Air Force OTS

[willfly4food]

Hey guys,

I could be stirring up a huge hornet's nest by asking this, but oh well. Does anybody know whether or not the Air Force slots are as competitive as the Navy's seem to be? All the helo drafts that are popping up are making me curious as to other branches of services.

Thanks

 

[thepilot33]

I was just turned down by the AF for a pilot slot because they are extremely competitive and I did pretty well on all their requirements. I have now turned my attention to the Navy and the Marines. After talking with a Navy recruiter just about two weeks ago I know that pilot slots are just as hard to come by as the AF slots are.
Derek

 

[gabelewis]

the navy is just as hard as the airforce right now. The difference is the navy emphasizes the astb heavily while the airforce wants to see a high afoqt and pcsm score along with a private pilot's license. The air force also likes to see a sports background. The Navy is mainly picking up ROTC right now.

 

[willfly4food]

Thanks for your replies guys. Have both of you taken the AFOQT? How does it compare to the ASTB besides the fact that it's longer?

 

[spsiratt]

The AFOQT score is actually not one of the main things the Air Force is looking at right now. If that were the case, I'd be at Maxwell AFB. However, the PCSM is derived from AFOQT scores, BAT score and how many flight hours you have. A PPL makes for a huge advantage with the AF. Also, degree is of utmost importance to the AF right now. Technical degrees are in high demand. As for the Navy, I'll hope they put a lot of emphasis on the ASTB scores. If that's true, I should do well.

captaintailhook, the AFOQT is a LOT longer. It's in something like 16 or 18 subtests (it was almost a year ago, little foggy now). Whereas the ASTB is kind of mixed up with the verbal and math bits, the AFOQT is split into very distinct sections. Parts of it are extremely easy because your use of time is really the tested skill. Other parts give you plenty of time but will make your brain cramp. Take your time and find all the gouge you can for whichever test you intend to take and study up. It really will make a difference. Good luck.

Shaggy

 

[TSPO]

Air Force OTS is going at about 10% selection rate for pilots right now. GPA, PCSM, and AFOQT are the most important scores, but they employ a standardized application scoring technique to ensure that their "whole person concept" is adhered to. PPL is not a "huge advantage", because almost everybody that applies has one. However, it is a huge disadvantage if you don't have one, alot of recruiters won't even waste their time if you don't have one. Degree is considered with GPA, for instance, a 3.2 engineering GPA is better than a 3.5 management GPA. Prior service, work experience, leadership exp, volunteering activities, self improvement activities, LOR's, criminal background, and adaptability are also all very important. All in all, the Air Force OTS application process is alot more structured and straightforward than the Navy's. At least that is my opinion, granted, I did have a ****ty recruiter when I applied to Navy OCS.

The AFOQT is not very difficult, if you prepare for it. Get the ARCO study guide and practice. It is a fatiguing 4 hour test. You need to be familiar with it to understand which sections you have time to complete and which ones you need to hall balls on. I took it twice, the first time unprepared and my scores ranged from 57-96 (max 99 on 5 different subsections). The second time I was prepared and scored in the 90's across the board. The PCSM is made up of the BAT test, a classified test similar to a computer game, the AFOQT pilot score, and flight hours. 99 is maximum, you need to be in the 90's to be competitive. Starting FY04, the min PCSM is 50, and the min. GPA is 3.0. There will only be four selection boards for rated and critical tech slots, two for non-tech slots.

 

[spsiratt]

As I said, having a PPL is a huge advantage over someone not having one (me). As far as recruiters "wasting their time"... BS. I've known several people get accepted without them, but it is much less likely. Timing seems to be very important now as the AF has way more than enough applicants. When they have a lot of slots, they select a lot of people. You are correct about the degree/GPA combo, it's weighed heavily. Although the other factors you listed are considered, they do not play as large a part as you may think. That's straight from a Colonel who sat on the board. I've heard that "whole person concept" about a million times, but it's really not as true as we'd all like. The AF's application process is much more structured, but I'm still not sure that's a good thing. They seem to miss the flexibility that the Navy's process embraces.

The rest of your info is spot on. It really does help a lot to be prepared for the AFOQT. Good job on your scores!

 

[TSPO]

Sorry bro, all of my info is "spot on."

First of all, I didn't say it was a waste of time to apply without a PPL, I am well aware that some people are picked up without one. What I said was "alot of recruiters won't even waste their time if you don't have one." That means exactly what it says. Some recruiters feel that they have too many qualified applicants to spend their time on a less qualified applicant, i.e. someone without a PPL. The AF OTS application process is very lengthy and involved, and takes a considerable amount of time and effort to complete. Most recruiters know the (un)likelihood of being selected without the PPL, and SOME won't work with you. My recruiter told me himself that he had an applicant with a 3.5+ engineering GPA and AFOQT scores in the 90's but he had no flight time, so he convinced him to apply for a Nav slot.

As far as the application scoring process, here ya go, right out of the regs:

Factors to be Evaluated
All 3 board members score each record on a 6-10 scale (1/10 point increments) based on the whole person concept. The scoring factors and subfactors are:

A. Education/Aptitude (4 subfactors)
- academic discipline, AFOQT scores, GPA, transcripts
B. Experience (7 subfactors)
- employment, responsibility level, honors/recognition for performance, letters of recommendation, athletics, community involvement, skills/hobbies
C. Potential/Adaptability (5 subfactors)
- evaluation of interviewing officer, adaptability/potential experience, letters of recommendation, communication skills, law violations/involvement

Minimum points per factor – 2
Maximum points per factor – 3.33
Minimum total score per record – 18
Maximum total score per record – 29.99
Point differences of greater than 1 (splits) are returned for rescoring

Are you saying that a board of three Colonels doesn't follow the regs?