Ryan 1234
I have PADI OW to, I have to ask whats the deal with the potatoe gun?... i gotta know![]()
Well...about 7 years ago some friends and I designed a pretty cool potato gun on an AutoCAD program... we built it, went out to a large, dry lake bed to test fire it... turns out the dry lake bed was private property - there happened to be some county mounties patrolling the area looking for some dirt-bikers or something... so they found us instead and arrested us. I thought it wasn't really a big deal - until the cops said that a potato gun was an illegal weapon, told us that using hairspray as a combustion fuel was a federal offense, and asked us if we were training terrorists, etc, etc - the incident was a felony (armed trespass), but they were "nice" and dropped it to trespass other than a structure. The charges eventually were dropped completely and everyone got a good laugh, including the cops at the jail. Well.... FDLE mis-filed it as a felony (I had the court documents saying otherwise) - so I had to write a WTF letter to FDLE (just found out during the recruiting process) and they were actually very nice and understanding and changed it right away, and sent an apology letter, etc.
I don't know about you guys... but the waiting game has been a little easier by applying to Air National Guard units for pilot slots. They say any good aviator always has an out when planning. My first choice is far and away active duty Navy, but I'm tryin to keep as many options as possible on the table... just in case.
For those of you who don't know.. the ANG units hold hiring boards (generally every year) to send a guy or two(off the street in most cases) to AF Undergraduate Pilot Training. The application process is sorta is the same as the Navy - with a slightly different twist - if the unit happens to like you they'll ask you to interview... and you'll go out an party with the squadron that night... then if they really like you, they'll send you to UPT, etc. Each unit has a particular airframe, so you basically pick the unit and airframe you want to apply for... the fighter guys get on average about 130-150 apps for 1 or 2 positions, and heavy units get a little less applications. The overall process is more of a courtship than anything... and it's good because you can see who you'll be flying with for your commitment and possible further. Unlike the Navy process... prior flight time is weighed more heavily as well as prior military service... but no one holds your hand through the application process.. you are 100% on your own. A 'recruiter' e-mails you what's required for the packet.. you get it together, and if you're more aggressive, you'll call to arrange a visit to that unit before their board meets.
From the guys I've talked to... Navy and AF ... getting in sometimes just comes down to timing... so some of you guys looking to fly and serve may consider applying to a couple ANG units also.
By sheer luck, one particular unit has informally offered me an interview... at the end of this month...
All in all having other opportunities to serve may take the edge of getting rejected (should that happen)
What is gonna be the first class up date for OCS in July? Because if i have a hope in hell of getting the prior SNA age waiver for priors im gonna have to go soon. And even then i would be turning 29 within weeks of commissioning.
What is gonna be the first class up date for OCS in July? Because if i have a hope in hell of getting the prior SNA age waiver for priors im gonna have to go soon. And even then i would be turning 29 within weeks of commissioning.