First Post and a Few Questions

[Spike511]

Hello,

Hopefully this thread is in the right place. I figured since it conserned Navy flight, this should be the place.

Anyway, first post, so Hi.

So, I have a few questions about becoming a Navy Pilot. I searched for "ROTC" and "Aviation" in the search under "Title Only" (to condence the search) and didn't find much. I searched over the web and found either irrelevant or outdated information, so I figured I would ask the people who actually do the job. So, if you don't mind, I have a few questions, and any information would be most appreciative.

Before I begin, a few notes:
-I'm currently a junior in high school. This may be a little early, but everyone tells me to start now.

-No, I didn't just watch Top Gun last night and go "I want to be like Goose" and then decide to become a Navy Pilot. I've wanted to become a pilot since I was in the seventh grade. This isin't some half-hearted decision. I can think of no other place I would rather be then in the sky.

-Feel free to use accronyms and stuff like that. I know enough about miltary aviation and aviation in general to understand. After reading a thread on another forum where an Airman stated how it was difficult to get a T-37 while in UPT, the OP stated "Well, I don't want to fly a T-37, but how hard is it to get a F-22 or an F-16?", I decided to make sure never to become that poor OP who i'm sure was mocked for months and was througholy chewed out. So feel free to use flight slang, ect.

-I currently have a 3.5ish in high school and almost have my Eagle Scout, if that makes any difference.


So, my questions:


-What are the physical requirements like? I'm currently 6'3" 250lbs. I'm only 250lbs because I play football for my school as an offensive left tackle and want it to be more difficult to throw me around. I can drop down to 225ish if necessary..but I don't believe I can go much lower than that. I'm not fat or anything, mostly muscle because i'm in the weight room year round. The little I have is my choice to keep me around 250. How much weight will I need to drop? And I believe my vision is currently 20/30 in the one eye and 20/40 in the other. Is that acceptable?

-The little information I found led me to infer that unlike the Air Force where you have to be selected for UPT, in the Navy as long as you don't wash out of flight school, your fine. Am I correct?

-Other than taking off of a carrier, are there any major differences between the Air Force and Navy flight programs?

-Is the ROTC process similar to the Air Force?

-I'm almost an Eagle Scout, will that help?

-I plan on attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University: Daytona Beach as my primary school of choice. However, Purdue is a close second. I would like to obtain a degree in Aeronautical Sciences with a minor in Aerospace Studies. Will this be beneficial?

-Finally, what is the lifestyle like?

Sir/Ma'am, thank you in advance for any help. I really appreciate it.

--
Eric

 

[eddie]

If you actually go into the Title Forums, some of the stickies will be pretty damn helpful. Sometimes the search engine can be a bitch, but it really is your best friends once you get the right phraseology.

Keep in mind that some of the most randomly-named threads have the best info, so you may want to try again without that filter.

Good luck.

 

[Spike511]

If you actually go into the Title Forums, some of the stickies will be pretty damn helpful. Sometimes the search engine can be a bitch, but it really is your best friends once you get the right phraseology.

Keep in mind that some of the most randomly-named threads have the best info, so you may want to try again without that filter.

Good luck.

Thanks, I'll check them out.

--
Eric

 

[TheBubba]

Eric,

Welcome and good luck to you. Once you've read up, feel free to ask clarification and such. We're here to help you as much as we can.

Welcome again and remember... no matter what the question, 42 is your answer.

 

[Bevo16]

A few random answers from scanning your post.

Your size will not be a problem as long as you stay in shape. One of my best friends was a 275 pound D-End at Texas and is now a C-2 pilot.

Degree does not matter. I had a 3.0 in Political Science, and only about half of all aviators have a technical degree. Go where you will have the most fun.

Start looking into what it takes to get an ROTC scholarship right now. That should be your first priority. If you end up at Purdue and don't get an scholarship, show up at the ROTC unit and ask about the "College Program" option.

Being an Eagle Scout can help in the ROTC application.

The "lifestyle" is the greatest in the world.

 

[MIDNJAC]

There are some Riddle grads on this forum that I'm sure can chime in on what that experience is like. I think the topic of "will my previous civilian time help in military flight school" has been sort of beaten to death on here, so I will let you search for that and read. Suffice to say that it helps and it doesn't help....all depends on your attitude in my opinion (I say that as someone who did have civvy flight experience prior to flying Navy).

Not sure what you are referring to about acceptance to flight school. Just like the AF, you need to be selected for flight school in the Navy as an SNA (Student Naval Aviator) or SNFO (Student Naval Flight Officer) prior to commissioning. Academy and NROTC types find out during their senior year, prior to commissioning, while OCS folks get contracted prior to attending OCS. However, you can certainly fail API and never make it to Primary if that is what you meant.

