A Pilot Guarantee in My Contract, Is this Possible?

[Michaelf]

Hi,

Just like many people I am trying to become a pilot in the Navy, and I have a few questions. I am going to attend Embry Riddle this fall for my sophomore year. I am hoping to pick up a two year scholarship through the NROTC at Embry Riddle, but they told me when I accept the scholarship I have to go into the Navy no matter what. I have no problem with this, but many people are telling me that if I do not get some sort of a guarantee in my contract that will let me be a pilot than more than likely will not get it. Before hearing this I was just planning on going to Embry Riddle, getting a scholarship and work my a** off and hopefully get selected for trainer to become a pilot. Honestly, I did not think you could get a guarantee to become a pilot in the Navy. I would appreciate anyone that could tell me if there was some sort of guarantee or even if the path I am going is a good one for become a pilot.

Also, I currently have a 3.9 GPA in an Aeronautical Science Major. Is this competitive enough to get a Navy 2 year scholarship or even a pilot spot after graduation?

 

[fc2spyguy]

You can not get a guarantee to get a pilot slot entering a NROTC unit, period. The only way to guarantee a pilot slot is through OCS or BDCP (do a search on those if you're not sure on what they are). That being said I know few people who didn't get what they wanted with selection in NROTC. The ones that did not were because they weren't qualified (Nuke), or were trying for a program that was extremely dificult to get into (Specwar/ops). The only person that I know who didn't get pilot that wanted it was because they were not physically qualified.

Now, that doesn't mean that you're going to get what you want, but if you work hard and keep your gpa where it's at then you increase your chances greatly.

 

[usmarinemike]

I think that although you can get some good gouge here on AW, the best thing you can do is sit down with an officer (preferably a class advisor) from your NROTC unit and let him/her show you how the community selection process actually works. That will be the most definitive way of finding out the good, bad, and ugly of what you want to know. These guys have nothing to gain by blowing smoke up your butt. Anything that ANY midshipman or idiot civilian tells you doesn't mean JACK. Trust me, you'll have a hundred people try to talk you out of a perfectly good scholarship and career with the "don't sign anything, and always get what you want up front in writing" speech. Almost no job anywhere works like that. If I had listened to that trash, then I wouldn't be living the dream. You'll also come across the soured midshipman who wanted nukes, but got SWO. He's gonna tell you tons of second-hand horror stories. What he won't tell you is that his GPA is 2.1 and he's an exercise science major which makes his chance at nukes pretty much zero.

Of course, you could always go Marine Option. The only guarantees you can get with your commissioning package are SNA, SNFO, and JAG. Everybody else is basically in a 300 way mexican shootout for the jobs they want. And let's face it, everybody wants to be green at some point in their lives. It's just a matter of whether the recruiter, OSO, or MOI catches them on the right day.

 

[Tom]

BDCP

I got a guaranteed SNA slot and get paid a ton of money in college without ROTC obligations BEFORE committing to anything. Check of the BDCP section of this site. Trust me. Best kept secret in the military.

 

[MasterBates]

Best Damn College Program

 

[Someday]

Errrr

"Also, I currently have a 3.9 GPA in an Aeronautical Science Major. Is this competitive enough to get a Navy 2 year scholarship or even a pilot spot after graduation?"

Not even close. The navy only accepts 4.0 students. One B in your college career and you can kiss jets good-bye. Two B's and they might let you be an NFO.

You also need to be an engineer. I knew one english major who got a waiver to get into the program, but after he crashed his plane they decided to stop granting those waivers. It should be noted that his grammar on the flight recorder was flawless to the very end. You really need to be an engineer. I know my background got me through flight school: D’Alembert’s solution of the wave equation was invaluable during formations, and eigenfunctions saved my life during advanced.

I also knew this guy Pete... they wouldn't let him the academy because his father was Duke Mitchell. He had to get a 5.0 in college to get into aviation.

Yes, I'm making fun of your question. Your GPA is fine and your major doesn't make that much of a difference.


SD

 

[phrogpilot73]

"Also, I currently have a 3.9 GPA in an Aeronautical Science Major. Is this competitive enough to get a Navy 2 year scholarship or even a pilot spot after graduation?"

Not even close. The navy only accepts 4.0 students. One B in your college career and you can kiss jets good-bye. Two B's and they might let you be an NFO.

You also need to be an engineer. I knew one english major who got a waiver to get into the program, but after he crashed his plane they decided to stop granting those waivers. It should be noted that his grammar on the flight recorder was flawless to the very end. You really need to be an engineer. I know my background got me through flight school: D’Alembert’s solution of the wave equation was invaluable during formations, and eigenfunctions saved my life during advanced.

I also knew this guy Pete... they wouldn't let him the academy because his father was Duke Mitchell. He had to get a 5.0 in college to get into aviation.

Yes, I'm making fun of your question. Your GPA is fine and your major doesn't make that much of a difference.


SD

Spectacular post...

 

[Gatordev]

Best Damn College Program

And yet you complain about student loans...

BDCP is great, but not necessarily for everyone. Personally, I found those military obligations actually worthwhile, especially when the pay off was an around the world cruise or a ride in a F-14.

I'm not trying to make this into a BDCP vs. ROTC thread (although I'm sure many of you can turn it into one). If the OP didn't know about BDCP, then look into it, it can be a great deal. Otherwise, know it's not always the best option.