Wanted to introduce myself! and ask a few q's

[Valion310]

Silencer, welcome to the site, we've got an AWSOME community here and this is truely a special place for guys like us. I'm a Junior in collage and also plowing my way through my Aerospace Tech degree and am doing my first solo this week. As you can tell, everyone here has a lot of experience and great information base.

Even though I'm a Junior and finished with all my courses except what is required for my major, I've had a lot of younger guys who are finding out I'm prior enlisted and very driven on my goals talking a lot to me about their dreams of being commissioned and flying jets and seeking advice from me on various avenue's. One thing I tell them across the board and can't stress enough is right now the number one most important thing you can do is collage and getting thier education. OCS and commissioning programs won't even look at you until you are within the 24 month window to graduation and if you don't have the grades and "rounded" background to back yourself up, your real chances of being competative against the other gillion guys across the nation are pretty slim.

So anyway, if I could offer any advice, spend quality time researching what you want, find out everything you possibly can about flying, the academic, operational and other aspects of it. Get some cockpit time and see if you even like it, and dig into your school and pick a major, stick to it and be the absolute best without exception. Even if its underwater basket weaving, if its what you do best and are good at it, then they will look at you just as much as anyone else. But by far right now, getting the grades and background built is super important, then the applications, OCS, recruiters and commissioning and the big enchillata of flying with a tail hook will come in time.

Hope it helps ... GO NAVY! BEAT ARMY!

"Valion310 turning crosswind -"

 

[Gatordev]

quote:
...One thing I tell them across the board and can't stress enough is right now the number one most important thing you can do is collage and getting thier education. OCS and commissioning programs won't even look at you until you are within the 24 month window to graduation and if you don't have the grades and "rounded" background to back yourself up...

I'm by no means arguing the intent of what your saying, and indeed, this is a fantastic resource. But I have to disagree w/ your statement above. That's one thing that doesn't seem to be getting out here on the boards, which is why I mentioned it earlier. Just because you have started or are about to start college, does not mean you can't enter a commissioning program where they pay your tuition (albeit not right away). That's why I was mentioning College Program. Even if one is starting their Junior year, but they are in a five year program (like an engineering program), you could still be a part of ROTC, and have an opportunity to have the Navy pay you while you are at school (not to mention a senior cruise). Of course, in the scenario I just listed, you wouldn't be paid much, but there are other cases when you could get a full ride.

Just don't want people to discount that option. Sorry Valion, I think that might have come off as rude to you, and that was not my intention. Hope I was clear enough.

 

[Valion310]

No no, good words, definitly no offense taken. There are so many programs, and I've consentrated so hard on OCS/Flight Off Can. Program and the BDCP that I don't remember them all.

"Valion310 out-"

 

[kent1644]

You don't have to do anything to be able to rent the planes, except have a private pilots license, and have a membership card. You will have to fill out a good bit of paper work and watch a film and take a test also. You also have to take a check ride at a check ride clinic, which the CAP will pay for, which means free flight time. I have gotten my instrument rating from an airforce KC-135 pilot for nothing except the cost of the plane. It costs like $50 dollars a year to join.
Hey Silencer,,

Right now im pursuing a degree in aeronautical science which will get me all the ratings,,, fortunately my school is only 1700 a semester and it is right down the road..Of course the flight time is where all the money goes..So my hope is to get BDCP and have the navy pay for my ratings,, and why not?? One of the advantages to getting a degree in aer. science (if your not bdcp) is that if you decide you do not want to go into the navy in a couple of years you can go ahead to where the money is, the airlines..for me i had wanted to get to the airlines and that was it..but after watching the people around me (CFI's) become bus drivers, i decided i wanted to be part of something special and distinguish myself from the pack..that being said i would like to know how those who did not get a degree in aviation or have any flight time know that they liked flying or if they could even handle it?? if you come in with all those ratings you know you are a good pilot, and im not saying it means you will be a good navy pilot, but you at least know you can fly an airplane...Kents advice is very good as well, get the private license part 61 and join the CAP..hey kent what do you have to do for the CAP to be able to fly their planes for 20$/hr?? anyways silencer if you have an interest in another degree it would make sense to pursue that and have the navy train you to fly later, as many others are SNA's without an aviation degree..Good Luck with the whole process


[/quote]

 

[mcbride_t_m]

Buck,
Being a KC-130 Navigator rocked. I loved it. I went through the old pipeline that emphasized celestial navigation. It really is a dying art though. With GPS in place, cel nav is the dinosaur way to get across the pond. I was an enlisted nav, the Corps is the only service that has motivated Lance Corporals steering the bus. The KC-130 nav pipeline is very different than the NFO pipeline. C-130 Navs don´t go to Primary, instead emphasizing strictly the nav aspect (getting from Point A to B, low levels drops, refueling planning, battlefield illumination, and a host of other nav oriented responsibilities). The school is 7 months long and taught in conjunction with the Air Force at Randolph AFB in San Antonio, TX. The RAG is in Cherry Point, NC and lasts about 6 months. The high of the job was seeing the world. The low... having fill out per diem paperwork (Navs do it all baby!). Now I co-drive the bus, and that rocks too. Any crew position on a C-130 is a good one. Just get up in the sky and cruise. There isn´t a better place to be in the world. Cheers.