Re: Realistic chances of me becoming a USAF fighter pilot

raimius — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 03:38:49 GMT

I will not stop you from getting an OTS slot, but your odds are not as good as a person with a techie degree. Also realize that OTS does not have a massive number of pilot slots. I would do a lot of online research into it and try to find people who know/have done it.

Realistic chances of me becoming a USAF fighter pilot

mmcgehee — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 20:13:53 GMT

Since I was very young I have wanted to become a USAF fighter pilot but I have had to wear glasses since I was in third grade. As result during high school and college I abandoned my dream of becoming a pilot. I went to UT Austin earned my Bachelors of Arts in Government and started working and studying for the LSAT to apply to law school. I recently chatted with an advisor online about the USAF policy on LASIK. Apparently if you wait for one year after the surgery and your eyes don't revert back from 20/20, the surgery is now not a disqualifier by itself if you have the procedure done outside the military. A year before I graduated I checked with the USAF (2006) and I was told at that time the surgery would automatically disqaulify you for pilot training. I was excited to say the least.

I am now 22 ,5'10, 175 pounds I am in very good shape ( I run 10k's, play b-ball, and lift weights) so physically I fit the requirements for pilot training (with LASIK being done). My problem is I was not part of JROTC in high school or college, and my degree is not a technical one. I understand aeronautics because of my hobby of building remote controlled airplanes and flying (1/10 scale to 1/8 scale)them since I was young, and my passion for studying military aircraft, and history. I know how to build a wing, understand wing loading, drag, bernoli principle all of that, and also how to fly an aircraft while standing on the ground (obviously different from inside the aircraft but you get the basics), but I do not "officially" have this knowledge... i.e. no degree in aeronautics, or pilots license, etc.

So...

Will having a non-technical degree hold me back even with a good score on the AFOQT?

How to become a Military Pilot

Re: Realistic chances of me becoming a USAF fighter pilot

Realistic chances of me becoming a USAF fighter pilot