What were the steps to becoming a naval aviator?

[mcneillaviation]

I’m trying to create a list of the steps that people have taken to become a naval aviator. While becoming an aviator may not be something you can just turn into a list, if anyone is able to kinda turn their journey into a list, I would love to hear it. So far, I’ve written down:

1. private pilot license + instrument rating, build hours

2. apply to Academy, OCS, or NROTC

3. Take aerospace engineering, something aviation related such as aviation management or nuclear engineering. STEM!!

4. Make sure to ace tests: study religiously, make sure you can ace the ASTB and OAR. Maintain a GPA of 4.0

5. apply for SNA position once I am in a position to do that.

6. In Naval flight school, be top of the class. Study hard and put everything you have into it.

That’s all I have, thank y’all for your time!

 

[Mos]

I had no flight hours, no stem degree, gpa was ~3.3, and I wasn't top of my class in anything until the FRS. In retrospect, the only thing I had that maybe stood out was grad school. I was otherwise pretty average with decent work ethic, commitment, and a bit of luck to get my wings.

 

[SE_53]

One thing you need to decide for yourself is if you want to go to an academy or if you want the classical college experience. I did not go to an academy so I can't comment on that exp but I can say I am very happy I got to enjoy my college years at a state school. Also, your major does not need to be aviation related. A good rule of thumb is to choose a degree that you enjoy and make a living with if for some reason (medically or otherwise) you aren't able to fly. Good Luck!

 

[mcneillaviation]

I had no flight hours, no stem degree, gpa was ~3.3, and I wasn't top of my class in anything until the FRS. In retrospect, the only thing I had that maybe stood out was grad school. I was otherwise pretty average with decent work ethic, commitment, and a bit of luck to get my wings.

Thank you for the reply! that makes me feel better about not having to totally be the absolute best.

 

[mcneillaviation]

One thing you need to decide for yourself is if you want to go to an academy or if you want the classical college experience. I did not go to an academy so I can't comment on that exp but I can say I am very happy I got to enjoy my college years at a state school. Also, your major does not need to be aviation related. A good rule of thumb is to choose a degree that you enjoy and make a living with if for some reason (medically or otherwise) you aren't able to fly. Good Luck!

I’m not sure there, I’m leaning towards academy but I don’t get in, I’m fine with having the regular college experience too. But I’ll definitely consider that and what you said about majors.

 

[Pags]

I’m trying to create a list of the steps that people have taken to become a naval aviator. While becoming an aviator may not be something you can just turn into a list, if anyone is able to kinda turn their journey into a list, I would love to hear it. So far, I’ve written down:

1. private pilot license + instrument rating, build hours

2. apply to Academy, OCS, or NROTC

3. Take aerospace engineering, something aviation related such as aviation management or nuclear engineering. STEM!!

4. Make sure to ace tests: study religiously, make sure you can ace the ASTB and OAR. Maintain a GPA of 4.0

5. apply for SNA position once I am in a position to do that.

6. In Naval flight school, be top of the class. Study hard and put everything you have into it.

That’s all I have, thank y’all for your time!

1. Didn't do it. Didn't need it for commissioning program.
2. Which commissioning program you do depends on where you are in life (OCS is post undergrad)
3. I was a helluva engineer. You don't have to be. Each squadron is required to have a guy who majored in gym, Sanskrit, music, or theater.
4. Have fun in college and get good grades. But balance it with living a life. A 3.0 and lots of good times will probably make you happier than a 4.0 and no fun. And either one is good enough for flight school.
5. Yep, gotta pick SNA and get picked
6. If you want your pick in flight school to be guaranteed you need to be top of your class. But if you try your best in flight school, pass, and don't end up as #1 you'll still get wings and end up in the fleet. Just about everyone who goes to flight school shows up wanting jets but not everyone gets it because there are a lot more helo and P-8 pilots in the Navy, people change their minds, and just about everyone ends up happy with their platform after the RAG.

 

[mad dog]

3. I was a helluva engineer. You don't have to be. Each squadron is required to have a guy who majored in gym, Sanskrit, music, or theater…or geology.

Fixed it…see geology addition above.

 

[picklesuit]

1-Take ASVAB in HS, score 99.
2-Tell recruiters to stop calling you, and go to college.
3-Pay for college with loans, incurring $52K in debt.
4-Take a victory lap, graduate in 5 years with a BS in Animal Science. Ensure your GPA is too low for grad school or Vet School (3.02)
5-Get job for $11.81/hr
6-Work
7-Take ASTB/OAR, score 5/5/4/58.
8-Start OCS application, get laughed out of OR office.
9-Take ASVAB again, then enlist.
10-Boot Camp/A School/C School/FRS/Squadron
11-Apply to OCS, get told “No”
12-Apply again, get told “yes”
13-Graduate OCS, Commission as an SNFO (sad noises)
14-have a kid, buy a boat, enjoy A-Pool for 7 months
15-have accession numbers be so fucked up they run out of SNAs
16-Have perfect vision, transition to SNA (happy noises”
17-Primary, Advanced, Winging, Profit!

