jeff@uunet.UU.NET (Jeff Carey) (11/15/90)
From: contex!jeff@uunet.UU.NET (Jeff Carey) I am looking for information regarding joining the military with aspirations of flying a fighter aircraft (or any highly technologically advanced aircraft, for that matter). I do not know if this is the correct newsgroup for these questions, but it is the only one I could find that seemed appropriate. What I am curious about are answers to (or places to find answers to) such questions as: 1. is it 'easier' to become a fighter pilot for the navy or for the air force? 2. is their a maximum age that the navy or air force will allow someone to be to join their service with any hopes of becoming a pilot? 3. what is entailed (number of years, etc) in becoming a pilot; how long does basic training, pilot training, and required active duty last? 4. what percentage of persons who join these services with these same aspirations actually make it to pilot? 5. does having a college degree and/or high-tech work experience change the amount of training one will go through or the status at which the service will regard a prospective pilot? 6. what are the pros and cons (besides the obvious) that are involved? 7. etc., etc.? And on a related note, are there any other programs, careers, or jobs besides the military services that would allow someone to learn to fly these (or similar) highly-exciting jet aircraft? Thanks for any information that can be provided... -Jeff -- ------------------------ Jeff Carey contex!jeff@uunet.uu.net
clallen@rodan.acs.syr.edu (CHAz) (11/16/90)
From: clallen@rodan.acs.syr.edu (CHAz) In article <1990Nov15.013340.1614@cbnews.att.com> contex!jeff@uunet.UU.NET (Jeff Carey) writes: >I am looking for information regarding joining the military >with aspirations of flying a fighter aircraft (or any highly >technologically advanced aircraft, for that matter). I do not >know if this is the correct newsgroup for these questions, but >it is the only one I could find that seemed appropriate. I am a grad student in my 4th year of AFROTC. I am also have a pilot slot, and will go to UPT following commissioning in May. The only way that I know of achieving what you want to do would be either thruough ROTC OR OTS/OCS. >1. is it 'easier' to become a fighter pilot for the navy or for the > air force? I'd say neither at the moment. You have picked a bad time to do this as both branches are getting hit with cutbacks and pilot allocations a hard to come by, even if you are already in the system. >3. what is entailed (number of years, etc) in becoming a pilot; how > long does basic training, pilot training, and required active duty > last? The Air Force requires that each pilot pass through a 4 week Light Aircraft Training/Flight Screening Program(LATR/FSP)(Which I have done), and then 1 year of Undergraduate Pilot Training(UPT). Commitment AFTER UPT is now up to 10 years. That is what I am locked into. >4. what percentage of persons who join these services with these > same aspirations actually make it to pilot? Slim. Medical and physiological test and examinations have large attrition rates. You gotta have what they want. I ran into trouble with some medical stuff, but got it straightened out. >5. does having a college degree and/or high-tech work experience change > the amount of training one will go through or the status at which > the service will regard a prospective pilot? None whatsoever. Everyone goes through the same training despite any previous experience. In fact they really don't care about degrees. AFROTC does not have any specifications as far as what your degree is in considering you for a pilot slot. You GPA is a factor though. >6. what are the pros and cons (besides the obvious) that are involved? It isnt TOP GUN glamor at all. It is A LOT of hard work. If you think you studied hard in college, double it. 14 hr days on the flight line alone, and then going home to study. And after all that you could be flying a aircraft that you weren't really hoping for when you got into the program. Actualy now the AF is going to a 2-Track program(Fighter/Bomber, Transport/ Tanker) where you will know what type of aircraft you will fly before you go to UPT. Right now the Air Force hands out only 20-25% of its pilot assignments to the fighter classification anyhow. <40% of the assignments goto transports. >------------------------ >Jeff Carey >contex!jeff@uunet.uu.net I'll be happy to entertain anymore questions CHAz -- Charles L. Allen | Between Tyranny and Freedom, Academic Computing Services | Evil and Rightousness, Syracuse University | Despair and Hope....BLOOD. clallen@rodan.acs.syr.edu | *Support US Troops in Saudi Arabia*
