Delta Fares - Seventeen and I want to become a pilot for the Air Force or commericially. Advice?

Seventeen and I want to become a pilot for the Air Force or commericially. Advice?

I'd prefer to be a pilot for the US Air Force, but its an officer job. Im enlisting this summer, and I doubt I could work on a piloting degree while enlisting because [to my knowledge] it would require actual flight time. Plus, most pilots are graduates of the USAF Academy. It's farrr too late for me to apply unless I plan on going after my 4 years of enlisted service. I know almost for sure that i could get a job working around planes though. Would that help with anything at all? I'm not sure if I really want to serve 4 enlisted years, go to school, then rejoin the USAF as an officer and hope that I get chosen. By the time I did that i'd be about 27 and competing with people around 23. But if my enlisted job had to do with planes, wouldnt I have more experience and a better chance? Plus an USAF brat childhood? I definitely wouldnt mind piloting for commericial airlines. I know however that this costs THOUSANDS of dollars to do. Thousands of dollars that i dont have. Im not sure if there are colleges that teach you to fly. I always thought it was more private schools that did that. But if there are do you think id be able to use my GI Bill and such? Does anyone have any experience in either of these scenarios? The scenarios being: 1] Piloted for the US Air Force, or any of military branch [preferably from the US but others are encouraged to reply!!] 2] Commercial pilot If you fall into category 1, what did you do to get selected to even become a pilot? What things would you recommend I do? If you fall into category 2, how long did it take you to actual begin flying for commercial airlines? Commercial meaning like American Airlines or United or other major human transportation corps. About how much did it cost you? For both categories, do you have any advice I should follow? Maybe some warnings? What was the screening process like? Do you know anything now that you wish you had known beforehand? Any advice from anyone is welcomed. I really think I want to be a pilot. If that fails then im going for a flight attendant. Please help. Im aware that simply being in the USAF doesnt mean i'll be a pilot. I've been a brat for 18 years [almost]...I know how it works. Barely 15% of Airmen have even touched a plane. Also, im being forced to enlist due to lack of personal funds and the fact that my mom wants me out of the house. Im definitely going to study while enlisted, and hopefully get a Bach. I should go for a physics or aeronautical degree??