YMMV,
Pickle

 

[mcneillaviation]

1-Take ASVAB in HS, score 99.
2-Tell recruiters to stop calling you, and go to college.
3-Pay for college with loans, incurring $52K in debt.
4-Take a victory lap, graduate in 5 years with a BS in Animal Science. Ensure your GPA is too low for grad school or Vet School (3.02)
5-Get job for $11.81/hr
6-Work
7-Take ASTB/OAR, score 5/5/4/58.
8-Start OCS application, get laughed out of OR office.
9-Take ASVAB again, then enlist.
10-Boot Camp/A School/C School/FRS/Squadron
11-Apply to OCS, get told “No”
12-Apply again, get told “yes”
13-Graduate OCS, Commission as an SNFO (sad noises)
14-have a kid, buy a boat, enjoy A-Pool for 7 months
15-have accession numbers be so fucked up they run out of SNAs
16-Have perfect vision, transition to SNA (happy noises”
17-Primary, Advanced, Winging, Profit!

YMMV,
Pickle

That may be the most chaotic sounding list about your career, but, it was entertaining and there was definitely stuff in there that I’d do. Thank you so much.

 

[mcneillaviation]

1. Didn't do it. Didn't need it for commissioning program.
2. Which commissioning program you do depends on where you are in life (OCS is post undergrad)
3. I was a helluva engineer. You don't have to be. Each squadron is required to have a guy who majored in gym, Sanskrit, music, or theater.
4. Have fun in college and get good grades. But balance it with living a life. A 3.0 and lots of good times will probably make you happier than a 4.0 and no fun. And either one is good enough for flight school.
5. Yep, gotta pick SNA and get picked
6. If you want your pick in flight school to be guaranteed you need to be top of your class. But if you try your best in flight school, pass, and don't end up as #1 you'll still get wings and end up in the fleet. Just about everyone who goes to flight school shows up wanting jets but not everyone gets it because there are a lot more helo and P-8 pilots in the Navy, people change their minds, and just about everyone ends up happy with their platform after the RAG.

I mean, I’m kinda trying to do everything I can to try to guarantee a pilot slot, but, you’re definitely right about living my life. I’ll try to chill about the GPA stuff.

 

[Griz882]

Fixed it…see geology addition above.

History….there is always a history major and if their isn’t, your squadron sucks.

 

[Astro_Rekt]

I won't say there aren't people like you've listed here in Primary, I probably just don't associate with them (or they don't like to talk about it).

1. Had ~30 hours of flight time intermittently accrued from post-high school until I joined. Nobody cared or noticed.
2. OCS
3. Studied journalism, mostly just tried to have a good time and wound up with a 3.2
4. I happen to be good at tests, so that helped. Honestly I played Starcraft for the application part of the ASTB.
5. I guess they needed pilots. This was right before COVID so maybe that helped me.
6. Work as hard as you can/want, but keep in mind there's a lot outside your control so try to be as zen as you can, for your mental wellbeing.

Whenever I talk to people about joining, they seem to think the standards are incredibly high, like you've hinted at. I like to try to dispel that as much as possible; if they only had a chance to meet some of these dudes...

 

[mcneillaviation]

I won't say there aren't people like you've listed here in Primary, I probably just don't associate with them (or they don't like to talk about it).

1. Had ~30 hours of flight time intermittently accrued from post-high school until I joined. Nobody cared or noticed.
2. OCS
3. Studied journalism, mostly just tried to have a good time and wound up with a 3.2
4. I happen to be good at tests, so that helped. Honestly I played Starcraft for the application part of the ASTB.
5. I guess they needed pilots. This was right before COVID so maybe that helped me.
6. Work as hard as you can/want, but keep in mind there's a lot outside your control so try to be as zen as you can, for your mental wellbeing.

Whenever I talk to people about joining, they seem to think the standards are incredibly high, like you've hinted at. I like to try to dispel that as much as possible; if they only had a chance to meet some of these dudes...

so flight time before you joined just doesn’t tend to matter? Well, it is a relief to know that while the standards are high.. they aren’t that high.

 

[PEFO Silver-Shades]

1-Take ASVAB in HS, score 99.
2-Tell recruiters to stop calling you, and go to college.
3-Pay for college with loans, incurring $52K in debt.
4-Take a victory lap, graduate in 5 years with a BS in Animal Science. Ensure your GPA is too low for grad school or Vet School (3.02)
5-Get job for $11.81/hr
6-Work
7-Take ASTB/OAR, score 5/5/4/58.
8-Start OCS application, get laughed out of OR office.
9-Take ASVAB again, then enlist.
10-Boot Camp/A School/C School/FRS/Squadron
11-Apply to OCS, get told “No”
12-Apply again, get told “yes”
13-Graduate OCS, Commission as an SNFO (sad noises)
14-have a kid, buy a boat, enjoy A-Pool for 7 months
15-have accession numbers be so fucked up they run out of SNAs
16-Have perfect vision, transition to SNA (happy noises”
17-Primary, Advanced, Winging, Profit!

YMMV,
Pickle

Thats a crazy outcome, i too graduated with a degree in Animal Science, but went to applying for OCS right after graduation with a 3.9 GPA. but i first have to get through NAMI with my 20/40 vision

 

[croakerfish]

so flight time before you joined just doesn’t tend to matter? Well, it is a relief to know that while the standards are high.. they aren’t that high.

It may turn you from a low to mid-level performer in Primary into a better one in the early stages. This will in turn improve your odds of getting your preference of advanced platform. If you are a bit of a slow learner it may save you from failing a flight prior to your first solo flight. That’s about it. Unless you were a commercial pilot or CFI prior to flight school it isn’t going to be a huge deal.