wmartin@brl-smoke.ARPA (Will Martin ) (01/15/86)
This query is inspired by reading a recent biographical posting from someone who had extensive glider-pilot skills before joining the Navy, and who then mentioned spending five years in submarines. Now, this may well be that he wanted this, so that, by itself, means nothing. However, it got me to thinking. Is the military interested in getting young people with previous civilian aviation experience or pilot licenses as input to their own military pilot-training programs? Or would they prefer to get people with skill and ability, but NO experience, so they can teach them to do it "their way", without any "unlearning" of previous civilian practices? Obviously, programs like the CAP are designed to feed people into the military aviation community, but these are, themselves, run in a military manner. I am asking here about purely civilian experience. Do the military services view previously-acquired flying skills as an advantage or as a liability? (Since the traditional career path has been for a person to learn flying in the military, and then leave it to pursue a career in aviation in the private sector, this is sort of the reverse. So I'm sure it would apply to only a very few people in practical terms. It just struck me as a question I'd like to see answered.) Regards, Will Martin UUCP/USENET: seismo!brl-bmd!wmartin or ARPA/MILNET: wmartin@almsa-1.ARPA
ths@lanl.ARPA (01/17/86)
> ...it got me to thinking. Is the military interested in getting young > people with previous civilian aviation experience or pilot licenses as > input to their own military pilot-training programs? Or would they > prefer to get people with skill and ability, but NO experience, so they > can teach them to do it "their way", without any "unlearning" of > previous civilian practices? > The military would generally prefer that you not have ANY flight experience because so many civilian instructors don't know how to teach worth a damn. I personally think it would be very helpful from a self-confidence point of view for a person to have at least soloed under the direction of a competant CFI. Many who enter flight training programs have doubts about their own abilities and it would take a big load off if they knew how relatively simple it is to learn to fly. The hard part comes later! Ted Spitzmiller CFI A&I SMEL
wanttaja@ssc-vax.UUCP (Ronald J Wanttaja) (01/20/86)
> > ...it got me to thinking. Is the military interested in getting young > > people with previous civilian aviation experience or pilot licenses as > > input to their own military pilot-training programs? Or would they > > prefer to get people with skill and ability, but NO experience, so they > > can teach them to do it "their way", without any "unlearning" of > > previous civilian practices? > > > > The military would generally prefer that you not have ANY flight experience > because so many civilian instructors don't know how to teach worth a damn. > I don't know about that. Back when I was in ROTC, the guys on pilot scholarships got instruction at the local FBO. I can't remember how much, but I think it was 35 hours (minimum for private). They were ready to sign me up, too (I aced the pilot and nav sections of the AFOQT) until I told them I had 20/400 vision in one eye... Also, the AF did send pilot candidates through some T-41 instruction before sending them to play with the big boys. Seems to me that a private tticket would help quite a bit (T-41 is a C-172). Ron Wanttaja (ssc-vax!wanttaja)
ron@brl-smoke.ARPA (Ron Natalie <ron>) (01/20/86)
> Obviously, programs like the CAP are designed to feed people into the > military aviation community, but these are, themselves, run in a > military manner. I am asking here about purely civilian experience. > Do the military services view previously-acquired flying skills as an > advantage or as a liability? > The Air National Guards in Maryland and Deleware seem to give some preference to pilots. -Ron
rb@mtuxn.UUCP (R.BOTWIN) (01/24/86)
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In answer to the question...yes.
I just got a letter from the US Air Force congratulating me on recently
getting my Private (recently?.....I have to schedule my biennial in a month!)
and asking if I would like to pursue flying as a career in the Air Force...
the letter indicated that if I was a recent college graduate (<270 days
from degree), could complete training before age 27 1/2, and was in
perfect health (I guess they want 20/20, that lets me out....but then
so do the other reqs!), I could qualify.
So I guess they do value the civilian training!
Rob Botwin, N2FC
.....{utah-cs|seismo|decvax}!harpo!eagle!houxm!mtuxo!mtuxn!rb
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