What can a young aspiring aviator do to get ahead?

[undrgrad]

Title.

Currently a senior in high school, trying to make myself as competitive as possible to seek a pilot slot through OCS after I graduate college. Way I see it I have about a 4 year lead and want to put together the best package possible for myself, here are some of the steps I'm taking so far:

• Been slowly getting my PPL, almost done and about to take my checkride providing I can afford it (I know it "doesn't matter" but I wanted to get some flight experience)
  
  
• Working through the Navy PRT requirement sheets getting into shape.
  
  
• Plan on joining intermural leagues etc. once I go to college
  

Besides these things, is there anything else I can do to put myself in a better position? Thanks for any advice beforehand.

 

[AllAmerican75]

Title.

Currently a senior in high school, trying to make myself as competitive as possible to seek a pilot slot through OCS after I graduate college. Way I see it I have about a 4 year lead and want to put together the best package possible for myself, here are some of the steps I'm taking so far:

• Been slowly getting my PPL, almost done and about to take my checkride providing I can afford it (I know it "doesn't matter" but I wanted to get some flight experience)
  
  
• Working through the Navy PRT requirement sheets getting into shape.
  
  
• Plan on joining intermural leagues etc. once I go to college

Besides these things, is there anything else I can do to put myself in a better position? Thanks for any advice beforehand.

1. What's your plan for school? Are you good academically? What degree are you going to get? Where are you going to school?
2. Why OCS instead of the Naval Academy or Merchant Marine Academy (many great Naval Aviators who have come from Kings Point) or NROTC?
3. While great if you're interested in it, a PPL isn't a necessary requirement. The Navy will teach you to fly the Navy way through Navy schooling and with Navy methods. Having your PPL may introduce bad habits you learned/picked up during your civilian "career". Either way, it would be a deal breaker for getting a pilot slot or not.
4. How about medical history? Any skeletons in the closet like asthma or ADHD? Best to get those squared away with documentation to support it right now.

 

[Jim123]

The medical piece @AllAmerican75 mentioned is the wildcard. With that in mind, be smart about which sports you play so you can avoid any permanent injuries.

Getting your PPL is fine. The bad habits thing can be real in flight school but a lot of the prior experience vs learning to fly the "Navy way" is about attitude. If you're willing to learn the Navy's way of doing xyz maneuver, when the Navy's procedures are different from the perfectly good way that you already learned it, then the experience can help. If not, then it can hurt.

Keep your eyes and ears open. You'll come across something called the "whole person concept" in recruiting and in reading these forums. If that means scoring leadership points by being the captain of an intramural softball team or the president of the college chess club- and the duties of those involve phoning five other members before each monthly meeting or bringing the bats to the game, then hey, run with it. Not everybody who applies was the starting QB of a D1 school while simultaneously pulling down a 4.0 in engineering and volunteering at the homeless shelter on weekends. If you want to get involved with some club or society and they already have a president, you can still make the experience stand out on your future application if you contribute in a way that's pulling more than your weight. Figure out your strengths and weaknesses and do what works for you- don't burn yourself out and flunk your classes but don't do nothing either.

 

[MGoBrew11]

OP, all the stuff you mentioned is good. You’re on the right path.

My own extracurriculars were sports, a fraternity and some community service through student organizations.

Honestly, biggest thing for you now is get good grades and stay out of trouble with the law.

 

[Randy Daytona]

I believe the Marines offer guaranteed aviation if you want to consider the Corps.

 

[undrgrad]

1. What's your plan for school? Are you good academically? What degree are you going to get? Where are you going to school?
2. Why OCS instead of the Naval Academy or Merchant Marine Academy (many great Naval Aviators who have come from Kings Point) or NROTC?
3. While great if you're interested in it, a PPL isn't a necessary requirement. The Navy will teach you to fly the Navy way through Navy schooling and with Navy methods. Having your PPL may introduce bad habits you learned/picked up during your civilian "career". Either way, it would be a deal breaker for getting a pilot slot or not.
4. How about medical history? Any skeletons in the closet like asthma or ADHD? Best to get those squared away with documentation to support it right now.

1. My plan is to go to a 4 year college (right now I'm looking at CU Boulder), I am good at academics and am taking AP classes but at this point I have mostly coasted and haven't really had to "try hard" to get through with decent grades (I regret it, but my HS gpa right now is about a 3.5. Not good not terrible).

2. I chose OCS because it seemed like the "best deal" regarding getting to track to what position you want before you "sign on the dotted line". Not to be "that guy" but aviation is really a passion and I want to pursue that, getting sidetracked to another position wouldn't be the worst as I want to serve my country but I still feel like I could do that best from the air.

4. As far as medical issues, I am perfectly healthy. I did have some childhood asthma when I was like 5 or 6, I got prescribed an inhaler but never used it after that incident which was most likely just allergies or something. I ran track etc. throughout the rest of my childhood, never had breathing issues.

