17 Year Old Looking To Become A Pilot

[Fallonflyr]

Are you an airline pilot?! And, if you don't mind me asking, what is the "VT's"? Thanks, I'd really like to go the PLC route if possible.

A VT is what they call the training squadrons in Naval Aviation.
I am currently an airline pilot, did 10 years active duty flying the A6 then the F/A-18 in the Marines. I went PLC. My career has been a result of great timing.

 

[nittany03]

Wow, thanks for the in-depth advice! Just a question, if I somehow become a NFO, would I still be able to fly for the airlines? Or do I 100% need to be a pilot to have that chance?

If you are an NFO, you would need to keep up flying as a civilian pilot on your own dime to meet minimums. NFO flight time doesn't count for the FAA.

 

[nittany03]

The basic law of prior flight time is this: If you have a good amount of time, it may very well help...unless it doesn't. If you have no prior flight time, it may not matter.

Sage wisdom. I think the best benefit of prior time is that it may initially get over the "oh crap" factor for your beginning flights, giving you a better foundation to build on. I got some significant (relatively speaking) instrument time as a PPL student, which I think helped me on basic instrument navigation in Primary. I also was lucky enough to go through instruments when there was a glut of simulator time available to practice, practice, practice. And the scenarios were relatively canned, so you could study ahead and do well. There are limitations to this, though. Fleet flying is not canned. And with regards to private time, Navy flight training will push you far beyond what you can learn as a civilian, and quickly. At this point, the new guy and commercial pilot are both relying on their natural skill, and it may be that the new guy has more. Also, as a civilian, you can keep beating your head against the proverbial wall until you get something, as long as you have money to spend. The Navy requires you to perform at a certain standard after X flight hours, with a small allowance for extra training if you're struggling. Don't meet wicket X at time Y? Thanks for playing; you're toast.

 

[roflsaurus]

It wouldn't cover everything, there were a few vets in my classes when I was going through, and they were saying that the GI Bill definitely helped, but didn't cover everything. I would recommend leaning away from Aero Science/Aeronautics degrees and more towards Engineering degrees, since they'll be a lot more useful. The AeroSci degree is essentially just a way to get a 4-year degree alongside your civilian flight training to satisfy requirements for airline hiring. Stuff like weather classes, ATC, FAA regulations, 747 systems, etc. and not very useful for anything other than going from a civilian with no time to getting into the right seat of a regional airliner (after getting the 1500 hours, of course). I was an AeroSci major, and in retrospect, I would rather have picked almost anything else. If you already have flight training and time from flying military, I'd recommend either an engineering degree or an MBA. If you go enlisted and are looking to use the GI Bill to pay for flight training, I'd go somewhere other than ERAU, since your money will go further at, say, UND or Purdue or Dowling.

Just to throw it out there, the post 9/11 GI Bill does pay for all of your tuition at ERAU thanks to the yellow ribbon scholarship. It doesn't, however, cover flight training at ERAU. I think it has something to do with ERAU tuition costing more than $17,500/year. So like you said, all the more reason to do Engineering, computer science, etc vs. Aero Sci if you decide to go to ERAU.

 

[Tristan_Realest]

A VT is what they call the training squadrons in Naval Aviation.
I am currently an airline pilot, did 10 years active duty flying the A6 then the F/A-18 in the Marines. I went PLC. My career has been a result of great timing.

Oh ok. Would VT's apply for the USMC as well? I'm just curious because most people do get Helo's, so I want to be prepared incase I get selected to fly helos. So is it possible to transition from helo to flying fixed wing (jets, C130, etc)? Thanks!

