Rolling Boards/ June 2013 Board

[RiseR 25]

*Insider information!

I just started week 5 with class 13-13. Our class officer grabbed all of the NFOs to tell them that if they were medically qualified they were processing redesignation paperwork for all of them to pilot. His words were that all NFOs that cannot redesignate will face extended hold times after OCS and the Navy current has a high demand for pilots. Whether this just applies to our class or not I couldn't tell ya. But it may help to give some outlook to future SNA/NFO acceptance rates.

Thank you for the info. Hopefully it means that the demand is high enough to spill into the next board or two. Were these kids given an option to stay if they really wanted to be SNFO or are they being voluntold from SNFO to SNA?

 

[RiseR 25]

*Insider information!

I just started week 5 with class 13-13. Our class officer grabbed all of the NFOs to tell them that if they were medically qualified they were processing redesignation paperwork for all of them to pilot. His words were that all NFOs that cannot redesignate will face extended hold times after OCS and the Navy current has a high demand for pilots. Whether this just applies to our class or not I couldn't tell ya. But it may help to give some outlook to future SNA/NFO acceptance rates.

Ok, never mind. I understand now what you were saying. Looks like overall this is good news for pilot. Looks like someone up the chain wants these guys to switch to pilot "pending medical qualification." This will mostly be addressed by eyes.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

Yes, my MEPS is not until end of this month, but I'm thinking my recruiter wants to go ahead and submit the NRC packet first because I have some good recs from retired tactical fighter pilots.

What is going to get you selected is your ASTB and GPA, not LOR's from people that haven't observed you over time (the board has specifically mentioned this over and over), the people I had that submitted with congressional LOR's or very senior officer LOR's were not selected, but that had below average GPA's and marginal ASTB's.

 

[RiseR 25]

They had for the most part observed my activities over the past 6 years. They happened to be neighbors and I would have discussions with them on a regular basis concerning aviation and my schooling.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

They had for the most part observed my activities over the past 6 years. They happened to be neighbors and I would have discussions with them on a regular basis concerning aviation and my schooling.

That will have better value, but it will still be less than your employers or professors (depending on the size of college and how written)

 

[RiseR 25]

Thanks, I don't think it's going to be too much of a problem at this point.

GPA 3.45 Mechanical Engineering
55 7/8/8 on the second go

Respectfully, why would a board consider a professor/employer's word over a retired officer at the O-5/O-6 level?

 

[RiseR 25]

Yes my school has an accredited engineering program, and yes it is large. Probably just under the large school classification, medium-large.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

Thanks, I don't think it's going to be too much of a problem at this point.

GPA 3.45 Mechanical Engineering
55 7/8/8 on the second go

Respectfully, why would a board consider a professor/employer's word over a retired officer at the O-5/O-6 level?

Because they haven't supervised you in a work or school environment, that is the number one important thing to the board, one board actually made a note that LOR's from family friends had essentially "no value", I believe that was because OR's instead of trying to get LOR's from employers and professors just default to family friends.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

Yes my school has an accredited engineering program, and yes it is large. Probably just under the large school classification, medium-large.

In that case if classes were taught by someone other than the actual instructor get an LOR from them.

 

[RiseR 25]

Ok thank you. Sorry I admit I was getting a little worried there. Here is the breakdown of my packet FYI:

1 DD 370 from employer with just form filled out
1 DD 370 with attached letter of recommendation from employer
1 DD 370 from professor (not from employer) with formal recommendation letter

2 recommendation letters from the retired O-5 and O-6.
One served as a guard unit Wing CO and the other participated in a program that was recently declassified
(google Red Eagles)

 

[RiseR 25]

Is the rumor true that it's possible that an Admiral sits on these boards?

 

[exNavyOffRec]

Is the rumor true that it's possible that an Admiral sits on these boards?

no, the senior member is a Captain, the 2 other members are anything other than a Captain

 

[RiseR 25]

The Army is always an option too if you want to fly helicopters. Hopefully the physical will be somewhat painless for you.

Thanks, I've heard the Army is a good route to go for helos. I've always had a personal bias/preference toward fixed wing. I was almost going to do Marines but I got into an argument with the NCOs from an OSOs office on the "desire to become a Marine Officer" topic, all this while I think the OSO still liked me. In the back of my mind I knew that Marines had more helos compared to fixed wing.

 

[VTFlyer]

Ok, never mind. I understand now what you were saying. Looks like overall this is good news for pilot. Looks like someone up the chain wants these guys to switch to pilot "pending medical qualification." This will mostly be addressed by eyes.

Yeah no one is being voluntold anything, most of the NFOs wanted pilot in the first place. So needless to say a bunch of guys in our class were stoked to get the news. It also seems that the biggest roadblocks people have hit during the flight physical was either EKG anomalies or vision issues.

 

[RiseR 25]

Yeah no one is being voluntold anything, most of the NFOs wanted pilot in the first place. So needless to say a bunch of guys in our class were stoked to get the news. It also seems that the biggest roadblocks people have hit during the flight physical was either EKG anomalies or vision issues.

Ok good to know, thanks for the gouge!