The culture of AF flight training is significantly different than that of the Navy. This has been fairly well documented here in any of the "Vance AFB" threads.

NROTC and AFROTC are somewhat similar programs, though different in many ways. I'm not an expert by any means on AFROTC so maybe a former cadet could comment on this. At my school, we really didn't interact very often with cadets of other services, except for a couple events each year (and of course in class).

Not sure if that is helpful at all, but please ellaborate if you have any other questions that you can't find the answers to.

 

[Boomhower]

Eric,

Welcome to the site. You are not too early to start looking if you want to get a ROTC scholarship. Your guidance counselor at your high school might be able to give you a hand with that, or at least get you pointed in the right direction.

The Eagle Scout thing absolutely will help you on your application. Stick with it and finish it up. Remember Charles Whitman was an Eagle Scout, look where it got him! :icon_wink

Best of luck to you with your choice of schools and with the current football season. Now, stop posting and go block somebody!

 

[Spike511]

There are some Riddle grads on this forum that I'm sure can chime in on what that experience is like. I think the topic of "will my previous civilian time help in military flight school" has been sort of beaten to death on here, so I will let you search for that and read. Suffice to say that it helps and it doesn't help....all depends on your attitude in my opinion (I say that as someone who did have civvy flight experience prior to flying Navy).

Not sure what you are referring to about acceptance to flight school. Just like the AF, you need to be selected for flight school in the Navy as an SNA (Student Naval Aviator) or SNFO (Student Naval Flight Officer) prior to commissioning. Academy and NROTC types find out during their senior year, prior to commissioning, while OCS folks get contracted prior to attending OCS. However, you can certainly fail API and never make it to Primary if that is what you meant.

The culture of AF flight training is significantly different than that of the Navy. This has been fairly well documented here in any of the "Vance AFB" threads.

NROTC and AFROTC are somewhat similar programs, though different in many ways. I'm not an expert by any means on AFROTC so maybe a former cadet could comment on this. At my school, we really didn't interact very often with cadets of other services, except for a couple events each year (and of course in class).

Not sure if that is helpful at all, but please ellaborate if you have any other questions that you can't find the answers to.

That right there answered a huge question. Someone who thought they knew their stuff told me that as long as you meet some minimum requirements you were automatically excepted into flight school and as long as you did well you passed. As in, unlike the USAF we're you get a letter from a board that selects UPT applicants, all interested aviation officers we're selected for flight school.

Well, I guess he was wrong...

Thanks
--
Eric

 

[Schnugg]

-No, I didn't just watch Top Gun last night and go "I want to be like Goose" and then decide to become a Navy Pilot.

Goose was an NFO.

 

[Boomhower]

Someone who thought they knew their stuff told me that as long as you meet some minimum requirements you were automatically excepted into flight school and as long as you did well you passed. --
Eric

No, no, no, no. Your buddy is very much wrong. These days, especially, you must do much better than whatever these minimums are. Truth is, I didn't even know there were minimums. It is very competitive.

 

[ryan1234]

-I plan on attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University: Daytona Beach as my primary school of choice. However, Purdue is a close second. I would like to obtain a degree in Aeronautical Sciences with a minor in Aerospace Studies. Will this be beneficial?

I kinda hated my experience at ERAU (mostly).... the flight program is good but has many, many bad downsides. If you get an ROTC scholarship it may be good for you... you may love it... many do....I don't think that ROTC scholarship money will pay for any part of the flight time.

My only advice to you is this..... do NOT take any loans out for flight training at ERAU. This is one of the most stupid things anyone can do.....

....and just make sure this is what you really want to do - because you may need to make some hard choices....like when you wake up in a sorority house with some random chicks 1.5 hours away at another school.... you may not want to drive back to your 8am class....

...oh yeah... and if you do go to Riddle... don't tell any girls that you go there (or use a stupid 'I'm a pilot line')... your scholastic reputation has been paved by many douchebags before you and it isn't that great.

 

[armada1651]

I kinda hated my experience at ERAU (mostly).... the flight program is good but has many, many bad downsides. If you get an ROTC scholarship it may be good for you... you may love it... many do....I don't think that ROTC scholarship money will pay for any part of the flight time.

I know you're only speaking about ERAU, but I just want to point out there are at least SOME flight programs that the NROTC scholarship will cover - I went to Westminster College in Salt Lake City and all of our flight fees were taken care of; I didn't spend a dime on college.

That said, as a graduate of a flight program, I highly recommend NOT entering one. That might just be because I have no interest in commercial aviation post-Navy, and those programs tend to be designed for that end. But an aviation degree will leave you...well, not very well rounded, to say the least, if you end up a Naval Aviator. Will the civilian flight experience help in Navy flight school? Maybe, maybe not, but in my opinion the limitations of the degree outweigh any possible (slight) "edge" you might have in Primary. I'm sure there are others who will disagree with that opinion.