 

[Tristan_Realest]

Sage wisdom. I think the best benefit of prior time is that it may initially get over the "oh crap" factor for your beginning flights, giving you a better foundation to build on. I got some significant (relatively speaking) instrument time as a PPL student, which I think helped me on basic instrument navigation in Primary. I also was lucky enough to go through instruments when there was a glut of simulator time available to practice, practice, practice. And the scenarios were relatively canned, so you could study ahead and do well. There are limitations to this, though. Fleet flying is not canned. And with regards to private time, Navy flight training will push you far beyond what you can learn as a civilian, and quickly. At this point, the new guy and commercial pilot are both relying on their natural skill, and it may be that the new guy has more. Also, as a civilian, you can keep beating your head against the proverbial wall until you get something, as long as you have money to spend. The Navy requires you to perform at a certain standard after X flight hours, with a small allowance for extra training if you're struggling. Don't meet wicket X at time Y? Thanks for playing; you're toast.

Wow, thanks for all the insight. I believe I can do it thought with hard work. However, I do have a question, what would happen if I got selected for PLC (Air Contract), and ended up "failing" API in Pensacola, or the ASTB, or something? What would happen to me?

 

[Fallonflyr]

Oh ok. Would VT's apply for the USMC as well? I'm just curious because most people do get Helo's, so I want to be prepared incase I get selected to fly helos. So is it possible to transition from helo to flying fixed wing (jets, C130, etc)? Thanks!

I'm sure someone here could point out some current websites that explain the training pipelines, but yes, in the USMC you will go thru the Naval Aviation training pipeline. Think of the USMC as Naval Aviation-Men's division.

I know some people that started out in helos and ended up in the Hornet. It all depends on the "needs of the Corps"...you will hear that phrase again.

 

[Gatordev]

Wow, thanks for all the insight. I believe I can do it thought with hard work. However, I do have a question, what would happen if I got selected for PLC (Air Contract), and ended up "failing" API in Pensacola, or the ASTB, or something? What would happen to me?

Tristan, I'd really recommend you poke around the site some. A lot of your questions are answered in the stickies at the beginning of each sub-forum. There are many hurdles besides just "failing API." At any one of them, your career in Naval Aviation can be ended. What will happen to you also will depend on what's going on the military at that time. If the Navy/Marines don't need bodies, you may just be sent home. Or, they may send you to some other training for some other officer job. The short answer is: "it depends."

Fallonflyr has given some great advice, but I'd recommend looking at some of the differences between Marines and Navy (there's multiple threads here for that). Then decide what interests you and under which service you want to work long hours, be away from home, and potentially do some dangerous stuff. I say the payoff for all that is still worth it, but understanding what mission you would be expected to be doing will help it make it even more enjoyable.

Lastly, you have a goal (airlines), which is great. And I'd even say it's not a big deal to make that public, but PLEASE don't go into the military and Naval Aviation and make everything about how to next get to that goal. You'll be miserable and piss off your squadronmates.

 

[xmid]

I think the Navy may be a better fit for your long term airline goals. Just to hedge your bets, the Navy has more fixed wing options out of primary than the Marines. If you go Marines you will be competing for either jets (which have a slightly higher grade cut off than the Navy does) or C-130's which are ubber competitive with very few slots per year. The Navy on the other hand has a lower grade cut off on jets and has P-3's which are great for the airlines and usually aren't that competitive to get. We also have the E-2/C-2 for multi-engine time. Marines also do a longer first tour before rotating to a shore billet, which is where a helo guy could start logging fixed wing time flying primary students. All that being said, and as much as I hate the Air Force, you are almost guaranteed to fly fixed wing with them if you don't want helicopters (they don't have many helo's and they are usually very competitive as all they do is SPECOPS support/CSAR). If you do end up flying helos in the USMC/USN just enjoy it. They are a blast to fly, and you should have options to log FW time later in your career.

 

[LFCFan]

All that being said, and as much as I hate the Air Force, you are almost guaranteed to fly fixed wing with them if you don't want helicopters (they don't have many helo's and they are usually very competitive as all they do is SPECOPS support/CSAR).

I've been told by friends and family that it is one slot per class (if there even is one).

To add to this, the AF might give you the chance to get hours in same/similar types of aircraft that you'd fly in the airlines. The downside is that even though they have a separate designator (or whatever term they'd use) for drone guys, they still may be putting dudes in the drone pipeline who aren't of that designator.

