HOW TO BECOME A PILOT IN THE NAVY

[mahopacjock14]

Hey guys I'm an eager and ambitious 16 year old kid from New York who would love to fly for the Navy. I'm new to this website and not quite sure how it works but I have a couple questions regarding where to begin in the career. I'm just starting my junior year in high school I'm decently smart with a 3.4 GPA and a lot of AP and Honors classes. I understand I probably can't get into Annapolis with these grades and I'm therefore looking into going to a tier one aerospace engineering college through NROTC. Is this the right route for me? If so what do I do during my time in college and or right after to become a pilot in the navy? PLEASE HELP

 

[PropStop]

most will advise you to use the search function as this question has been ask many, many, many times. However, I understand your enthusiasm and desire to get a directed answer to your question. So, I'll give you one!

Don't discount a service academy - your grades are pretty good. Apply to all of them. If you graduate a service academy other than Annapolis, you can actually still go Navy (or whatever service you want).

If you go the regular college route (as I did) then go to ANY accredited college for any subject that interests you. Many many pilots are history majors or underwater basket weaving majors. Major is not a big deal when applying to the Navy for OCS. I'm not sure if major is a big deal for ROTC. You want to get a high GPA. So if you're struggling with aerospace engineering, try something easier. If you've got the talent to do it, more power t you. Bottom line - major isn't very important.

Don't get a minor consuming or other run-in with Johnny Law. Mind your Ps and Qs. Find civic activities to volunteer doing. Be a good citizen.

ROTC is a great deal - but not a sure flying billet. Currently OCS is the only way to get a guaranteed flying billet (if you qualify).

Keep up the enthusiasm. Keep your nose clean. Keep your grades up. Be a good citizen and you'll be welcomed into the Navy easily.

 

[TheBubba]

Like Prop said, don't discount the Academies because you had a 3.4. I am a Naval Academy grad, and my high school grades were worse than yours, and I went to one of the bottom schools in NJ. My advice to you would be apply to the Naval Academy and let them decide.

Everything PropStops told you is spot on. And definitely chse a major that you'll enjoy and are interested in. I know pilots and NFO's with majors varying from criminology to aerospcae engineering. I was a computer science major. A classmate of mine in Pensacola was an elementary education major and a kindergarden teacher before joining the Marine Corps.

Good luck and stick around and keep us posted. If you want my views and experiences at the Academy, shoot me a PM.

Good luck and hope it works out for you. You won't regret it.

 

[mahopacjock14]

Thank you very much Prop and Bubba I thought you needed like a 4.0 just to be considered at the academies. And the reason I had chose aerospace engineering was because i was interested in it and thought it would make a nice back up in case i don't make it as a pilot. I play soccer, tennis and run track however i had asthma when i was younger(very very mild) however will this hinder my chances of becoming a pilot?

 

[Gatordev]

I got into Annapolis when I was 5 years old, so it's not that hard. I even stayed there for 7 years. Oh, you meant the Academy...

 

[beaverslayer]

You forgot about the best commissioning source out there: OCS. You can go to whatever college you want, study whatever you want, not have to wear uniforms through college, and best of all have a guaranteed aviation contract before you are committed to anything. With both the Academy and NROTC, you will have to commit to service before being guaranteed any specific contract. Just sayin'.

Plus this way you can have a normal, civilian college experience for a few years to make sure that this is really what you want to do before you sign anything. If it is, then great you can get in touch with a recruiter and go from there. If you change your mind after a while, then no harm done, you aren't committed to something you don't want to be a part of any more.

 

[helolumpy]

Keep all your options open.
If you go ROTC, it is expected that you will major in some kind of engineering. The Navy actually tracks the number of folks in different majors. The Navy has expected percentages of folks in the different majors. You may get to major in other stuff, but expect some pressure to do an engineering. Oh yeah, regardless of your major you'll have to take Calc and Physics.

OCS is great if you can get a slot. With the expected tightening of all things fiscal, OCS is the easiest program to turn off to control the number of people coming in. As you will find on this site, OCS slots are getting tougher to get each year.

The Academy is a good education and it's free. It's a different experience than normal schools though.

