kc135boom

I am looking for some advice. I am currently a boom operator in the Air Guard and have been offered a pilot spot in the Army Guard. But as a rotary guy. I can go Apache or Kiowa. I would love to stay in the Air Force side of things but I am 31 y/o and would need a waiver for flight school. I have great academics and airmanship. But I am still 31 y/o. Does anyone know how long the Army pilot course is at Fort Rucker?

I have been think about going to the Army, doing my time, and then transferring to the Air Guard or Reserve side after that. If I went Warrant Officer and was over 35 y/o would I still be able to go to OCS? If I went Officer would it matter then? Does anyone know or can point to someone who would be willing to give a waiver? I'm not really thrilled with the whole Army thing, but it is a pilot spot. And to add a twist to things, the Navy offered me a Naval Intelligence Officer position. Any advise would be great. Thanks

Lindy

rickair7777

I guess it depends on what you want career-wise...

Do you want to stay military, or be a pilot, or both?

If both, I'd take the helo deal. It's a bird in the hand and a military aviator career opportunity. Also long-term you might be able to get into army fixed-wing flying and qualify for a post-army airline job.

If your focus is to stay military and make the most money, you might want to compare the NI career track to the army rotor track for payscale, promotion opportunities, and high-year tenure gates.

If you want to be an airline pilot someday, then will want to either pursue an age waiver to get a fixed-wing military slot or plan on getting out and starting civilian flight training (or maybe train part-time while still on AD).

I think an age waiver for prior-service age 31 would be do-able, but it changes constantly with their needs...not sure where it is right now.

I suspect that getting a regular commission in combat arms after age 35 would be hard or impossible...I think they only let the doctors/lawyers/chaplains do that.

130flyer

If your goal is to get back on the AF side, go commissioned in the Army. 35 is the age for commissioning. It doesn't matter how old you will be to fly for the Air guard if you are rated and commissioned. Sorry about the Apache/Kiowa, not much of a choice there.

Winged Wheeler

I am no expert on the army, or on army aviation. The link below gives a pretty good report on the kinds of things that you'd be doing if you were flying for the Army. The dispatch is longer than you might be used to reading, but this is good info if you are considering this as a career.

Good luck.
WW

http://michaelyon-online.com/wp/guitar-heros.htm

Clue32

Lindy,

I'm an army CPT. Flight school has changed some since I went through in 01-02, but for the better. From day one to advanced aircraft qual and (warrant) officer basic course complete people were looking at 18 months. You can throw the 5 week warrant officer candidate school into that time too. Now aviators are getting into their advanced aircraft faster and you should be able to finish up in about 12 months.

If you want to fly in the army then you need to be a warrant officer. Branch officers (LT's, CPT's etc) are more focused on the leadership / command / staff / management side of the house. While we still fly, it is no where nearly the amount that warrant officers fly. As a warrant officer, you will eventuall be able to choose a career track (Safety, Standardization, Maintenance, or Tactical Operations).

I was almost an AH-64 driver (by choice), but got lucky and picked up a fixed wing slot right out of flight school. If I had to go back and be a helicopter pilot, I'd choose Kiowas. The Cav / Scout mission, on the front lines, down low, directly in the fight with the infantry is where the action and excitement is. Not to mention there is no simulator, like the 64 has, so you won't have actual flight time requirements reduced for more time in the box.

You will deploy in the guard and reserves. If you wanted to transition to fixed wing or active duty that would be a possibility once you were in the "Army" system. Right now the Reserves are short fixed wing aviators, and volunteering for a 12 month deployment would really help an outsider get into a C-12.

Check out APTAP (army pilot to airline pilot) for more Army advice and knowledge as there aren't many of us on APC. Send me a PM if you have more questions or hit me up on this thread. If I have learnded nothing else, I know that for the right person everything in the army is waiverable.

Tweetdrvr

Lindy,

I know there are several ways to cross from Army to rated Air Force. I don't know if you can go to OTS after 34 for the AF as a warrant.

I have seen lots of dudes come through AF UPT in recent years with Army rotor backgrounds. Some have been active and some guard and reserve.

Some guys who are getting the ANG/AFRC slots get their aeronautical ratings converted to an AF aero rating and come through with AF wings on their flightsuits. This is usually mostly to needing age waivers or in some cases I have seen some hearing waivers. Other dudes go through and wear their army wings the whole time.

I believe the program works something like the unit in conversion age waiver the NAV/WSO/CSO (whatever else they call themselves this week) dudes get when their units swap jets and put them out of jobs.

Find out from your unit, if you can, what the process is to go from army rotor to air force fixed wing, and let that be your guide.

If the chance is there to do the ANG/AFRC side within your timeframe, then take the army commission, realizing if you don't get it your flying in the cockpit might be limited. If it is not possible, then do the rotor thing as a warrant and hook up with the APTAP program dudes and follow their advice.

Good luck!!

Vman

KC,

There are several options in the Army but as mention above, they all depend upon your goals? The ANG and Reserves do have several options but getting a FW assignment will require vigilance! The guard is short C23 pilots but also Helo guys. If I were to give you advice it would be to gamble on the Army. The air force has been experiencing a reduction in man power while the Army continues to build.

An initial Helo assignment would be great fun! Then work toward a C23, if your state has them and move on from there. The C12 is usually very competitive at the state level and on active duty. Each state only has one C12 and a hand full of slots. These slots are usually handed out as rewards to those who are well positioned in the system. It's only when a state's C12 structure runs low on experience that personnel outside the system are hired (generally speaking). But having said this, deployments and future deployments continually complicate normal guards and reserve hiring practices.

Unlike the Guard, which hires through the State Aviation Officer, the reserves hire nationally from a board system for AGR and locally for a TPU. But if you get into an Army FW slot, the chance of being deployed for a minimum of six months is very high. But, an Army FW job usually offers Warrant Officers very high monthly flight times.

Good Luck…

kc135boom

I appreciate all your advice. My goal is to fly FW. I just have to get there somehow. The local Kiowa unit has a C-12, where the Apache unit does not. What are the main differences in the Op Tempo between the Army Guard and Army Reserves?

The State Aviation Office said on Friday that they were not use if the Army would hand out a age waiver at 31. Which my understanding is 33 before a waiver is necessary. Any info on that?

I would not be against a deployment if I knew that would get me a FW slot. But it would HAVE to get me one. They did tell me that they would be willing to give me a OCS slot if I wanted it, or a WO, either one, should an age waiver be approved.

Thanks again for all your guys info, its great!

Lindy