Freshman in highschool- wanting to become a fighter pilot

[BlaZe]

(I checked out Matt's thread which was pretty helpful but mine will be a bit different)

I am almost a 16 years old and am in my Freshman year in high school. I have wanted to be a fighter pilot ever since I was 5. I know alot about the proffesion but there is still alot I don't know and thats why im posting my questions here. I have had no luck anywere else as many people contradict with fighter pilot requirements... even the online recruiters and local recruiters. I have just gotten to know a Navy F18 pilot instructor who is going to get back to me on somethings but this place looks great and I want to settle here as there are many knowledgable and experiences members here.

Now for one thing. I am quite confused with all this ROTC, OTS, exc... stuff. Im not even sure what it does. I know I want to get into some sort of these programs while im in highschool. Is there any program that will guarantee a fighter pilot slot? Now, before I go any further I will tell you all this. I am not really sure which military branch I want to go in meaning the Navy or the Airforce. I know a bit about each and right now im more going for the AF but we will see how that goes since there are alot of things that can happen and it is still almost a decade before I will be flying fighter jets.

Eye requirements... so much confusion. So much contradiction. This has been my single most irritating problem. I am a victim of near-sightedness. Myopic of 20/200. Perscription is about -2.0 or something. I have perfect color vision and high depth perception. Do they allow fighter pilots to have correction? I know LASIK isnt a good idea right now and I dont want to get PRK if I dont have too. Can I get waivered in if my myopia exceeds the requirements?

Grades... like many other teens here I started my freshman year off pretty badly. I have raised my GPA from a 1.8 to a 2.3 (first two quarters) and am going for the nice 3.0 this quarter. Is it too late for me to get into either the Navy or the Airforce academy? I am capable of 4.0's but I need to develope some nice study habits.

Thats it for now I guess. Please reply to this thread as it would really help!

Thanks!

 

[Fly Navy]

Welcome to the forum.

Now for one thing. I am quite confused with all this ROTC, OTS, exc... stuff.

ROTC, Academy, OCS, etc are commissioning sources. You go through them either while IN college, or after college to get your commission as an officer in the military. ROTC is conducted while in college at a participating school, the academies are colleges themselves, and OCS is something a college graduate can choose to do if accepted.

Is there any program that will guarantee a fighter pilot slot?

For the Navy, no.

Eye requirements... so much confusion. So much contradiction. This has been my single most irritating problem. I am a victim of near-sightedness. Myopic of 20/200. Perscription is about -2.0 or something. I have perfect color vision and high depth perception. Do they allow fighter pilots to have correction? I know LASIK isnt a good idea right now and I dont want to get PRK if I dont have too. Can I get waivered in if my myopia exceeds the requirements?

Search function. There are 1 million posts on this.

Is it too late for me to get into either the Navy or the Airforce academy? I am capable of 4.0's but I need to develope some nice study habits.

You're a freshman? Don't worry about it. Work hard, study hard, and perform. You haven't dug a hole.

 

[BlaZe]

Yes, I am a freshman.

Thanks for the fast reply and I searched this eye requirement stuff and found a nice thread on it. It feels like a load has been taken off me. I guess you can vision as bad as 20/400 (or something like that someone said).

Is there a program for the AF that will guarantee a slot?

 

[Gatordev]

Yes, I am a freshman.

Thanks for the fast reply and I searched this eye requirement stuff and found a nice thread on it. It feels like a load has been taken off me. I guess you can vision as bad as 20/400 (or something like that someone said).

Is there a program for the AF that will guarantee a slot?

Not in the Air Force, per se, but in the Air Guard units. I don't know details, but there are ways to get accepted into a Guard unit, which only flies one type of aircraft, and therefore you're "garunteed" that aircraft at the end of flight school. I've heard some negative feedback about that program, since, in general, the student doesn't need to work as hard because his spot is already paid for. Take it for what it's worth.

And just to clarify, you won't be flying w/ vision at 20/400 (or 20/200). You may be in the aircraft, but not at the controls, in either service.

 

[FlyingBeagle]

There is always eye surgery, and since you're a freshman, and have about 6 years before you'd have to do it, technological advances may mean that by then it'll be only slightly less painful than a swift kick in the junk.

 

[BlaZe]

And just to clarify, you won't be flying w/ vision at 20/400 (or 20/200). You may be in the aircraft, but not at the controls, in either service.

I found an article on a website from the AF safety center or something like that that says fighter pilot candidates can be waivered up to a maximum of 20/600 (the worst meridian requiring PRK eye surgery). I am 20/200. Therefor I can get waivered and wear corrective lenses and be a fighter pilot. Also this F18 Naval Pilot instructor said he would personal ask his flight surgeon for the numbers. And what the flight surgeon says it was the rules are.

P.S. my vision is corrected better then 20/20.

By the way im not getting any sort of laser surgery if I don't have to. It is permanent and I personally don't want anything removed from my eyeballs that will never grow back. It would weaken my eye structure.

 

[pennst8]

Has Donald Bellisario contacted you about a series yet? I mean fighter pilot slash doctor?!? That's emmy winning material for sure.

If that's what the article you found said, good for you, but I wouldn't put too much stock in it. There's a reason why so many of us have gone under the laser.

 

[BlaZe]

I didnt get that joke and I said the fighter pilot is going to ask his flight surgeon. I didnt say he was the flight surgeon.

 

[pennst8]

I was implying that you're both a medical expert and a wannabe pilot.

As far as not getting the joke... http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0069074/

 

[BlaZe]

Oh. Well I do a ton of research... im a pilot junkie. Im not just into fighter jets. I have a passion for aviation.

Yay for cheesy expressions!

 

[Thisguy]

I have raised my GPA from a 1.8 to a 2.3 (first two quarters) and am going for the nice 3.0 this quarter.

I don't know how it works at your high school, but at mine, only our final grade at the end of the year counted into our GPA (avg of 4 qtrs and final exam)...so if you got C's for the first two qtrs, finishing with 2 B's and a B on the final should get you a B-, or a B if your school doesn't do pluses and minuses

 

[snort]

Hi BlaZe,

I drove an f-14 for many years, don't sweat high school. I didn't have a clue. College was my in.

I'd recocommend the eye surgery.


(Warning and note to readers: snort has not been able to verify that he is a Naval Aviator)

 

[HighDimension]

I could be wrong but isn't it recomended that you wait till either 18 or 21 ( not sure which) so that the eye can fully develop before you get any sort of corrective surgery?

 

[VAmookie]

rep points for pennst8

snort - is that your plane? Pretty sweet.

Everyone in high school wants to be a fighter pilot. Can anyone enlighten these young individuals as to when the last aerial "fight" took place? Seems like the days of the "fighter" have come and gone with the end of the cold war. Would it be smashing his dreams if I said it would be better to sign up as an attack pilot or cargo pilot

 

[Fly Navy]

Everyone in high school wants to be a fighter pilot. Can anyone enlighten these young individuals as to when the last aerial "fight" took place? Seems like the days of the "fighter" have come and gone with the end of the cold war. Would it be smashing his dreams if I said it would be better to sign up as an attack pilot or cargo pilot

I'm guessing Operation Desert Storm or the shoot-down of the Libyans in the 80s. That's for the United States of course. There may be one more recent than that.