Non-tech pilot slots coming to an end?

[NWA-AirGuard]

If you couldn't take a little "hazing" (which is nothing like it use to be), then you're going to have a very difficult time in UPT. You'll probably quit when you're in Del Rio, TX working 12 hour days and having to study on your off time, since you enjoy your freedom. If freshman year at the Air Force Academy was my toughest year, then the year of UPT was a close second. Good luck.

 

[TonyC]

Exhibit A:

... when in fact, you could accomplish the same exact thing through AFROTC.

Not exactly.

My AFROTC cadre don't seem to have a problem with it.

Why should they? From where they sit, it must be gratifying to see a zoomie fail.

Do you really think the board would hold me accountable for a decision I made right out of high school, ... ?

Absolutely.

I don't regret my decision at all.

Perhaps it's denial, or perhaps you're just too stupid to realize it yet. You WILL regret it. I think you already do.

I love college life, and I love my freedom.

Hopefully you love college life and "freedom" (sigh) more than flying.

Some days I feel "stupid" because the chance of getting a pilot slot are better...

You should also feel remorse for cheating another fine young American out of a chance to attend USAFA and succeed. If you had any spine, you'd contact the Congressman that appointed you, find out who was next in line to you, seek them out, and deliver a personal apology. You may not have to look far, as they may be in one of your freshman "living the life of freedom" classes with you.

I'll side with those who have posted above (Dragin, Hugh)- - if I were on the selection board, I'd not give you a second chance. Someone who can trivialize the opportunity of a Service Academy education as you have doesn't stand a snowball's chance of surviving the second week of UPT standup. USAFA and UPT both require sacrifice. You don't appear to be willing to do that.

You'd better pick a degree that will lead you to a non-flying career.

 

[Ih8AFYesmen]

Lighten up!

Yeah, the guy wasted some of uncle Sam's $. Trust me, the AF wastes more money for stupid things, like washing someone out of UPT 1 week prior to graduation; I've seen it happen and the dude wasn't even that bad of a pilot. No one likes quitters but everyone deserves a second chance. Speaking of hazing in UPT...yes there is still that bs hazing going on in UPT, but I don't think it's anything like the academy or field training. It is, after all, a kindler gentler military (maybe too gentle at times).

Leo,
Yeah, you did f*** up, but sounds like you've learned your lesson. Don't let us old folks get to you. That's all becasue we've been around the block a few times and seen a thing or two. Believe it or not, hazing is a part of character building process and if you can make it work for you, you are a better man than I. You know the saying... "what doesn't kill you will only make you stronger". Getting your wings is well worth the bs. Good luck!

 

[rainman_02]

Re: Re: Re: Non-tech pilot slots coming to an end?

If Leo R. were a female, I could understand why...

This comment is sad.

In Leo's defense though, one of my best friends is now flying KC-10's, and is a USAFA grad. He's told me many times if he could go back and do it all again he'd go to a state school somewhere with more of a social life, and go ROTC or OTS. However he graduated c/o '02

Odds are, I know your friend.

I'll tell you that this 2002 Grad who is in the KC-10 school-house would not have given up his USAFA experience for anything in the world. Did it suck? Yeah. A lot? Yeah. Was it worth it? Yeah.



On topic, my 13 months of UPT was just like compressing all four years of the Zoo into one year of training. Sure, I was not the recipient of in-cockpit physical abuse...but I know those that were. There was mental "hazing," but hazing is really a funny concept...it's hard to define. I wasn't hazed when I was a smack, yet Leo was hazed.

 

[negativebalance]

SUCK IT UP

You came to this message board for advice so listen to it. Perhaps you might need a lesson in sacrafice. You've already failed yourself and have shown solid signs of weakness. Two things that have never been traits of a military pilot. You need to take a look at your self in the mirror right now and realize that the military will never be about you, that it will be about your buddy next to you. I really don't know what to say but you sound like a whore trying to join the church.
The only advice I could possiblely give you is to enlist in the Air Guard.....have them pay for school......be an excellent crew chief or something.......and lobby from there. You shot yourself in the foot so let it heal and march on.

 

[NookyBooky]

Some reasons to be happy about not being at the Acadamy:

1. No matter what school you go to, odds are it will have a hell of a lot more girls then the acadamy.

2. In the Navy (if you entertain the thought of joining the navy instead), you get to get shot of the front of a boat, brag about your carrier landing skills, and be happy you went to a college with girls, all while you sit on a boat with thousands of dudes.

