Any REAL pilots out there?

[YUCCA]

They dont just LET you be a pilot in the military.  I beleive you say "hey um i wanna be a pilot."  They look you over and say "nah dont think so, we found 1 guy who we think is better."  Then they make you do a job you dont want to do like being a cook.  Is that assumption right?
     
     I'd rather not commit a chunk of my life to something i never wanted to do in the first place.

[CyranoAH]

Originally posted by LePaul
Heh...Creamo ...
Meanwhile, I have my PPL..about 225~hours, just renting.  I've had it since 1992 and wish my fbo had the rental selection CyranoAH's does!

I have been very lucky indeed, it's the second largest club in Europe if I'm not mistaken and the only one that has both helos and twins.

Full list: C152, C172N, C172J, C182, PA28, PA18, PA27, C310, R22, Robin 200, Tecnam P92JS, CAP 10B, Zlin Z-50, Rally, 5 gliders, Bücker Jungmann, Dornier 27, T-34, Flamingo, Fairchild, and soon a Trenet Master

Daniel

[Gunslinger]

Originally posted by Wolfala
Bottom line Yucca, there are no guranteed career path's in aviation. Like the rest of life, its a crap shoot - albiet an expensive one. To get all of your ratings expect to spend $30,000 - but if yr just your private, then $10,000 isn't unusual. But don't go into it expecting to be making $100,000 out the door - yr lucky to be pullign $12,000 a yr like Frenchy said - and in many cases MUCH MUCH less. Thats why pilots are so good at waiting tables to support ourselves.



Wolf

Dont be fooled though....wolf does use his "pilot status" to pick up large amounts of woman.  This suppliments his income as he is the only accredited pilot trainee male gigalo in N. America.

[Toad]

Yeah, I do.

Post yours, I'll get in touch.

[airbumba]

Single engine PPL/IFR/floats/night 325 PIC.

You could always shoot for float pilot, and make the same money talked about before.....but you get the added luxury of black flies crappy old planes and the wondefull feature of loading your own plane, every ride. At least your sure of the COG loading.

[YUCCA]

c_gresens@yahoo.com

[Maverick]

Private pilot and aircraft owner. My Comanche is up for sale right now. Not tired of flying but the wife and I are both retiring to travel full time in a RV. No way I'm going to let the bird sit on the ramp for months.

[B17Skull12]

my friend has worked his way up by paying for the lessons.

Commerical pilot that works for Air Combat USA (i can get free air combat sessions if someone doesn't show up:D ) and he is working on instructor liscense

lots of cash

soon as im old enough im going to start taking lessons for private pilot liscense.

[mjolnir]

Originally posted by YUCCA
They dont just LET you be a pilot in the military.  I beleive you say "hey um i wanna be a pilot."  They look you over and say "nah dont think so, we found 1 guy who we think is better."  Then they make you do a job you dont want to do like being a cook.  Is that assumption right?
     
     I'd rather not commit a chunk of my life to something i never wanted to do in the first place.

Well, there is a lot of work and lot of compitition to get a military pilot training slot, this is true.  And it certainly isn't for everyone, especially if you don't really want to be in the military in the first place.  The upside is, you get to fly the coolest planes around if you make it through.

[YUCCA]

Well, would going out and getting all my ratings and licensing before i joined the military increase my chances of being accepted as a military pilot? Or would they not even look at that.

If it would increase the chances of being accepted how much so and what other variables would be involved (if any of you know.)

[Wolfala]

Originally posted by YUCCA
Well, would going out and getting all my ratings and licensing before i joined the military increase my chances of being accepted as a military pilot? Or would they not even look at that.

If it would increase the chances of being accepted how much so and what other variables would be involved (if any of you know.)

The short answer is as follows:

You will be put through the same bull**** as everyone else, only you will go through it with fewer growing pains then the rest of your class assuming you are afforded a pilot slot. That does not mean you are any less expensive to train - the prevailing attitude would be to train the civilian way of flying out of you.

Much like the Navy has its own way of teaching aerodynamics as it applies to Navy aviation, civilians teach what applies to them. Remember, civilians we deal with airspeeds <200 knots mainly unless you are a lucky SOB with a Mooney Rocket. Military aircraft are on the bleeding edge of stalling at 200 knots.

I got off track here: it would show that YOU WERE MORE MOTIVATED and have investe some time then any other guy that walked in through the door with zero time and said he wanted to fly. But it does not improve your chances one bit - so if military is the way you want to go - I suggest you find a Colonel and suck his bellybutton hard. If you have any questions - the email is Wolfala@aol.com



Wolf

[Gixer]

Had my PPL for helicopters since 95 and CPL since 97 industry here is pretty busy as I think it is in other parts of the world for helo pilots. No idea what it's like for the ATPL crowd.



...-Gixer

[YUCCA]

So what would the military be lookin for in a wannabe-pilot? IE: physical dimensions, courses in high school (do they look at your high school transcript?)  I'm assuming that they'd put you through a specific program that would put you through physical tests, this really is no big deal EXCEPT i i can't swim if thats something that i'd have to do ( well i can swim, but if someone saw me they'd yell " a retarded kid is drowning!" then proceed ot drag me out of the water

[Steve]

wolf does use his "pilot status" to pick up large amounts of woman.

hey, large women need love too.  Thanks for taking it for the team!

[Wolfala]

Originally posted by YUCCA
So what would the military be lookin for in a wannabe-pilot? IE: physical dimensions, courses in high school (do they look at your high school transcript?)  I'm assuming that they'd put you through a specific program that would put you through physical tests, this really is no big deal EXCEPT i i can't swim if thats something that i'd have to do ( well i can swim, but if someone saw me they'd yell " a retarded kid is drowning!" then proceed ot drag me out of the water

As with anything academic - the better your grades are the better you look to any service. The chairforce is 90 % support and 10 % airborne - that is, 10 % fly - 90 % push a desk. The Marines, actually have the highest percentage of aviators relative to the size of the service which as you may know is very small compared to Army or Airforce. There is a market for helicopters - esp in the military: Army has the warrent officer program. USMC you have to be an Officer so that means either the Naval Academy of College then a commission. Either way, if you are set on it - you gotta have good grades, and if you don't have good grades - be a stubborn SOB outside of school. I wasn't great in academics but I was blessed with starting to fly at a very early age - so by the time I needed to make a commitment - I already had 700 + hours under my belt - that was my resume essentially. But my route was not the typical one.

BOTTOM LINE: Get good grades, study up on world affairs - background in political science, arms control and proliferation is a bonus so you don't look like another guy looking to play with a 20 millon dollar toy. You gotta sell yrself as with any job - but remember what you are giving up freedom wise for that job.



Wolf