 

[undrgrad]

The medical piece @AllAmerican75 mentioned is the wildcard. With that in mind, be smart about which sports you play so you can avoid any permanent injuries.

Getting your PPL is fine. The bad habits thing can be real in flight school but a lot of the prior experience vs learning to fly the "Navy way" is about attitude. If you're willing to learn the Navy's way of doing xyz maneuver, when the Navy's procedures are different from the perfectly good way that you already learned it, then the experience can help. If not, then it can hurt.

Keep your eyes and ears open. You'll come across something called the "whole person concept" in recruiting and in reading these forums. If that means scoring leadership points by being the captain of an intramural softball team or the president of the college chess club- and the duties of those involve phoning five other members before each monthly meeting or bringing the bats to the game, then hey, run with it. Not everybody who applies was the starting QB of a D1 school while simultaneously pulling down a 4.0 in engineering and volunteering at the homeless shelter on weekends. If you want to get involved with some club or society and they already have a president, you can still make the experience stand out on your future application if you contribute in a way that's pulling more than your weight. Figure out your strengths and weaknesses and do what works for you- don't burn yourself out and flunk your classes but don't do nothing either.

Thanks for the info, I am pretty familiar with the "whole person concept" and read about it a lot on here. I played some sports but mostly they were individual sports but on a team (trap and skeet shooting competitively, archery, track). I plan to do a bunch of intramurals and clubs to build that up once I get to college.

 

[Pags]

Consider an Academy or NROTC. As long as you do well in school you'll get a flight slot and the man will pay for your college. Having no school debt is a pretty good way to set yourself up in a lot of ways.

 

[Ghost SWO]

Thanks for the info, I am pretty familiar with the "whole person concept" and read about it a lot on here. I played some sports but mostly they were individual sports but on a team (trap and skeet shooting competitively, archery, track). I plan to do a bunch of intramurals and clubs to build that up once I get to college.

Sounds like you're on the right track.

Quick side note, NAMI will require tests for your childhood asthma, they don't care if you used the inhaler or not. The current test is a an MCCT (Methacholine Challenge Test). You can look up the details with a quick Google search but they have you breath in gas (Methacholine) in exponentially increasing doses which will induce asthmatic symptoms, and will be the ultimate test of whether you actually have asthma or not.

If you knock this test out now or maybe before you start your process and before MEPS, it would make it an easier transition into military service, particularly with the Navy/NAMI. That would be one less thing to worry about if you get selected as an SNA/SNFO.

Anyone who had "childhood asthma", or was prescribed an inhaler (regardless of usage) is receiving the test during OCS through off-base appointments/referrals.

 

[Hair Warrior]

1. Listen to Jocko podcast (start with episode #2)
2. Read Jocko’s books, and other books that he discusses on the podcast
3. Spend your free time enjoying high school and college. Hang out with good friends. Let loose without getting arrested or creating problems that can’t be fixed. There’s plenty of time to play Navy and focus on a mission, but you’re only in HS/college once. And trust me, those social skills will count for something later in life.

 

[undrgrad]

1. Listen to Jocko podcast (start with episode #2)
2. Read Jocko’s books, and other books that he discusses on the podcast
3. Spend your free time enjoying high school and college. Hang out with good friends. Let loose without getting arrested or creating problems that can’t be fixed. There’s plenty of time to play Navy and focus on a mission, but you’re only in HS/college once. And trust me, those social skills will count for something later in life.

Thanks for the recommendations, I will check them out.

As far as free time goes, I have friends and a social life and everything. Just wanting to focus on this goal is all

 

[Griz882]

CU Boulder is a fine school and they have Navy ROTC…do ROTC over and above OCS…as @Pags noted they have defined air opportunities as do the Corps. Keep away from the Boulder pot scene.

 

[undrgrad]

CU Boulder is a fine school and they have Navy ROTC…do ROTC over and above OCS…as @Pags noted they have defined air opportunities as do the Corps. Keep away from the Boulder pot scene.

I will look into NROTC. As far as the weed goes, it's a hard pass from me.

 

[Mos]

1. Listen to Jocko podcast (start with episode #2)
2. Read Jocko’s books, and other books that he discusses on the podcast
3. Spend your free time enjoying high school and college. Hang out with good friends. Let loose without getting arrested or creating problems that can’t be fixed. There’s plenty of time to play Navy and focus on a mission, but you’re only in HS/college once. And trust me, those social skills will count for something later in life.

Gee, how ever did I manage to have a career as a naval officer without a Jocko podcast or book? ?

 

[Hair Warrior]

Gee, how ever did I manage to have a career as a naval officer without a Jocko podcast or book? ?

He asked what he could be doing right now to better prepare. He didn’t ask what was the minimum, nor what worked 40 years ago.