3. Flight attendents, female ones of course (if you want to do the airline thing).

4. Girls, sex, parties, girls, sex, girls, parties, girls, sex, parties, etc. You get the picture?


On a serious note, make the best of what you got. If you want to be an AF pilot, go for it. F#*k those who say you can't, find out for yourself. But try to enjoy what life has dealt you or else all the good things will pass you by before you know it.

 

[skiddriver]

To all of you who don't think I can make it, I hope to prove you wrong in a couple of years.

Leo R.

I hope so too. I think you're receiving some honest unvarnished opinions here, and I'm sorry if they're disheartening. Buuut...

You're paddling upstream now because of your decision to leave the academy. Yes, you can overcome that, but you have to look at it this way. When the board is selecting folks for a pilot slot, they're going to look at that decision first. It may not knock you out of the running completely, but when they see your non-tech degree on top of that, it's going to greatly reduce your chances.

If you really want to be an AF pilot, you need to give them what they want. First and foremost, they want an Acad grad. Okay, you can't give them that now. Next, they want a tech grad, with great grades and super participation in AFROTC. You can give them that. Don't stack the deck against yourself.

Finally, as to your question

Originally posted by Leo R.
Do you really think the board would hold me accountable for a decision I made right out of high school

Yes, absolutely. The military does it all the time. Kids do things without thinking that forever disqualify them from getting commissioned, or reduce their chances of getting a pilot slot. Simple things like getting a tatoo on their neck, or a drunk driving conviction. Spending the night in jail for shoplifting or getting in a fight at the wrong place/wrong time. It's all part of the package and there are enough folks who can keep their nose clean knocking at the door to make it a waste of time for the military to try and give second chances to those who don't.

Something to keep keep in mind.

Skiddriver
USNA '80

OBTW, the Navy and Marine Corps are probably not going down the tech degree road just yet. If you are definitely not interested in a tech degree, at least talk to the officer selection officers for those services and see how it looks getting a pilot slot there. I'll warn you that those slots are getting very hard to get, most of our pilots end up in helos, and in particular, Marine Corps training makes USAFA hazing pale in comparison.

 

[mudkow60]

Hey, Leo-

I left the Naval Academy to go to a Pac 10 school, where I partied my ass off, got good grades, and had a really great time in college. Oh, and I got a pilot slot thru ROTC.

Tell all the negative a-holes to take a hike. I have nothing but respect for all my academy grad buddies, but everyone who says it is the only sure way to get a pilot slot is an elitist.

Good luck with your pursuit for the covetted lead wings.

 

[skiddriver]

Oh yeah, I'm sorry. I take that back. Party your toukas off, demand that the board take you "just the way you are", major in Modern French Poetry. You're guaranteed a slot.

Oh, and be sure and disregard any advice that might interfere with you doing exactly what you feel like at any given moment. You'll not only be guaranteed a pilot slot, you'll also get that AFTPS class you wanted, with the obligatory astronaut follow-on.

 

[RShebib]

Leo,

Seems like you're taking a pretty good hit about leaving the academy, but let me give you a different perspective. First of all, the academy is not for everyone. While it is an outstanding academic institution and a great way to get a pilot slot, it is by no means the ONLY way to get one and by no means significantly decreases your chances.

I have a bunch of friends who went to the AFA and I'd say that half of them wished they never went. If all you get out of the 4 years in college is a degree, you've wasted your time. It should be the best 4 years of your life and I promise if you stayed at the academy vs going to a civilian university, your experience would have been MUCH different.

ROTC has many slots where you can compete for pilot training. If you don't make it Sheppard, there are plenty of chances to get to one of the other bases. The only real difference is you have a better chance of getting a fighter out of Sheppard, but you said you didn't care what you flew, so that shouldn't matter.

As far as answering questions as to why you left the academy. Like I said earlier, you can just say that place wasn't for you at this particular time in your life. You know your desire to fly in the US Air Force is what you want to do, but that the academy was not the place for you to get your education. You will not be looked down on....your fellow ROTC cadets are not happy because a zoomie failed.....sounds like you're getting a lot of responses from zoomies here who can't understand why anyone wouldn't want to go to that "institution" (remember, they call it the zoo for a reason), or from people who have little to no idea about what they're talking about....

Best of luck and enjoy you college years and ROTC experience....I believe that's the best way to spend your 4 years getting a degree!!!!