Finally, I've said it before and I'll say it again: Riddle kids are nerds.

 

[Immy]

Go to Purdue. Out of state tuition sucks but it's cheaper than Riddle even if you're doing the flight program (which adds around $40k in fees over 4 years).

Just my very limited perspective.

 

[Pags]

Don't major in flying, the Navy or AF will teach you how to do if you get to flight school. Go to college for a real degree that could also be useful as a backup plan in case the flying gig doesn't work out (and will make you a more well rounded person).

 

[Spike511]

Goose was an NFO.

Gah. Well, to be honest...I've only seen like, the last flight anyway....although I probobly should have known. I guess I should watch it one day.

No, no, no, no. Your buddy is very much wrong. These days, especially, you must do much better than whatever these minimums are. Truth is, I didn't even know there were minimums. It is very competitive.

I'm not a minimum kind of guy, and hell, I'm sure it's extremely competitive. However, so is the Air Force. I guess it's going to come down to lifestyle and who gives me more money for college...and after talking to a Virginia Tech Cadet/Airman/Admin, unless I major in engineering, i'm getting very little if any. Yet, on the back of all the Boys Life magazines I get for being a Boy Scout, it keeps telling me the Navy will pay up to $200,000. Anyone have any information on this? It sounds too good to be true.

Speaking of which, anyone know which branch is more difficult to get a slot in? I hate to sound like the guy that wants the easiest route, but I'd like to offer myself the best chance.

I kinda hated my experience at ERAU (mostly).... the flight program is good but has many, many bad downsides. If you get an ROTC scholarship it may be good for you... you may love it... many do....I don't think that ROTC scholarship money will pay for any part of the flight time.

My only advice to you is this..... do NOT take any loans out for flight training at ERAU. This is one of the most stupid things anyone can do.....

....and just make sure this is what you really want to do - because you may need to make some hard choices....like when you wake up in a sorority house with some random chicks 1.5 hours away at another school.... you may not want to drive back to your 8am class....

...oh yeah... and if you do go to Riddle... don't tell any girls that you go there (or use a stupid 'I'm a pilot line')... your scholastic reputation has been paved by many douchebags before you and it isn't that great.

I have no doubt this is exactly what I want to do. Thats what appeals to me about Riddle. One, my best friend wants to go there as well. Two, location. Three, from what I hear, excellent flight program. And four, everyone there loves aviation in some way shape or form. And hell, if I had a girlfriend who loved flying, I'd be in heaven!

I know you're only speaking about ERAU, but I just want to point out there are at least SOME flight programs that the NROTC scholarship will cover - I went to Westminster College in Salt Lake City and all of our flight fees were taken care of; I didn't spend a dime on college.

That said, as a graduate of a flight program, I highly recommend NOT entering one. That might just be because I have no interest in commercial aviation post-Navy, and those programs tend to be designed for that end. But an aviation degree will leave you...well, not very well rounded, to say the least, if you end up a Naval Aviator. Will the civilian flight experience help in Navy flight school? Maybe, maybe not, but in my opinion the limitations of the degree outweigh any possible (slight) "edge" you might have in Primary. I'm sure there are others who will disagree with that opinion.

Finally, I've said it before and I'll say it again: Riddle kids are nerds.

1. I have interest in commercial post Navy. Not saying i'm only going in the Navy/USAF for flight experience. To me, thats just a bonus. I want to go in the military for 5-10 years regardless of flight, it only seems natural to try and get a pilot slot.

2. Any school that offers me a full tuition including flight deffinately is going to have me very interested. Not just Riddle or Purdue.

3. My backup career choice is Law Enforcement. All I need for that is a degree of some sort....so I'm covered there, regardless of degree. I feel if I want to be a pilot, I might as well learn everything I can.

4. I guess i'm considered a nerd regardless. Thats probobly what I would be if I didn't play football, technically making me a Jock by nature. But I love computers and stuff, and reading, and apparently reading these days makes you a nerd. Go figure.

Go to Purdue. Out of state tuition sucks but it's cheaper than Riddle even if you're doing the flight program (which adds around $40k in fees over 4 years).

Just my very limited perspective.

Purdue and Riddle are practically tied for my first choice. I heard Purdue only accepts 75 students for their flight program though, so I like to be realistic.

Don't major in flying, the Navy or AF will teach you how to do if you get to flight school. Go to college for a real degree that could also be useful as a backup plan in case the flying gig doesn't work out (and will make you a more well rounded person).

My secondary career choice if something happens with Aviation is Law Enforcement. All they require is a degree of somesort. So, I figure I should go for a degree in something I will find interesting, enjoy, and so I can learn everything I can about Aviation.

Thanks Alot Gentlemen (I would say Sirs, but that sounds sort of weird...)
--
Eric