• Please take a moment and update your account profile. If you have an updated account profile with basic information on why you are on Air Warriors it will help other people respond to your posts. How do you update your profile you ask?

    Go here:

    Edit Account Details and Profile

Flight time before going into ROTC

Status
Not open for further replies.
V

VirginiaMil35

Registered User
Hi, I am a senior in high school right now and I will be attending VMI next year. I currently have about 105 flight hours logged. I wanted to know whether this would help me get a flight spot after I hopefully get a commision. Also I am trying to decide whether to go Navy or Marines. I want to fly c-130's and I know only the Marines have that aircraft.

Thanks, chris
 
J

josejimmenez

Selected for SNFO
I dont know how It works for NROTC but Army ROTC gives no gaurentees, and flight time does not help. At least thats how it worked when I was a Cadet two years ago.
 
J

JLockheed

Wanderer
The marines will gaurentee a flight spot as long as you meet the basics (score good on the flight test, pass the physical stuff at have like a 9XX sat score or something like that) They wont guarrentee the aircraft though.
If you got your heart set on C130, you might want to check into the air guard. There alot of c130 units and then you'd be gaurenteed to fly it if you got the slot.
 
S

spurrp

Registered User
How are you attending VMI? Are you on a scholarship with the Navy? Marine Option is something worth thinking about, but if your real intent is to fly, then the Air Guard or the Air Force would be higher probability courses of action to pursue. The more you know about the job, the service, and your own personal desires, the better decision you can make. You have some time, and you can changer your mind maybe once in a program without any negative impact, so do your homework, online and off, and try to speak to some folks that have walked the path you are choosing, and go along. I know both and active duty Marine C-130 pilot, and a recently retired Air Guard C-130 pilot who may be willing to assist if you want to try.
 
N

Navy2k

Registered User
There's a catch-all phrase that you'll probably hear a lot: "needs of the Navy (or Corps)."
C-130 slots come by pretty infrequently, so you have to graduate primary at just the right time, and just high enough in your class to grab it. Otherwise, your choices are F-18s/EA-6Bs (if you're lucky enough) or helicopters (if you aren't).
I only knew one guy that got C-130's in the 7 months I was in VT-2.

As far as the Navy/USMC thing goes, Marines are raised in the cult of infantry; their pilots exist to provide support to the ground troops. As for Navy pilots, well, we're in a different Navy then the SWOs and Bubbleheads and so forth. If being second-tier doesn't bother you, and you don't mind fighting the odds, then good luck with the Marines!
 
J

JLockheed

Wanderer
The air guard values flight time, but im not to sure about the others. (Im in the guard) Flight time will always help to some degree, youll feel a little more comfortable with what your doing and understand it better then someone whos never been in a cockpit. I do remember something about the Navy and the Marines having future aviators getting private pilots liscences before their flight training began from civillian instructors. And if you already had the rating you didnt have to. What ratings do you have?
 
BigWorm

BigWorm

Marine Aviator
pilot
Originally posted by Navy2k

As far as the Navy/USMC thing goes, Marines are raised in the cult of infantry; their pilots exist to provide support to the ground troops. As for Navy pilots, well, we're in a different Navy then the SWOs and Bubbleheads and so forth. If being second-tier doesn't bother you, and you don't mind fighting the odds, then good luck with the Marines!
Click to expand...
So then the Navy would be raised in the cult of the doughnut?

Prior flight time doesn’t affect your application. They look at the ASTB (or whatever it’s called) amongst other things. I haven’t heard one story about the flight time helping for the selection to Marines or Navy. The program is designed to take someone from zero to pilot.

It may help out once you get here, but that’s a different story. Although, I had my ppl before taking that test, and I think it made it much easier.

With the post about Navy/Marines getting civilian time – that is once they are selected. It doesn’t have to do with getting in the door, but giving people a chance to use the sick sack and quit before they invest any more money in them.

-just as a note, what he said about the C-130 is true. It's the hardest slot to get in the Marines. I think the Gaurd is the only one that can gaurantee it - but then your second-tier to the AF, which would suck.
 
BigWorm

BigWorm

Marine Aviator
pilot
Just talkin sh1t - But isn't the Air National Guard somehow part of the air farce. Granted they are part of the state - I'm not sure exactly how the relationship works.

Chances of fixed wing in the Marines depends. You get your selection date, and there have been selections with all helos (this applies to the Navy as well), and there have been times where a jet draft goes on. A prior 46 crew chief that only wants to fly the 46 goes to jets because his grades were good.
The generic answer is that the majority of Marines (at least 60%) will go helos, and then the rest elsewhere.
When you go through, they might even have the osprey up and running. You have to have your dream and shoot for it, but be a little flexible with the outcome.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top