Jet Pipeline Percentages

[Double]

I posted this under the marine section, but perhaps it would be more fitting here:
I am new on the forum, but I have been looking into a career in military aviation for a very long time now. In all my research, I have had trouble finding any definite numbers on what the percentage of flight students in the various branches recieve jet slots. I've always been partial to becoming a Marine aviatior, but I've heard that you should only do it if you like the idea of flying helicopters. CAN ANYONE GIVE ME SOME KIND OF IDEA IN TERMS OF WHICH SERVICES GIVE OUT WHAT PERCENTAGES OF JET SLOTS? I know that it changes from week to week but setting personal performance aside, I would like to know in which branch one would have the best and the worst chance of flying jets according to the availability factor.

 

[airgreg]

I'm certainly not an authority on the subject, but I've heard jet percentages of about:

Air Force - majority are jets
Navy - 20-30%
Marines - 10-20%

Army has gotta be mostly helos.

Everything depends on the needs of the service at the time you select. Could be zero jets, could be all jets. Someone please revise if you have more accurate numbers. Also, there are numerous other posts discussing this -- try a search.



Edited by - airgreg on 07/22/2002 07:36:18

 

[DBLang]

I think you're about right. Though I would imagine that the navy is more like 30-35% jets.

 

[Double]

Thanks for the help guys. In my personal prior research based on the number of the different types of aircraft that each branch owned, I calculated the figures to be around 50% Air Force, 40% Navy, and 20% Marines. If anyone ever read Shane Osbourne's book "Born to fly", he talks about how he got stiffed getting into the jet pipeline because their was some mechanical problem with the flight controls of the jet training aircraft which cause a pool of jet students to build up awaiting entry to intermediate jets. That's how he ended up flying the EP-3. That would suck if you ask me, but he ended up being happy with his platform after all. At least that's what he said. Anyway, if anyone has anything else to add, please feel free.

Chris

 

[Double]

Speaking of Shane Osbourne's book, I really would recommend anyone interested in Military aviation to read it. I thought that it did a really good job of illustrating how much being a military pilot means being at war 365 days a year.
So much of the general public has no idea of the job that our military does day in/day out preserving our many freedoms. It was amazing to read about all the dangers that were involved just going up for a routine flight in the EP-3. One excerpt that comes to mind was when he was commenting how the gear breaks on the aircraft were so sensitive that any accidental contact above taxing speed would instantly blow the tires. Then there was the part to where those Chinese Finbacks were flying so close that they could read one of the Chinese pilot's e-mail addresses as he held it up to his cockpit window. Obviously, too close for comfort eventually became to close to avoid contact. On top of it all, ditching an EP-3 had never even been tried because most pilots assumed that the instant that the big radome uner the plane's fuselage hit the water, it was cause a deceleration to abrupt for any realistic chance of survival. I'll leave the rest of the excitement to anyone interested in reading the book themselves. You don't have to buy it necessarily I mind you. Many Americans, among our bountiful plenties of freedom forget to take part in the glories of public libraries. So if you can manage to unstick your eyes from the discovery wings channel, get a library card and haul-ass to the military aviation section of your local library for some truly amazing first-hand stories from our nations's heroes of the sky.

Chris