USMC Aviator Chances and Probably a Few Questions You've Seen Alot...

[rmp459]

I will first state that I am not one of these 18 year old individuals who haven't finished school and watched a movie like Stealth or Top Gun and decided I want to fly fighter jets. I do have some questions that have been answered several times, but I am sort of looking for some assurance in my research.

I want to first start off with some background to help understand where I am coming from. I grew up on the airports due to my dad being a corporate pilot. He is still in aviation, although he did a stint as an ATC in order to spend more time at home. My endgame has always been aviation, but due to the currently nature of our economy and my personal economic situation, I did not want to get locked into a "flying degree." I pursued a Business Administration degree in college and graduated this past spring. I went to a private catholic school that is highly selected in NY where I graduated with a 96.7 overall average (there is no weighted grade in our school) and recently graduated college second in my business class with a 3.91 GPA. I am currently 22 years old. My last physical I had 20/15 vision, and I have played soccer and baseball my entire life (baseball in college). I am currently 6' 185lbs. and workout at the gym 3-5 days a week.

I have always wanted to pursue a career in the military and deeply regret not following my desires earlier on and applying for the US Naval Academy. Regardless, I am now at the point in my life where I need to choose a path and follow it with everything I have. After reading on and off and speaking to local individuals ranging from current pilots who keep applying for a ANG slot, or people who have enlisted into the military, I feel that my best chance for getting a flight slot would be speaking with my local USMC OSO and working from there. I do not currently have any "logged" flight time, but I am familiar with flight and could have my PPL and IR within a reasonable amount of time.

I have a younger sibling who has recently enlisted in the Air Force and has gone through the Navy Medical exams and MEPs. I am familiar with a bit of the actual process.

Anyways, my more specific questions are:

- What percentage of individuals who actually get a Flight Contract actually get to fly fixed wing? I am not opposed to rotor craft, but would prefer a fixed wing assignment...

- I would have preferred PLC, but is my only option if I go the officer route (due to having already graduated college) to go to OCS, then TBS? I don't believe PLC is an option for me any longer, but after reading the advantage to going through the USMC OCS, I can't really imagine doing it any other way.

- How specific can flight contracts be? Is it strictly a commitment to get you into initial flight training and it is up to you individually to end up at the top of the class and where you want to be?

- How competitive does it get at the later stages of flight training? Will I be competing with a large group of individuals on the level of Naval Academy Grads?

Thanks for any advice/information anyone might have in advance...

 

[bunk22]

Tick...tock...tick...tock...IBTL?? Try this first, attempt a search for the answers to your questions. They have been answered many a time over. I won't lock the thread but give it a go then if you have anything left unanswered, we'll give it a whirl.

 

[jfulginiti]

1. By "fixed wing" I'm assuming you mean "pointy nose jets". Technically, the C-130 is "fixed wing" but it's a separate selection. When you finish primary and select you get to put down 3 of the 4 options in order of preference. What you actually get is based on needs of the Marine Corps and performance.... in that order. Choices are Helos (CH-46, CH-53, AH-1Z, and UH-1Y), Jets (F/A-18, AV-8B, EA-6B), Multi-engine (KC-130J) and Tiltrotor (MV-22). Don't ask here "what percentage get XXXX?". If you're number one in your selection, you get your first choice. Otherwise, you get what you get.

2. You will go to OCC.... 10 week course I believe. PLC and OCC are both Officer Candidate School.

3. Yes. You will go to TBS simply as a pilot contract. There is no "Jet" contract or "EA-6B" contract.

4. After primary, you go to advanced where you will have to select again for a specific aircraft.... unless you go Multi-engine or Tiltrotor in which case your only aircraft choice is KC-130J or MV-22, respectively. If you go Jets or Helos, selection process is the same as primary except you put down choice of specific aircraft.

 

[rmp459]

I have searched and I have read... It's all pretty broad...

So its pretty much totally a crap shoot regardless of performance... In the sense that top performance doesn't guarantee top choice due to military needs at the time.

And by fixed wing i mean fixed wing... F/A-18 would obviously be choice one, but I would have no problem flying a KC-130.

Thanks for the help... Appreciate you not locking it.


I am interested with the marines due to the training and Flight Contract that will get you into primary flight training, but I do not want to do the best I can and end up flying outside of my top few choices...

 

[sanders]

Jful has already touched on it, but since you are already graduated, you will be doing what is called "OCC". It is pretty much the same as PLC, but you will be in a company with others who have already graduated as opposed to guys who still have 1+ years of college left. You will be going to OCS and TBS regardless.

I am a 2nd Lt air contract with zero flight time and a business degree, so don't worry about a lack of flight experience.

 

[rmp459]

Jful has already touched on it, but since you are already graduated, you will be doing what is called "OCC". It is pretty much the same as PLC, but you will be in a company with others who have already graduated as opposed to guys who still have 1+ years of college left. You will be going to OCS and TBS regardless.

I am a 2nd Lt air contract with zero flight time and a business degree, so don't worry about a lack of flight experience.

Thanks sanders.. if you dont mind me asking... what was the timetable like in terms of how far along you are right now?

 

[usmarinemike]

You sound kind of timid. Actually you sound like a coward asking if you'll ever have to measure up against some numbnuts academy grad. I have a lot of academy friends and none of them are golden gods. And yes, there's competition. Take your shirt off, grow a mustache, and harden the fuck up. Welcome to alpha male meritocracy.