Like has been said previously, study hard, stay out of trouble, do not decide now is the time to experiment with drugs and max out your extracirricular actives (sports, eagle scout, JR ROTC and student Gov't are the better activities to have on your resume).

Good luck

 

[Wudgles]

I'm not sure if major is a big deal for ROTC. You want to get a high GPA. So if you're struggling with aerospace engineering, try something easier. If you've got the talent to do it, more power t you. Bottom line - major isn't very important.

Major now IS a big deciding factor for NROTC spots (USN side). They've allocated the majority for Tier 1 majors, something like 75%, which are mostly pure engineering majors. The remaining 25% are split between Tier 2, other sciences, and Tier 3, things like Econ and Philosophy. The NROTC website will be more informative with the specifics. While I agree you should study what you want, just know that major will come down to be a deciding factor for NROTC. However, there are other areas that will count heavily as well, namely extracurriculars and having a good officer interview. Shoot to knock those out in your final years of HS.

Like everyone will tell you, though, your chances are 0% if you don't apply. Put in for all the academies AND all forms of ROTC, and let them figure it out.

Best of luck to you. I remember being in your shoes not too long ago. Keep the enthusiasm up.

 

[ReconJos]

MHPJ14:

To touch briefly on your asthma question, I too had asthma as a child (I think I was in 2nd grade). I was completely asymptomatic after a few attacks that one year. For my DODMERB physical (required for USNA and NROTC), I was required to get proof from the pulmonologist who treated me that I no longer displayed any symptoms of asthma.

They will likely require the same of you - you will do your initial DODMERB physical, then they will come back and tell you that you need to submit additional documentation x, y, and z from specialists a, b, or c. As long as your doctor says the same thing (asymptomatic for x years), that *should* be sufficient to get you any waivers required and clear the way for you to get in to USNA / NROTC and presumably be eligible for a flying spot.

Bottom line, having asthma 10 years prior to applying to USNA didn't end up limiting my commissioning options at all. I have been flying for 10 years with no problems.

Disclaimer: There are some flight docs who hang around on the forum too, who may provide different information from what I just gave you. Listen to them over me, as I applied 14 years ago and it's distinctly possible things have changed!

 

[The Phiz]

Disclaimer: There are some flight docs who hang around on the forum too, who may provide different information from what I just gave you. Listen to them over me, as I applied 14 years ago and it's distinctly possible things have changed!

The flight docs here are great, but when I had a medical question about whether I would be able to fly, It made me feel better to see it in Digital black and white. Try here: NAMI Waivers.

Heres what I found:

15.1 ASTHMA
AEROMEDICAL CONCERNS: Asthma symptoms can rapidly progress from minimal to totally disabling. Exposure to smoke or fumes can provoke attacks in susceptible individuals. Positive pressure breathing, breathing dry air, and +Gz exposure can stimulate bronchospasm in individuals with hyperreactive airways.
WAIVER: A history of asthma is considered disqualifying (CD) for aviation duties and training, even if the disease is very mild.
APPLICANTS: Waivers for applicants may be considered if all of the following are true:
1. The individual has been asymptomatic for a minimum of five years without medication.
2. Baseline pulmonary function testing (PFT) is normal
3. Methacholine challenge test is negative.

Edit* Even if this DQ's you, I would still talk to a flight doc.

 

[phrogpilot73]

Apply to all of them. If you graduate a service academy other than Annapolis, you can actually still go Navy (or whatever service you want).

One caveat to this, there has to be an equal number of people wanting to cross commission at the other service academy. i.e. - if you go to West Point and want to cross commission into the Navy, there has to be someone at the Naval Academy that wants to comission in the Army.

Like Prop said, don't discount the Academies because you had a 3.4. I am a Naval Academy grad, and my high school grades were worse than yours, and I went to one of the bottom schools in NJ. My advice to you would be apply to the Naval Academy and let them decide.

+1, I guarantee that my grades are worse than TheBubba's AND yours. Desire counts at the Naval Academy, and if you can express that desire to the board - you can get in. For the record, I graduated from High School with a notable and stellar 1.69 GPA. And I graduated from the Naval Academy with a degree in Computer Science.

