military?

[usafa18]

i have a couple of questions that hopefully someone can help me with. first is embry riddle worth it? i am at University of Houston currently with 2 years done(basics) should i go to erau or finish a tech major at UH? MY goal is to fly for the military for many reasons, but i want to know if the 10 year commitment is before or after flight school? Can you still wash out after flight school and end up with 10 years owed? also i work for a pilot training school, i can probably get my ppl for a little cheaper, mabye $8000, is that good and should i get it to help with my chances of being selected for a pilot slot? will other rating help also, intrumental, multi...etc...? i would really enjoy to fly fast movers, any advice? thanks!!!!

[usafa18]

to add to the top, i know luck,hard work, good grades, etc... are important but any other advice besides those will be great! thanks!

[BCTAv8r]

Originally Posted by usafa18

i have a couple of questions that hopefully someone can help me with.

First of all, welcome to JC!

first is embry riddle worth it? i am at University of Houston currently with 2 years done(basics) should i go to erau or finish a tech major at UH? MY goal is to fly for the military for many reasons

I would say no. The military (and the airlines) do not care where your degree is from. All they care about is you having a bachelors. It also does not have to be a tech degree for you to get a pilot slot.

, but i want to know if the 10 year commitment is before or after flight school? Can you still wash out after flight school and end up with 10 years owed?

The 10 year commitment is after you finish flight school. If you wash out I am pretty sure you switch to another position and then there is a 4 year commitment (All I know is that Pilot=10 Nav=6 Other=4).

also i work for a pilot training school, i can probably get my ppl for a little cheaper, mabye $8000, is that good and should i get it to help with my chances of being selected for a pilot slot? will other rating help also, intrumental, multi...etc...? i would really enjoy to fly fast movers, any advice? thanks!!!!

$8,000 for a PPL after a discount still sounds very expensive. I usually hear people paying at the very max in the 7k range and my area is usually pretty expensive. The PPL does help with pilot slot selection as it raises your PCSM score. The more hours you get, the less this score goes up so while it might make a big difference to go from 0-40 hours it won't make much of a difference to go from 40-200 hours. Again, this is just from what I've read.

What method are you planning on following to get a pilot slot anyways? You might still be able to do ROTC but maybe OTS would be a better option for you.

[fltjunkie]

You should check out the AFROTC detachment at UH. Information is free and the admissions officer there can answer some of your questions in person versus piecemeal info from the net. Stroll on over to the office and check them out. ROTC is really no pressure sales, you can try the program for a semester and see if you like it, if not walk away, besides its an easy "A" to boost the old gpa.

http://afrotc.com/colleges/detachmen...ruiter_id=1175

http://www.uh.edu/afrotc


FJ

[usafa18]

Thanks for the replies; I am still trying to figure out which way I might take, AFROTC look promising and beneficial. Thanks agian!

[Hacker15e]

Originally Posted by usafa18

i want to know if the 10 year commitment is before or after flight school?

The 10 years is upon completion of Pilot Training for the USAF.

Originally Posted by usafa18

Can you still wash out after flight school and end up with 10 years owed?

In the USAF, once you walk across the stage and accept those wings, you owe 10 years, regardless of what happens after that (think of it as your 'training contract', unfortunately). Yes, you can still "wash out" of follow-on training, because undergraduate training is only the first step to becoming a mission-qualified pilot. How much training there is after that depends on what kind of aircraft you go to.

Once you are a rated pilot, though, you don't "lose your wings" when you fail out of follow-on training. Instead you go to what's called a Flight Evaluation Board, and that board decides if you continue being a pilot or lose your wings. It's a complicated process.

Originally Posted by usafa18

should i get it to help with my chances of being selected for a pilot slot? will other rating help also, intrumental, multi...etc...? i would really enjoy to fly fast movers, any advice? thanks!!!!

Having your PPL will help you be selected for training, but follow-on ratings probably won't.

My advice for you is to eat this elephant one bite at a time. There are literally hundreds of small goals and a couple really big milestones you need to reach before you can even start thinking about what kind of jet you want to fly.

Right now, concentrate on getting your degree (technical degrees are better than nontechnical degrees) and getting into ROTC. I think ROTC is a better route than OTS, but that's a personal opinion. Once you're in ROTC, then concentrate on the little things that are going to get you a spot in pilot training -- academics and physical fitness.

[88MPH]

To each their own, but I'd stick with UH. Focus mainly on your GPA, outside interests/volunteering, and I highly suggest ROTC. (or "Rawt-see" ... as it's called by those in the know)

I applied to OTS in late 2003, but was a non-select. It's not all that complicated, but it's a whole lot more competative, therefore, less likely you'll get in.