Public Comments

wait till your old enough.
Well just because you are in the airforce doesn't mean that you get to be a pilot, you have a chance though.
Make sure you have good vision and aren't color blind, because they you're excluded from being a pilot for the Air Force
This is a great passion inwhich you want to fulfil in later life. All i can say is, find certain websites for the Air Force and see if there are certain courses you can take or people you can contact for more detailed information. I hope you succeed in this when your older
if you get a piloting license before you join or enroll in an rotc you might be able to join as a pilot or an officer.
I heard once that the air force has piloting programs for enlisted personnel to learn how to fly prop planes and helicopters. While this would not have the same cache as flying a jet, if you got into the program you might be able to fly for a living. I would suggest you talk to the recruiter to see if they still have this program, and whether or not you would be able to get into it. If you haven't enlisted yet, then I'd advise holding off (or trying to get a reserve job) until you finish college. Get a 4-year degree in physics and you'll have a good shot at getting into flying (as I understand it.) Good luck.
finish high school. go to college. get bachelors degree. apply for officers training school. graduate. voila, you are an airforce officer. http://www.airforce.com/opportunities/officer/training/
It IS hard to get a commercial pilot job. There are so few out there and prior military pilots get those jobs much easier once they leave service. You can still get a pilot's slot in the AF without having to go the Academy. Not all have been AFROTC either. Very few. Most were just college grads who had science degrees and were very determined. I remember one who did very well and he was a gemologist previously. I worked in the AF's pilot training group. Only a handful were Academy graduates. I recommend going to college first in aerospace engineering. Then apply for a commission. If you test very well and it happens that there are open slots, you will have a good chance. Enlisting and then trying to get a degree, go to OCS, then get accepted for pilot training is VERY difficult. Only a few are able to do that. I never recommend that anyone enlist if they can go to college first. Your life will be so much easier as an officer. Not just the pay and perks but the fact that you will be in a leadership position. And pilots are the elite in the AF so they have a lot of respect. But pilot training is not for the faint of heart. The academics are grueling. Once that part is past (the initial, the studying continues for a long time), you have to have what they call "hands." This is just an intrinsic way of knowing how to handle a jet. There are some who do very well in academics but once they get to the sims, they start to fail. But because so much money has already been invested in you by this time, the AF will do anything they can to help you. That means the most experienced pilots and instructors will spend extra time with you to see if they can figure out where you need help. Many commanders will fly sorties with those who are failing because they have the experience to determine the issues. And many are helped this way. Very very few wash out of pilot training now because of the methods they have in place. It is really hard work to go through pilot training. Even those with commercial licenses can sometimes have a very difficult time because the planes are not the same at all. Your life will be at a standstill during this time and you have to commit to that. Which is why they discourage marriage during training. You will have 12-14 hour days of training and another 5-6 hours of studying afterwards. It's set up so that the only time you have free is Sat nights (and they don't encourage partying during that time) and early Sunday for worship. Then it's back to studying. Those who are already married will have a great deal to handle, both the pilot and the spouse. The spouse will be left on their own for quite some time and some can't handle this. There are programs in place to help support them and the more experienced spouses help as well. Even so, marriages fail during this time if the spouse is very needy and dependent. So it is also recommended that marriage wait until Phase II of training is completed. After Phase II, you will get matched to the aircraft you will be assigned to. The ones with the highest scores get their first choice usually. Then average get second choice and the bottom get their third choice. Usually helicopters though there are some who choose that as first choice. Not many though. Most choose fighters. Then it is off to your next phase of training which is specific to that aircraft. And the studying and sims start all over again. But condensed so you really have to learn fast. Most want to be fighter pilots because that is the cream of the crop and one of the most exciting jobs. The last class I worked with, only one was an Academy graduate who went to fighter training. But because they needed so many, they chose from the IPs as well. These were pilots who did very well as instructors so they were selected for fighter training after about 2-3 years of completed training and an excellent record. Very very few ever turn down this opportunity. For night flying, you must be able to fall asleep immediately during the day or you will be too tired at night. Many put black garbage bags over the windows to block out all light so they can fall asleep. The other pilots gladly give you all the tips and tricks that work for them. Anything that will help you during your training. Listen to them all because you will need it. The IPs and other pilots are committed to doing the best job possible in training and will give whatever help is needed. Even if that means cutting into their own home life time. You won't find another group of people who are so set on helping you succeed. I'm not trying to discourage you. Just let you know that is something you have to commit your whole life to. Work very hard and eat, breathe, and sleep flying. But also that the AF will do anything in their power to help you get your wings. And once you do, you will have accomplished one of the best things you ever will do. You'll have secured your future for the rest of your life if you continue to follow the core values and perform well. And you will bring honor upon yourself and your country.
I was in the military, but not a pilot. I did work with a number of pilots, from jet jocks, to chopper pilots, though. To fly jets, you'll need to have a degree and usually go through as an officer. If you really want to fly jets and be a commercial pilot, you'll need the degree. Look into getting into a program where the Air Force will help you with this. Some branches will let you be accepted into an officers program while enlisted and get you the degree. AF Academy grads are often the ones chosen to be the fighter jet pilots because of the training they get, but it doesn't mean you can't. I know many commercial pilots and everyone I know came from a military background. It takes a lot of hours before you can be considered for any of the big companies. Get the military training and they'll hire you for sure. You can get your education paid by the government for your service and then go back in. Many people do take that route. You're young and have plenty of time. Don't give up your dream. You are taking the right steps. And that you for commiting to serve your country!
Enlisted service will not help you become a pilot in the USAF. It can help you receive a commission though. Being a AF Brat will not help at all. Most pilots do not come from the AF Academy, they come from AFROTC. Just like most Officer come from AFROTC. Age is not really a factor, being 27 will not hurt your chances. If you cannot afford college right now, then enlisting is the way to go. You can take class'spart time while on active duty, ets and finish your degree with the GI Bill. Maybe even enroll in AFROTC while finishing the degree. You would be around 24 or 25 years old then. 18-22 while active duty. 2 or 3 years to finish your degree. University of North Dakota among others, have a commercial pilot program. They won't get you hired by a major airline though. That won't happen untill you have several thousand hours of flight time. Most airline web pages, have career links, That can tell you exactly what experience they are looking for.
Okay, here's what you do. Once you get to your first duty station go to the Education Center and see if Embery Riddle University offers classes on-base. You can get an Aeronautical Engineering degree from them. Next stop is the Services Squadron to see if there is an Aero Club on-base. You can get a private pilots license through them. Your chances of becoming an AF pilot after enlisting are VERY slim.
Killer Queen was fairly accurate in her answer for the most part. I just graduated from pilot training and I can tell you it was no cake walk. I went the AFROTC route, but did not get selected for pilot training that way. Because of this, I had a plan B. I picked a career field that could be lucrative in the civilian world if I was never selected for pilot training and started applying to active duty UPT boards, ANG boards and reserve boards. After a few years I was fortunate enough to get picked up and here I am. As far as your situation is concerned, you're young enough you can still enlist, work on a degree and then apply to OTS for pilot. It's competitive, but by no means impossible. There have also been people I know of that served their four years as an enlisted troop, got out, went into AFROTC, got picked up for a UPT slot and are now pilots. You can also enlist in an ANG unit that flies the aircraft you would like to someday fly and apply to their UPT boards. Most ANG units hire in-house and at least guarantee an interview for their members. If you have the option to go to college first, I recommend that over all the others. Join a local AFROTC detachment and apply that way. Besides the Academy, AFROTC hands out the most UPT slots. Whatever you choose, never lose sight of your dream. It's a long, difficult process but it can be done. I had bad eyes, bad grades, and was turned down numerous times. However, I persevered and I now have wings. If you have any UPT specific Qs, shoot me an email or check the websites below for more info. Good luck!