Put Pilot as your first choice, that is usually pretty important.
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Suggestions for selecting Navy Pilot?
- Thread starter bat21bravo
- Start date
Does prior flight time really count for selection from the Academy? From the NROTC side, I haven't even been asked if I have time logged. A CFII has the same chance as someone who thinks you steer on the taxiway with the stick.
On the dream sheet, you should have the option to write a page about other factors you think should affect your selection. So, if you've got flight time, make sure you write about it on that page. I'm assuming they at least give those things a cursory glance for the high points (I hope). It may not be a major factor, but could serve as a tie breaker or something.
There probably needs to be some more FOs around school, if you want to get higher-quality people going for it. I had an O-6 Tomcat RIO teaching my firstie community practicum (do they still do that?). Awesome guy, big influence and one of the reasons I'm a FO. You won't get quality people selecting NFO if you insinuate that it's nothing a participant prize for those who aren't cool enough to be pilots. And as for this AOOM business - being a great Middie has fuck-all to do with your aviation potential.
There were some beer-at-the-club-level discussions among the instructors at P'cola about doing what Wingnut mentioned (make the pilot/FO split after API). I think it's probably a good idea. Make the selection the same way you do everything else in the Program; needs of the Navy, student load, grades, and dreamsheet, in that order.
There were some beer-at-the-club-level discussions among the instructors at P'cola about doing what Wingnut mentioned (make the pilot/FO split after API). I think it's probably a good idea. Make the selection the same way you do everything else in the Program; needs of the Navy, student load, grades, and dreamsheet, in that order.
Walk over to Luce Hall and make an appointment to chat with the aviators in Pro Progs. They're pretty busy but if you ask respectfully and are not annoying, they'll most likely give you a lot of good gouge. Find out who runs the aviation practicum and sit down for lunch with him/her in Dahlgren. Listen to what they have to say.
Do not put Submarines anywhere on your service selection sheet.
Do not put Submarines anywhere on your service selection sheet.
I'm genuinely confused, since your post is contradictory. This isn't meant to be sarcastic or disrespectful, but doesn't AOOM/OOM come down to that same thing? The kids in NROTC and the Academy compete amongst their peers for the slot. What difference does it make if you move the split down to API? It's the same kids competing on the same criteria either way. The kids who did better get their first pick, vice the kids who did worse. What would the advantage be?
Because you're using their performance in the flight program (albeit it's just API) as the yardstick, not USNA nonsense. And it's their performance versus the rest of students in the Program (NSS), not versus their classmates at USNA. And you're letting kids at least get some exposure to instructors fresh from the Fleet, including NFOs, before filling out their dream sheet.
RadicalDude
Social Justice Warlord
There were maybe three TACAIR type NFOs on the yard when I got "quality spread" (their term, not mine) into NFO during service selection. As someone with an OOM 400 spots better than kids who scored a pilot spot, it hurt. That being said, after talking to some of the WSO & ECMO ProProgs instructors I felt a lot better about it.
I'm convinced that my prior flight time is the only thing that saved my AOOM. My Academy record sucked as far as grades and conduct went, and lots of folks had better PT scores. What I had going for me was lots of company involvement, lots of leadership positions, involvement in VT-NA since plebe year, and ~150 hours of aerobatic and tailwheel flying time, as well as being an engineer.
Is there any reason they DON'T make the Pilot/FO split at API? Besides this being the military and the idea making sense?
Cuz we never have. No reason we couldn't, except we don't.
"We fear change."
Is there any reason they DON'T make the Pilot/FO split at API? Besides this being the military and the idea making sense?
I would imagine it has to do with the bean counters who do all the manning black magic. It'd be a pain in their ass to have to dole out and adjust the number spots for X designator every week. Their heads would explode if they treated 1390/1370 like the VTs treat pipeline selection.
Do other ROTC units treat NFO like a consolation prize? Mine definitely didn't (at least while I was there) and the people I was with chose NFO because they wanted to do it. I personally can't see for crap so I'm not even qualified for pilot, but even if I had been, I still would have chosen to be a double anchor type.
More often than not, yes. Those who wanted to be pilots but were NPQ'd or didn't make the selection "get stuck" with a SNFO desig. But that's only among the ignorant mids who see FOs only as second fiddle players to pilots. I certaintly won't be disappointed if my selection comes back 1370.
