Posted on Jun 17, 2017
Is it possible to transition from Army enlisted to Air Force or Navy Pilot? If so, how?
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I am currently an NCO in the Army with a goal of becoming an ATP certified pilot. I have been considering becoming an Army Warrant Officer for a while, but I REALLY want to fly fixed-wing. I am currently working on my private pilot's license and will have completed and passed my PPL checkride by August. Is this transition possible, and if so how should I go about it?
Respectfully,
Tyler Parker
Respectfully,
Tyler Parker
Posted 8 y ago
Responses: 10
I did it. Was also an nco in the Army now I'm a fresh out of navy OCS butter bar packing up for flight school. Message me with any specific questions you have I'd be glad to help. It was definitely worth the effort
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LTC Stephen Conway
COL David Turk - I was on a Navy run PRT in Afghanistan in 2008/2009 but I did not get the Navy Commendation Medal which I think looks better than my Army one I received as a project officer and with keeping ISAF informed of Civil Affairs successes on a weekely basis. We had a Navy Commander( Destroyer Captain) as the CO, an SF XO Major ,a Lt. CMDR for the S3 and an Army Chinook female pilot as our S4. Our S1 was a CPO.
We had a visit from Admiral Mulllen with 60 minutes tagging along.
We had a visit from Admiral Mulllen with 60 minutes tagging along.
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LTJG (Join to see)
You have to be commissioned by the time you hit 27 and it's waiverable for every year you spent on active dutySFC (Join to see)
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Here are my 2 cents. Don’t go into the Navy thinking ATP. Go into it because you want to be a Naval Officer and Naval Aviator. It’s not a guaranteed to get fixed wing, and who knows how many hours you will end up with. If you want hours go Army Warrant, but you don’t want rotary wing. Second option is USAF heavies, but you can run the risk of getting drones.
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Need a degree and a great AFOOT score . Then find an ANG unit that flies. Call the recruiter at the 117 ARW. I am pretty sure we have pilot openings. We will send you to the Deid and you can fly as much as you like
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LT (Join to see)
Is 91 considered competitive now? I know a few years ago you needed at least an 85 to be considered that.
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MSgt (Join to see)
I really don't know how it is scored. If you are interested, I can send you our officer recruiters info and you can chat with him.
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I have no advice on how to go about it, just wanted to congratulate you on working towards your PPL! I started mine in High School, and finished it 20 years later... Good luck on your check ride! Believe it or not, your military training makes it much easier as you know how to prepare. Best of luck!
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I'm old and retired, but long ago and far away I was an 11B3V that went to WORWAC. After graduation and making WO-1, I waited the minimum required time and applied for REGULAR ARMY (RA). I flew helicopters for six years and was selected for the fixed wing transition. I flew fixed wing until my retirement picking up my BS degree and FAA ATP along the way. Ironically, I retire today (07/22/2017) from the FAA. So be All you can be! Go for it! Good luck.
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CW2 (Join to see)
Thank you Sir. I appreciate experience like this when making a decision this tough.
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The Army has a little known secret, it does have a huge fleet of fixed wing aircraft on top of helicopters. The Army has multiple fixed wing aircraft from RC-12s to MC-12s to Dash 8s. If you apply for warrant and try hard enough, there's a good chance you can get it when selection time comes. It is available now as an option for new pilots going through flight school. It's the 155 series Warrant Officer MOS to be specific, however you can't apply for it when initially putting in your packet. You have to put rotory wing aviator then choose it during selection after your finish IERW.
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CW2 (Join to see)
Chief I really appreciate you shedding light on this. I knew that we had fixed wing aircraft, however my understanding was that only CW4/5 operated those aircraft, and it would take me several reenlistments to ever have a chance to fly them. Most people I know talk about the Apaches, Blackhawks, and Chinooks; I just love airplanes and my current PPL training is enforcing that more and more. Long-winded response I know, but again I appreciate the knowledge Sir.
