How to become a Special Operations Pilot? USAF?

Question

I am interested in becoming a pilot for the Air Force and am in the process of applying to the AF Academy, I was wondering if graduating from there would I be able to go through the training and experience to one day become a rotor wing pilot for SOF? I know I want to become a pilot period and if I don't get into the academy take ROTC at a UC and join the AF after that, but I'm just curious if someone could shed some light on this career. Thank you.

Answer 1

The type of airframe you end up flying and it's mission is based on the abilities you display during training and the needs of the Air Force.

Answer 2

Usaf Special Operations

Answer 3

Glad to hear you are so interested in joining the AF and flying for AFSOC (Air Force Special Operations Command). The other folks did a great job answering your question, but hopefully I can fill in some of the gaps being an AFSOC pilot myself. First off, if your motivated, get good grades, and are involved you'll do well at the USAFA or in AFROTC. I did ROTC, but it's a pretty even split in my squadron between USAFA and ROTC guys. Stay focused regardless of the path you go and you'll have a great shot at getting a pilot slot. As far as getting an AFSOC assignment, that's all based on your UPT (undergraduate pilot training) class ranking and what assignments are available. If you finish #1 or 2 in your class then you'll most likely get your assignment of choice. If not, then put all AFSOC aircraft and hope for the best. If you want to fly helos for AFSOC then you'll want to go the helo track after you finish flying the T-6. Helo training is held at Ft Rucker and you'll end up in the UH-1, HH-60, or CV-22. The CV-22 is the only AFSOC helo these days, but has a very neat mission set. Just give UPT your all, do well in academics/flying, help your classmates, and you'll have a good shot at getting what you want.



I've been in AFSOC for the last 4yrs and have deployed 6 times so I'd be happy to answer any more questions you might have. I also wrote a book called Your Road to Wings: How to Become an Air Force Pilot which giving insight into earning a pilot slot, doing well at UPT, and getting an assignment among other things. Feel free to check it out on Amazon if your interested. I'm also interested in feedback to make future editions better if you have time.

http://www.amazon.com/Your-Road-Wings-Become-ebook/dp/B00BWQLQUE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1370634574&sr=8-2&keywords=how+to+become+an+air+force+pilot



Good luck!

Jonathan

[e-mail]

Answer 4

First, I would strongly recommend that you try and be appointed to USAFA, as most pilots in the Air Force come from there, and only a few from AFROTC. That said, after attaining a bachelors, you then take the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test, and must score at least a 25 on the pilots portion, it is similar to the SAT (it is 4.5 hours long). Then they will subject you to many physical, psychological, and background tests, to include a Class 1 Physical. You can't be under 5 feet 4 inches tall, but no more than 6 feet 5 inches tall, and cannot be overweight. I don't know the exact vision requirements, so forgive me. If you’re colorblind, have problems with depth perception or have had laser eye surgery, you’ll be disqualified.



Thats just the beginning, this is where the fun begins.

Flight School: There are only about 1,400 pilot trainee slots available through the Air Education and Training Command based at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio. If you’re among the select few, you’ll need to undergo training in two stages.

Introductory flight training. The program consists of 25 hours of hands-on flying for ROTC or Officer Training School graduates who don’t already have a civilian pilot’s license. Civilian flight instructors teach the introductory course using a small, single-engine, propeller-driven plane. You must fly solo at least once before you’ve reached the 17th hour of required flying time. You’ll also receive 25 hours of classroom instruction in flight techniques.

Specialized undergraduate pilot training. This year-long program consists of 10- to 12-hour days that include classroom instruction, simulator training and flying. You’ll learn basic flight skills common to all military pilots at one of three places: Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi, Laughlin Air Force Base in Texas, or Vance Air Force Base in Oklahoma. Next, you’ll follow one of four advanced training tracks based on your class standing and learn how to fly a specific type of aircraft. From here you can pick the CV-22 and hopefully fly special ops. Good luck.



Sorry if this is long, but it seems as if you know what you want, and I respect that.

