Recent College Grad wanting to become a pilot

[perezam]

I am sure everyone has heard this story before but I would like some assistance if possible.

I graduated the University of Michigan in 2003 and am currently an Investment Banker. My lifelong dream has been to become a fighter pilot. I grew up in the military, my Father was in the Army and my sister is currently in the Navy.

I have always wanted to join the military to serve my country, especially as a fighter pilot. I am curious if there is still a reasonable chance to do so based on the following information:

Graduated University of Michigan with a Mathematics degree - GPA 2.8 (became a father during my sophmore year so I worked full-time and went to school full-time)

Currently an Investment Banker

Height: 5'5"
Weight: 190 (defintely gotten chubby sitting at a desk 80-100 hours a week)
Eyesight: Terrible. (Uncorrected: 20/400; Corrected: 20/10; I am thinking about getting LASIK or PRK
Health Issues: High Cholesterol (Heriditary)

Any opinions or knowledge of individuals who may have been in similar situations from either side (civilian or currently in the Military) would be greatly appreciated.

Based on other threads it seems as there is more demand than supply with respect to slots at flight school. I definitely do not want to become an NFO.

I know this thread seems run of the mill but I am extremely serious about quitting my postion to pursue my dream of becoming a pilot. My only concern is not having a real shot at it with the aforementioned stats. I know I can talk to a recruiter to get info, but I would like a "candid" response. I know getting such a coveted career requires skill and a good deal of luck. Thanks.

 

[perezam]

Clarification

I should of clarified that I plan on getting back in shape prior to applying for OCS.

 

[bch]

Here we go....
First, and most importantly, apply to OCS because you want to "serve" as an officer in the united states navy not just becuase you want to be a fighter pilot. Main reason I say this, there are many, there is no way you will know in advance if you can be a fighter pilot. There is a very big chance, you will be a prop guy or a helo guy (one should only be so lucky)

On the liklyhood of getting accepted.... the only way to find out, is to apply. What may have been good enough last week, is going to be different from what is good enough today. That is the nature of the navy.

I CAN NOT stress enough, that you need to examine your reasons for joining very carefully. If your only reason is to become Mavrick, then I would discourage you from applying. If you want to serve your country as an officer in the navy (and it is totally cool to want to do that as an aviator) regardless of the outcome of flight school, then I would say, please apply.

If you have any more questions, please feel free to PM me or keep posting them.

 

[Geese]

There aren't any pilot slots right now as far as I know, so there's not much chance right now. There is a change to transfer over to a pilot slot if you become an NFO, but that is only for highly competative people and only after a few years (according to what the naval recruiting office told me). To put it in other words, "don't bet on it".

Otherwise, I don't think you are competative enough based on those facts alone. A bunch of stellar recommendations would probably go a long way, but when pilot slots DO open up, there will be lots of 3.5gpa+ guys applying, and that eyesight will not look great on any physical (so if you get it fixed before hand, it might be a good idea).

Again, don't take this the wrong way, there are ways that you could augment yourself to look better, like take the ASTB and max it out, and then lots of stellar recommendations and such, but based on the above facts I think getting the most sought after position in the armed forces (fighter pilot) would be a long shot.

The guy above is right, don't join to be a fighter pilot, or an ensign, you join to be a Naval Officer and everything that the position entails. I haven't been to OCS yet, but this was a trick question when I was in the Army; The instructors would ask us "do you want to be a Sergeant, or a Non-Commissioned Officer?". The differences is that one is just a rank, and the other is a leader and so much more. Anyhow, the instructors loved to have fun with that question at primary leadership course and then chew out the guys that said they were there to become sergeants.

 

[DanMa1156]

First of all, good luck. Second of all, I think you've answered your question by saying that you don't want to be a NFO at all. Maybe if you would do any community besides NFO, then maybe you should apply to OCS. I'm going to go out on a limb here though and say that you don't want any community besides Aviators (and more specifically, jets), just an assumption, but obviously I could be wrong. And that should answer the question as to if you want to be an officer in the U.S. Navy, whether or not you would be happy with serving a committment in any warfare community. Either way, good luck getting your package all together and getting into OCS if that is the path you so choose.

