17 Year Old Looking To Become A Pilot

[Gatordev]

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

I don't think anyone really knows yet.

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

Out of curiosity, what do you define as "regional drone flying?" You may be in for some ethical dilemmas if you join any of the services, as you'll no doubt be sharing airspace with something that's umanned providing support.

 

[BusyBee604]

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.

It' s wakeup time. I know you're young and have a few years to go before putting together an application package, but here's a bit of advice: most of what I've gotten from you on this thread is that your big goal is to fly in the airlines as a career; and what the Navy and/or Air Force has to OFFER YOU to achieve your goal. The Navy & Air Force are in business to protect the sealanes, provide air superiority (among a few dozen other missions), and project power ashore worldwide; not to provide flight training/flight hours, and experience to prospective airline crews!

So REMEMBER... years from now, when writing your motivational statement, put great emphasis on what various qualities and experience you have to offer the services; and de-emphasize what they have to offer you, they already know that!

Also remember, when you put in a package for OCS, you are applying for a very competitive slot, just like a civilian job in a competitive job market. You have to sell yourself to them, not them to you. [/quote]
BzB

 

[nittany03]

It' s wakeup time. I know you're young and have a few years to go before putting together an application package, but here's a bit of advice: most of what I've gotten from you on this thread is that your big goal is to fly in the airlines as a career; and what the Navy and/or Air Force has to OFFER YOU to achieve your goal. The Navy & Air Force are in business to protect the sealanes, provide air superiority (among a few dozen other missions), and project power ashore worldwide; not to provide flight training/flight hours, and experience to prospective airline crews!

This is sage advice. You're 17. And in this day and age, that mean's you've probably grown up in an affirming environment where everyone told you how great you are. Guess what? So is everyone else applying. It's good that you're enthusiastic and motivated. That's the bare minimum necessary to even have a chance at getting winged. But so is everyone else applying. You're applying to be a cog in a machine, not a special snowflake. And you're signing up to compete with the top percentile of your peer group.

What your prospective instructors, who might just include some of the people I've recently served with, want is someone smart, dedicated, and willing to put in the work. But there's a flipside to that. You don't know what you don't know. They do. And if you come across as a prospective SNA/SNFO with "what's in it for me," you're going to be perceived as an arrogant snot, and get crushed. Even if you didn't mean it that way. This goes all the way up through finishing a fleet tour. There's nothing wrong with looking out for #1; no one else is going to do it anyway. But being a team player is essential in Naval Air.