Answer 5

Af Special Operations

Answer 6

The Air Force used to allot 500 Pilot slots to the Air Force Academy and 500 Pilot slots to Afrotc with the need for additional pilots allotted to OTS. Afrotc commissions around 1,000 Lieutenants while Afrotc commissions around 2,200. Most years almost any Usafa Cadet who wanted a Pilot slot attained one regardless of class rank. Approximately 60% of Cadets are pilot qualified.

http://oi39.tinypic.com/ih5xs2.gif

Slots allotted to Usafa have been trending down since the class of 2010 when 520 Cadets earned slots. 450 Usafa Cadets of the Class of 2013 earned Pilot slots. The last two OTS selection boards, September 2012(398) and March 2013(247) offered rated slots to 645 OTS Officer Candidates, which may signal a change in the Air Force's sourcing of Pilots. Since there were 490 pilots selected in the Class of 2012, there were probably Cadets who wanted and did not receive Pilot slots this year or it could be that the class of 2013 was the first after the significant diversity push, and for diversity Candidates there may be less emphasis on selecting those who are potentially pilot qualified.

http://www.aetc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123338917

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123318110

Berkeley and UCLA are the only UC's that offer Afrotc on campus. The others with the exception of UCM have cross town school arrangements. There are only 67 HH-60G Pave Hawks in the Active Air Force.

http://www.af.mil/information/factsheets/factsheet.asp?fsID=107

General Norton Schwartz, former Chief of Staff of the USAF was a Special Ops Pilot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4URWUqTm9E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7eg6P4kKx8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3y8AtRMDNN0

There is a higher probability of attaining a Pilot slot through Nrotc than through Afrotc since the Navy allots roughly the same number of pilot slots to Usna and Nrotc but each commissions about the same number of Ensigns. Air Force has 1% rotary; Navy has 25% rotary; Marines have 55% rotary. Through the PLC, the Marines will award a pilot slot as early as freshman year of college. PLC commissions as many Marine Lieutenants as USNA and Nrotc combined. 30% of Marine Officers are Pilots.

http://www.marines.com/becoming-a-marine/commissioning-programs/four-year-colleges/platoon-leaders-class

Afrotc Cadets, scholarship and non-scholarship, compete to earn a field training slot and an enrollment allocation to the POC during the winter of sophomore year. Scholarship Nrotc Mids do not compete to earn Advanced Standing. The Air Force Academy website offers outstanding advice to students prepping for a service academy, rotc scholarship or any highly selective university. Open all links to the right of the page. Be sure to open the "Character Matters" link and read it carefully."

http://www.academyadmissions.com/admissions/advice-to-applicants/all-applicants/

Might be informative with regard to service academy appointments:

https://answersrip.com/question/index?qid=20120125193024AA11LUr

UC admissions are essentially based on GPA and Test scores with a sliding scale depending on the API of the high school. The rest of the application- personal statement, extracurriculars etc- gives the two readers information of the proper context to consider the Gpa and test scores of applicants from non homogeneous high schools when scoring the application 1-5, or really 1-4 since 5 means the applicant did not meet minimum stated UC admission standards. 1 is the best score. As long as the two readers scores do not differ by more than +1, the scores are averaged. If there is more than a +1 difference, a senior reader who is a full time employee scores the application. There are no set standards for scoring an application 1-4. It is totally subjective. Relatively uncompetitive low API High Schools, with API ranks of 1-4, require a lower Gpa and much lower Sat/Act scores for the application to receive a 1 or 2, which usually means admission, than applications from students at more competitive, higher API Schools. After the applications are scored, admission is by tiers and the tiers are either college wide regardless of major as for L&S or by major for other colleges like Engineering. In other words, if L&S has 10,000 slots and 1,000 applicants are scored a 1, all 1's are admitted, regardless of major. So are all 2,000 1.5's and 3,000 2's. There are not enough slots for the 6,000 2.5's so there is further scoring of the 2.5's and the L&S class is filled. All 3's, 3.5's and 4's are rejected. For Engineering and other colleges, the same takes place for each major.

At "School Reports" tab, find California high school to view academic profile of students enrolled at Berkeley and other UC's.