 

[bch]

There aren't any pilot slots right now as far as I know, so there's not much chance right now. There is a change to transfer over to a pilot slot if you become an NFO, but that is only for highly competative people and only after a few years (according to what the naval recruiting office told me). To put it in other words, "don't bet on it".

Otherwise, I don't think you are competative enough based on those facts alone. A bunch of stellar recommendations would probably go a long way, but when pilot slots DO open up, there will be lots of 3.5gpa+ guys applying, and that eyesight will not look great on any physical (so if you get it fixed before hand, it might be a good idea).

/trying to be civil

A) there a not as many pilot slots as there once was. The ONLY WAY that there are no pilot slots open to a perspective applicant, is if they DON'T APPLY.
B) Just because someone like this guy believes that you are not competitve means exactly NOTHING! Yes GPA is a very large part of it, but they look at the entire package. Everyday there are people getting turned down, pissed off, becuase someone, in their mind, with a weaker package got accepted when they got denied.
C) DO NOT become an NFO with the sole hope of laterally transfering later! Become an NFO becuase that is what you want to do and will be happy doing it.

For all other wannabe's, if you do not know what you are talking about, do not try and dash someone else's hopes because you think they are not competitve. Especially based off of gouge or your inexperienced gut feeling.


Oh and DanMav, don't go implying to people that becuase of their desire or tone of their post that they are not interested for the right reason. YOU ARE STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL, how do you know!?

 

[zab1001]

I should of clarified that I plan on getting back in shape prior to applying for OCS.

5'5" and a buck-ninety? Better get back into shape before applying. Being out of height/weight standards and a crap PRT score isn't going to help your application. Based on your stats, I wouldn't quit my day job. Literally. Especially with a second, maybe third mouth to feed.

 

[Cyclic]

Not so good news on the Navy side, I heard the CAPT from PERS 43 (Aviation Officer Distribution) in a conference that we're overmanned, so much that the API grade is going to be raised in hopes of attriting 20-30% to even out the current manpower needs, they don't want to mess with the VT's, meaning that off the street selection is probably going down.
Honestly if you have your sights on Jets and you like your current profession you should seriously consider the Air National Guard, if you get selected it's a guaranteed jet slot for you, OTS-flight school-one year full time-then part time fighter-jock/full time investment banker....not a bad deal at all.

 

[Geese]

/trying to be civil

A) there a not as many pilot slots as there once was. The ONLY WAY that there are no pilot slots open to a perspective applicant, is if they DON'T APPLY.
B) Just because someone like this guy believes that you are not competitve means exactly NOTHING! Yes GPA is a very large part of it, but they look at the entire package. Everyday there are people getting turned down, pissed off, becuase someone, in their mind, with a weaker package got accepted when they got denied.
C) DO NOT become an NFO with the sole hope of laterally transfering later! Become an NFO becuase that is what you want to do and will be happy doing it.

For all other wannabe's, if you do not know what you are talking about, do not try and dash someone else's hopes because you think they are not competitve. Especially based off of gouge or your inexperienced gut feeling.


Oh and DanMav, don't go implying to people that becuase of their desire or tone of their post that they are not interested for the right reason. YOU ARE STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL, how do you know!?

Don't take offense, but you've said exactly what I did, just in different words.

GPA, not competative but there are other ways to boost your competativeness and look "decent" for selection.

Chances of getting a pilot slot by applying to be an NFO are slim to none, bad idea to use that as your career path.

Pilot slots are limited. Ok, I may have been a little extreme by saying "no slots", but other than that, you've exactly mirrored my original comments. What exactly were you trying to bring to the conversation by saying the exact same thing as me?