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CW2 (Join to see)
Will,
It used to be where only senior pilots got the jobs, however they are super top heavy now. Fixed wing is an option at selection during flight school. You have a good opportunity to get it, but there's always that disclaimer of needs of the army. There maybe a selection that offers multiple different aircraft but the next, everyone ends up getting apaches. So it's kind of a crap shoot but I'm probably certain it's no different then the other branches. I'm sure you know this as well but the Army is the only branch that lets Soldiers fly without college degrees. Not sure if your educational background but just wanted to reiterate that. Good luck buddy
It used to be where only senior pilots got the jobs, however they are super top heavy now. Fixed wing is an option at selection during flight school. You have a good opportunity to get it, but there's always that disclaimer of needs of the army. There maybe a selection that offers multiple different aircraft but the next, everyone ends up getting apaches. So it's kind of a crap shoot but I'm probably certain it's no different then the other branches. I'm sure you know this as well but the Army is the only branch that lets Soldiers fly without college degrees. Not sure if your educational background but just wanted to reiterate that. Good luck buddy
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CW5 Ranger Dave
Amen. Was a 155E my last seven years, C-12s, RC-12D and G, even the Ugly-21. That carried me right into my second career as an FAA Inspector acquiring nine type ratings with a couple Embraers, a bunch of Citations, and a couple of Gulfstreams.
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CW2 (Join to see)
CW5 Ranger Dave Just an update Sir I got accepted into WOCS as a 153A candidate and I head down to Fort Rucker in July. God willing I'll get my shot at flying fixed-wing, but if not WHO CARES I'll have the best office view on Earth either way. Thanks for your comments on this post Sir.
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CW2 (Join to see) Bloody Hell, Another Want to be Navy Fighter Jock. Anything is Possible and I say Go For It. Some of My Favorite People were those that were Shoe Horned into a Navy Fighter Plane.
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CSM Charles Hayden
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel How many Navy rotary wing pilots will say they are ‘fighter pilots’ on applications for — ?
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Here are my 2 cents. Don’t go into the Navy thinking ATP. Go into it because you want to be a Naval Officer and Naval Aviator. It’s not a guaranteed to get fixed wing, and who knows how many hours you will end up with. If you want hours go Army Warrant, but you don’t want rotary wing. Second option is USAF heavies, but you can run the risk of getting drones.
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It shouldn't be to hard to transfer. You'll need a bachelors degree, class I physical, be enrolled in flight school prior to your 26th birthday and they want you to come in with your SEL license, you're working on that so once you get it that's another feather in your cap. If you're looking to make it your career in the military, put in for what you want to fly. If you're looking to jump into the airlines shoot for transport AC, 130, C5 etc. You'll clock more time and be in a team. Depending on the need, fighter jocks sometimes get the shaft. More gung ho, individual, non crew oriented BS. I have flown with pilots coming from all branches, flying all types of AC. The only tough transition is Rotor to fix wing, another BS situation. If you're in college major in something that gives you a fall back, and the airlines like to see other interests. My degree is in Aviation Management, it's almost as useless as the MRE tp. When I interviewed with the airlines the Chief pilots were like great a degree in aviation and a 4.0. I got things like, didn't you have a life? Anyway any recruiter can help you out. It's a big commitment but it's a blast. In my civilian ground school we had a fair amount of former military pilots. It's cool because you're with your brothers, you speak the same language, hang out and they know the deal. It's a fair amount of studying. If you have good study habits that's a huge plus. You can actually take courses on all that stuff, time management helped. I don't know all the particulars regarding prerequisites because they change by need, just like the civilian world. Right now is a good time for a young guy to jump in. You'll see, it's cyclical. 1 year they won't stop calling the next they won't answer. It's all common sense. If you have a base nearby stop in. They have recruiters waiting to sign you up. The hardest part of flying is getting your foot in the door. Once you do, rock and roll. Good luck.
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The PPL will help, get your degree, and apply for a direct commission in the Army or the Air Force. Having the Army wings does help, and they do have transition courses from one aircraft to another.
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