 

[wink]

Lastly, you have a goal (airlines), which is great. And I'd even say it's not a big deal to make that public, but PLEASE don't go into the military and Naval Aviation and make everything about how to next get to that goal. You'll be miserable and piss off your squadronmates.

Great advice, even though the OP won't need to worry about it for a few years. For the rest of you guys closer to the fleet, heed this advice. I was a NFO. A bit unusual and a lot more work to become an airline pilot from there. But when I got hired the word around the squadron was how unfair it was to the single anchor guys because "you didn't even want to be an airline pilot." You won't have a shot at being an airline pilot unless you are the best officer and pilot you can be while in the military. That won't happen if you are just living for the airline gig. As said, baby step.

 

[Tristan_Realest]

Tristan, I'd really recommend you poke around the site some. A lot of your questions are answered in the stickies at the beginning of each sub-forum. There are many hurdles besides just "failing API." At any one of them, your career in Naval Aviation can be ended. What will happen to you also will depend on what's going on the military at that time. If the Navy/Marines don't need bodies, you may just be sent home. Or, they may send you to some other training for some other officer job. The short answer is: "it depends."

Fallonflyr has given some great advice, but I'd recommend looking at some of the differences between Marines and Navy (there's multiple threads here for that). Then decide what interests you and under which service you want to work long hours, be away from home, and potentially do some dangerous stuff. I say the payoff for all that is still worth it, but understanding what mission you would be expected to be doing will help it make it even more enjoyable.

Lastly, you have a goal (airlines), which is great. And I'd even say it's not a big deal to make that public, but PLEASE don't go into the military and Naval Aviation and make everything about how to next get to that goal. You'll be miserable and piss off your squadronmates.

I'll definitely have a look around. Oh, and, trust me, if I got into military aviation, I would forget about airline flying for the time being. I want to enjoy my time in the military (if I do go in).

 

[Tristan_Realest]

I think the Navy may be a better fit for your long term airline goals. Just to hedge your bets, the Navy has more fixed wing options out of primary than the Marines. If you go Marines you will be competing for either jets (which have a slightly higher grade cut off than the Navy does) or C-130's which are ubber competitive with very few slots per year. The Navy on the other hand has a lower grade cut off on jets and has P-3's which are great for the airlines and usually aren't that competitive to get. We also have the E-2/C-2 for multi-engine time. Marines also do a longer first tour before rotating to a shore billet, which is where a helo guy could start logging fixed wing time flying primary students. All that being said, and as much as I hate the Air Force, you are almost guaranteed to fly fixed wing with them if you don't want helicopters (they don't have many helo's and they are usually very competitive as all they do is SPECOPS support/CSAR). If you do end up flying helos in the USMC/USN just enjoy it. They are a blast to fly, and you should have options to log FW time later in your career.

Awesome, I'll definitely see what the Navy has to offer me, and, (if necessary), I'll check the Air Force too. I wouldn't have a problem going USMC flying helos if I knew there was a way where I could transition somehow to get the necessary prerequisites to fly for the airlines.

Also, do you think if I got MV-22, I would be good to go for the airlines?

 

[Tristan_Realest]

Great advice, even though the OP won't need to worry about it for a few years. For the rest of you guys closer to the fleet, heed this advice. I was a NFO. A bit unusual and a lot more work to become an airline pilot from there. But when I got hired the word around the squadron was how unfair it was to the single anchor guys because "you didn't even want to be an airline pilot." You won't have a shot at being an airline pilot unless you are the best officer and pilot you can be while in the military. That won't happen if you are just living for the airline gig. As said, baby step.

Thanks for the advice. I'll definitely try to focus on baby steps, I just like to look so far ahead and plan for anything.

 

[Tristan_Realest]

I've been told by friends and family that it is one slot per class (if there even is one).

To add to this, the AF might give you the chance to get hours in same/similar types of aircraft that you'd fly in the airlines. The downside is that even though they have a separate designator (or whatever term they'd use) for drone guys, they still may be putting dudes in the drone pipeline who aren't of that designator.

I'd definitely will want to avoid drone flying at all costs. First off, I don't even think regional drone flying is ethical.