v064lnev@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Zerxes Bhagalia) (11/16/90)
From: v064lnev@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Zerxes Bhagalia) Also, another question. Can you become a fighter pilot, if you do not have 20-20 vision? If not, what if you wear contacts? +------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | -------------- | | "He pulls a knife, _-------------_______________ Zerxes Bhagalia | | you pull a gun. ____________-------------____ V064LNEV | | He sends one of yours ________________------------_ UUCP: @UBVMS.cc.buffalo | | to the hospital. ______________-------________ BIT : @UBVMS.bitnet | | you send one of his ___________-------___________ State University of | | to the morgue." ________-------______________ New York at Buffalo: | | That's the American _------------________________ Aerospace Engineering | | way, and that's how ____-------------____________ Computer Science | | you get Hussein. _______________-------------_ Business Administration | | - Malone : Sean Connery [The Untouchables] -------------- | +------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
PAISLEY%auvm.auvm.edu@VM1.gatech.edu (11/17/90)
From: <PAISLEY%auvm.auvm.edu@VM1.gatech.edu> In article <1990Nov16.053734.23296@cbnews.att.com>, v064lnev@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Zerxes Bhagalia) says: > >From: v064lnev@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Zerxes Bhagalia) > >Also, another question. > >Can you become a fighter pilot, if you do not have 20-20 vision? >If not, what if you wear contacts? Vision requirements for at least some jobs (transport, Helos) were accepting up to 20/25 (I think), but with budgets so tight these days they can make vision requirements as strict as they want to, there's no shortage of wanna-be's. As far as I know, if you must wear corrective lenses, eyeglasses are the only one allowed. (it's too easy for something to happen with contacts i.e. dry out, fall out, freeze, or any other of many problems that are an annoyance on earth, deadly in a jet dogfight. --- L. GORDON PAISLEY, PAISLEY@AUVM THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY WASHINGTON, DC USA
clallen@rodan.acs.syr.edu (CHAz) (11/20/90)
From: clallen@rodan.acs.syr.edu (CHAz) In article <1990Nov16.053734.23296@cbnews.att.com> v064lnev@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Zerxes Bhagalia) writes: >Also, another question. > >Can you become a fighter pilot, if you do not have 20-20 vision? >If not, what if you wear contacts? Perhaps. There is currently a medical waiver limit set at 20/70 correctable. That is if nothing else is wrong with your eyes(colorblindness, cataracts, etc...). I myself am blessed with 20-15. I wear goggles in all my sports. 8-) CHAz -- Charles L. Allen | Between Tyranny and Freedom, Academic Computing Services | Evil and Rightousness, Syracuse University | Despair and Hope....BLOOD. clallen@rodan.acs.syr.edu | *Support US Troops in Saudi Arabia*
rbeville%tekig5.tek.com@RELAY.CS.NET (Robert E Beville) (11/22/90)
From: Robert E Beville <rbeville%tekig5.tek.com@RELAY.CS.NET> In article <1990Nov16.053621.23176@cbnews.att.com>, clallen@rodan.acs.syr.edu (CHAz) writes: > > > From: clallen@rodan.acs.syr.edu (CHAz) > In article <1990Nov15.013340.1614@cbnews.att.com> contex!jeff@uunet.UU.NET (Jeff Carey) writes: > >I am looking for information regarding joining the military > >with aspirations of flying a fighter aircraft (or any highly > > etc. the book you need is _WINGS OF GOLD_ Earning Your NAVY Wings__ by Dorr & Ketchell... "A fantastic look at what it takes to 'get jets' Go from OCS to basic, intermed... and primary flight training... Become a tailhooker!" # 115242AP $14.95 order from Zenith Books... worlds best selection of aviation, modeling, R/C and military books and tapes. TOLL FREE ORDER HOT LINE 1-800-826-6600 that's -OWARI- from GLOWWORM-7-9-4 best regards, rbeville@tekig5.PEN.TEK.COM Bob Beville, Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton, OR 97077