 50% of the people starting off flight school with you to not wing. Either due to medical, voluntary drop on request, or slow cutoff scores.