Helicopter Pilots

[FYB]

Ever sense i was about 6 I've wanted to fly Helicopters, and about the age of 9 i changed it to military Helicopters.

Now the first thing that came to mind was, Iraq or Middle East. Just a bunch of "Bada Boom!", and then came the part where i stopped for a minute and went, "What do i need to fly a U.S. Military Heli?", now specifically i want to fly Blackhawks, or Blackhawk varients.

My question to people with this experience or knowledge to this question was, what do i need to meet the requirements?

If i can set my goals straight I'm taking a one way shot, no turning back or skipping, I'm going to start High school so i want to get done my goals down.

[Serenity]

Well, with a blackhawk, you want to be a warrant officer in the United States Military, MOS 153A. This is my personal fall-back if I don't get into UT and thus lose my NROTC slot. If you would like I can upload my entire checklist for you.

[Cougar68]

I'm at the opposite end of the life spectrum and looking at this very thing.  I'm 34 so it'll take a special waiver to get in, but I'll be talking with a recruiter next week. 

[Serenity]

I'm at the opposite end of the life spectrum and looking at this very thing.  I'm 34 so it'll take a special waiver to get in, but I'll be talking with a recruiter next week. 

IIRC, the cut-off for 153A is either 33 or 34...

[Reschke]

FYB

Good grades in school (that should be a given); college isn't a 100% requirement to be a helicopter pilot.

My father in law flew Huey gunships in Viet Nam and once they got the Cobra up and going transitioned into those. Then he went to work for Bell Helicopter and eventually was moved to Iran in the mid-1970's and was there up until about 2 weeks before the hostage crisis in Isfahan, Iran. My wife and her mother were shipped out to Germany 3 weeks before that with one of her brothers who got badly burned a couple of weeks before that.

[Selino631]

You can go enlist in the U.S. Army as a Warrent Officer cadet. You go to your Basic Combat Training (BCT) to any of the 5 BCT locations, after BCT instead of going to Advanced Individual Training (like everyone else) you go to  Warrent Officer Cadet School (WOCS) and are automaticly bumped to E-5 Sergeant. after you finish WOCS you will go to Warrent Officer Flight Training (WOFTS) and there they will train you on helicopters like the UH-60 Black Hawk, CH-47 Chinook, AH-64 Apache, OH-58 Kiowa Warrior helicopters.

After you graduate your WOCS you are rank W01 Warrent Officer 1

[2ADoc]

Go with the Kiowa it is a small ship but the pilots are, Well lets say they have a wheel barrow in front of them to carry the genitalia around in. They do more work in Iraq than the Apache's and 100 times more work than those Air Farce Blackhawk gunship drivers, who just crank the birds up to blow the dust off of them.  The Kiowas get down in town with the troops, there are stories about pilots ended up shooting out the doors of the Heli with their Car-15s to stop bad guys.

[FYB]

FYB

Good grades in school (that should be a given); college isn't a 100% requirement to be a helicopter pilot.

My father in law flew Huey gunships in Viet Nam and once they got the Cobra up and going transitioned into those. Then he went to work for Bell Helicopter and eventually was moved to Iran in the mid-1970's and was there up until about 2 weeks before the hostage crisis in Isfahan, Iran. My wife and her mother were shipped out to Germany 3 weeks before that with one of her brothers who got badly burned a couple of weeks before that.

So far I've got nothing below the B's area. All A's and B's, and i plan on going to college anyhow. So a Warrant Officer is trained in aviation, Helicopters to be exact?

I want to be able to transport our troops to where they need be, not blow the crap out of a tank.

[nirvana]

All of the services fly a variation of the Blackhawk with different names and different equipment, so your options are open in that regard.  My advice would be to talk to recruiters from each service about it and see what they say.  As far as I know you have to be an officer to be a pilot in any service whether that's through the academy, direct commission, or OCS.  Like Reschke said, good grades in high school will help A TON.

[Jayhawk]

Coast Guard! Then you can fly the JAYHAWK! 

[eagl]

Coast Guard! Then you can fly the JAYHAWK! 

That photo is edited...  There is supposed to be a huge shark leaping up out of the water at it.

 

[Jayhawk]

That photo is edited...  There is supposed to be a huge shark leaping up out of the water at it.

 

 

[Selino631]

That photo is edited...  There is supposed to be a huge shark leaping up out of the water at it.

 

the shark is jumping at a USAF HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter lolz

The coast guard pic is a Jayhawk deploying navy seals i think

[Jayhawk]

I think he is aware that is not the original of that famous doctored photo, I suspect he was making a joke.

I don't know what the jayhawk is deploying but wouldn't a navy aircraft drop seals?

[mensa180]

Get all A's, seriously, and be a contributing and active member in clubs and sports.  Enjoy learning and do it out of school as well, you will go far in life.