I say go for it. Especially since you said that you're not opposed to rotorcraft. Seriously, every single platform in the Marine Corps is a win. You could look at it as only 3 out of 8 choices left aren't fixed wing if you want(depending on how you look at the MV-22). Besides, by the end of TBS you'll be wanting to fly anything with "Marines" on the side. Many people make their decision as early as there that they want rotary wing instead of fixed wing.

Have you asked yourself how fulfilled you would be as a Marine if you had your air contract taken away? It won't get arbitrarily pulled, but people get disqualified medically and for performance all the time. Those guys don't go back to civvie street. They go fight whatever fight needs fought as a Marine officer in another MOS. Is that something you're willing to face?

Also, PM sent.

 

[rmp459]

If being informed about my decision is being a coward then I guess so...

Seriously though, this is about making the right decision... not being scared away because of competition. This is purely about giving myself the best chance I can to be where I want to be... I would have no problem finding some crap business job sitting behind a desk, but its hard to give something your all unless you interested and being challenged.

 

[murryton]

I think you're the only person on the forum who would have "no problem finding some crap business job and sitting behind a desk."

 

[rmp459]

I think you're the only person on the forum who would have "no problem finding some crap business job and sitting behind a desk."

No problem in the sense that I have the qualifications.... Not that I desire one... Which is the reason I posted on these forums...

I would need to be medicated if I were forced to sit at a desk in order to earn a living.

 

[usmarinemike]

I know you're not scared. I'm just giving you crap. I'll help any way I can, but always be ready for a ration of shit the first time you show up somewhere. Especially when you disclose immediate family members in the Air Force, which I didn't even touch.

 

[sanders]

Thanks sanders.. if you dont mind me asking... what was the timetable like in terms of how far along you are right now?

I picked up my contract back in fall of '06 and completed OCS in summer of '08. I got my flight physical taken care of this past February and commissioned this past May, and I check into TBS in October. I will (hopefully) graduate TBS in May, and head down to Pensacola for API after that.

I would suggest talking to your OSO asap. There is an OCS class starting this October, and another one in January, I believe. The application process takes a long time, so if you want a shot at OCS anytime soon, start the process now!

Begin PT'ing NOW, especially pull ups. The Marines are being pretty selective right now from what I hear, so you need to bee scoring pretty high on the PFT if you want a shot.

 

[Birdog8585]

YUT YUT MOTO JUICE INBOUND....

If you wanna be a Marine, you had better WANT to be a Marine, if not, we'll find out at OCS. IF you get past that, then you need to learn how to be a Marine, aka. TBS.

Stop playing the percentage game right fuckin now. It's going to get you hazed and frowned upon by your peers because their perception (which is reality) is going to be that you are in this gun-club for one thing only, to fly. That is bullshit, you also fly. Just like in any of the other services besides the Air Farce, you also fly.

Take care of your subordinates, lead them and oh yeah, go do some of that cool shit every now and then - otherwise, go follow your "younger sibling"

12 deep btw - poppin brown star cluster - out

 

[rmp459]

YUT YUT MOTO JUICE INBOUND....

If you wanna be a Marine, you had better WANT to be a Marine, if not, we'll find out at OCS. IF you get past that, then you need to learn how to be a Marine, aka. TBS.

Stop playing the percentage game right fuckin now. It's going to get you hazed and frowned upon by your peers because their perception (which is reality) is going to be that you are in this gun-club for one thing only, to fly. That is bullshit, you also fly. Just like in any of the other services besides the Air Farce, you also fly.

Take care of your subordinates, lead them and oh yeah, go do some of that cool shit every now and then - otherwise, go follow your "younger sibling"

12 deep btw - poppin brown star cluster - out

Guess I have a lot to learn.... thx for the gut check.

 

[HeyJoe]

Guess I have a lot to learn.....

Well, you showed what you didn't know and could have learned on AW via researching existing threads by your posts:

What percentage of individuals who actually get a Flight Contract actually get to fly fixed wing? I am not opposed to rotor craft, but would prefer a fixed wing assignment...

1. We don't do percentages or chances of anything because your mileage may vary....

2. There is no way to take your background to date, your potential and needs of service when you would select a pipeline (ie fixed wing vs rotary) and have it mean jack-squat. You simply do your best, period. Besides, as noted today in another thread: Ensigns (and 2/Lts) don't know enough to know what they want...etc.

I would have preferred PLC, but is my only option if I go the officer route (due to having already graduated college) to go to OCS, then TBS? I don't believe PLC is an option for me any longer, but after reading the advantage to going through the USMC OCS, I can't really imagine doing it any other way.

By waiting until you graduated to decide to pursue your wings of gold, you bypassed options to go to USNA, enroll in ROTC, apply for PLC or BDCP, What's left is OCC for USMC as noted or OCS for Navy. Those doors are still open to you.

How specific can flight contracts be? Is it strictly a commitment to get you into initial flight training and it is up to you individually to end up at the top of the class and where you want to be?

It is simply a guarantee* by the service that you'll go to Pensacola as long as you continue to meet the criteria (principally: pass the flight physical). After that, it is your perfromance and needs of the service at crucial junctures as to what you end up flying.

*use of word "contract" makes too many aspirants think they need to negotiate the terms for more than simple guarantee to be given a shot at flight school.

How competitive does it get at the later stages of flight training? Will I be competing with a large group of individuals on the level of Naval Academy Grads?

You are graded and assessed virtually from day one. You'll have far more challenges performing at your best level daily than worrying about what commissioning source your peers came from. Flight School is a great leveler. Doesn't matter what you race, creed, gender, flight experience or commissioning source is, you'll just be another student in a flightsuit.