 

[AirPirate]

Without having my finger on the pulse of NROTC today (scholarship vs. college program), I'd say pick your major based on follow-on flow, meaning what you would do without the Navy or after the Navy because a Naval career holds the benefits of your education in escrow. But choose wisely. I know a guy who had a full ride academic scholarship to study physics, convinced he would become a physicist. He flunked out in his first year for difficulty, re-attacked at a different school studying finance. Besides his half-a-dozen children and 8-car garage, he is enjoying his pair of Ferraris and his Bentley in his spare time. Your major can have a greater impact on your second career.

For the record, I graduated from High School with a notable and stellar 1.69 GPA. And I graduated from the Naval Academy with a degree in Computer Science.

I'm not sure what that says exactly. No doubt you're a shoe-in for TPS.

 

[FLYNAVY20]

Hey guys I'm an eager and ambitious 16 year old kid from New York who would love to fly for the Navy. I'm new to this website and not quite sure how it works but I have a couple questions regarding where to begin in the career. I'm just starting my junior year in high school I'm decently smart with a 3.4 GPA and a lot of AP and Honors classes. I understand I probably can't get into Annapolis with these grades and I'm therefore looking into going to a tier one aerospace engineering college through NROTC. Is this the right route for me? If so what do I do during my time in college and or right after to become a pilot in the navy? PLEASE HELP

I admire your enthusiasm. When I was your age all I cared about was playing football and girls. I didn't stay out of trouble because I had a goal like yours in my cross-hairs, I stayed out of trouble because I had a dad who was my teacher and high school football coach. I lucked out I guess. I got a football scholarship and finally started to take school seriously even though I didn't know what the hell I was going to do when I graduated. I had no idea I would need a high GPA (to get in the Navy some day). I majored in Public Health. Not electrical engineering, not aerospace blah blah. In my opinion it's better to have a 3.5 in Health than a 2.8 in engineering. But..... choose a major you're interested in and you might enjoy. If you don't, you'll hate it and you'll probably get bad grades and your dream will be dashed. Also, you want a major you can and would want to use, just in case you don't get in. Oh and don't let anyone tell you you can't get in!! That was the long of it. Here's the short: Keep your nose clean (except when it comes to kissing a little professor ass....I had three Phds write letters of rec for me). Don't do drugs (they'll ask). How are your eyes? If they're 20/40 or worse, I'm sorry but you won't be flying (pilot). Better you know now. Get good grades. Get involved in your school. Take on leadership positions. Are you an athlete? If so, try to play sports. I'm convinced that's why I got in. If you can afford it get your private pilot license. You might find out you don't even like to fly. I didn't get mine....it helps though.

If you have any more questions about my journey or the process let me know. Good luck to you!

 

[Echo24]

Hey guys I'm an eager and ambitious 16 year old kid from New York who would love to fly for the Navy. I'm new to this website and not quite sure how it works but I have a couple questions regarding where to begin in the career. I'm just starting my junior year in high school I'm decently smart with a 3.4 GPA and a lot of AP and Honors classes. I understand I probably can't get into Annapolis with these grades and I'm therefore looking into going to a tier one aerospace engineering college through NROTC. Is this the right route for me? If so what do I do during my time in college and or right after to become a pilot in the navy? PLEASE HELP

Thats what I did, has worked so far for me. Way more freedom then the academy, easier classes/lifestyle generally. I am top of my nrotc class and am originally from the academy. Wouldn't want to go back now that I left, but there is a special pride you acquire if you are a USNA MID or graduate. Bottom line try your best in everything you do and just stay on track and a flight slot will fall in your lap. True story, take it from me.

 

[MIDNJAC]

. How are your eyes? If they're 20/40 or worse, I'm sorry but you won't be flying (pilot). Better you know now.

The rest of your post is solid, but this is somewhat bad gouge, at least without this caveat: while the standards indeed ARE 20/40 max uncorrected, correctable to 20/20, the USN and USMC both do accept applicants who have undergone laser surgery who are eligible for waivers. If you aren't a Naval Academy/service academy student, then the money for this surgery will have to come out of your own pocket, but it is an option.