Expert: D. Norkus - 10/12/2006

Question
Thanks for answer my question so quickly. Really sorry but I just have another question after I came back from a college night at my school. I talked to a office in the R.O.T.C officer and he told me that if I want to become a pilot I can go for R.O.T.C He explained to me that if I join R.O.T.C I still have to go to a 4 years college and at my junior or senior year in college, they will call me up to check if I qualified for a pilot position. If I qualified I now can train for fly for 1 year and then work for the Air Force for 10 years. Do you think that is a good option for become a pilot or I just go for what I already have in mind?
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Followup To

Question -
Thank you your answer. So what I understand that I still can become a pilot as long as my eyes are correctable to 20/20? I understand that corretable mean use glasses or contact lenses, am I right (because I'm using contact lenses now)? and I should go to college as a full time student and study at flying school at part time student IF I can handle the works? That is my understanding about your answer. Please comfirm it. Thank you so much.
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Followup To

Question -
Hi Norkus. My name is Bryan Nguyen, I read many of your answers about being a pilot but I still have 1 more question and I need your advise. i'm still in high school now, so should I go straight to a flying school or I should go to a college for 2 or 4 years before go to flying school? and I dont have perfect vision so should I change my mind about being a pilot? thank you for reading my question!!!!

Answer -
Brian

You can go straight into your lessons after high school if you wish. However, in the United States a degree is necessary to become an airline pilot. A candidate simply is not competitive against other applicants for jobs without one. At least a 2 year degree for the regional airlines and a 4 year for the majors is required. So, you will have to go to college and build up your flight experience to qualify for a job at the same time if you wish to enter the job market when you graduate. This may or may not work for you as a full or part time academic student pursuing aviation.

As far as your poor vision, it must be correctable to 20/20 to meet FAA medical standards (a Class 1) for airline pilots. If it can't be corrected, that will be an issue.  To be eligible for the Class 1 medical certificate the applicant must have at worst a distant acuity of 20/20 in each eye and near vision of 20/40. For Private Pilots, the required standard is a bit less with a distant acuity of 20/40 in each eye with or without corrective lenses, and Near vision of 20/40.

Dottie   


Answer -
Bryan

Yes, as long as your vision is correctable to 20/20 you can pass the Class 1 medical. (If you wear glasses or contacts they will be required when you fly.) Read all the standards for it here-

http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=3f112c74c3367924382b16f


As far as your education, if you can handle college and flying at the same time, go for it. It will be challenging but not impossible. I suggest reading this page about pilot careers and college degrees-

http://www.jetcareers.com/content/view/22/44/

Additionally, that whole site will be of great interest to you for career insight.

Dottie

Answer
If you simply want to be a commercial pilot, do not join the military simply as a means to that end. Do it if you want to serve your country but don't think of it simply as a way to get "free flight training" so you can become an airline pilot.

In all reality, it's not truly "free" and the openings for military aviators are fewer and more competitive than they have ever been. If you somehow manage to even get accepted into the service as a pilot candidate after ROTC, then manage to make it through flight school (there is a good wash out rate), you will be committed for a dedade or more. You could also get killed in the line of duty.

In decades past, the major airlines drew almost exculsively from former military pilots. Former military pilots either dominated the hiring boards or they would recommend their friends who were getting out of the service and looking into airline careers. This big "squadron buddy" network was how the majority of pilots got hired.

That is not the case today. For several years now the airlines have been increasingly hiring pilots from a civilian background. According to statistics compiled from Air Inc, about 65% of new hires are civilian. This is partly the result of a smaller pool of military pilots available to the airlines than in decades past and the increase in the number of civilian trained pilots with previous jet and airline experience. Almost all the regionals now fly jets, many that go higher or are more advanced than mainline aircraft. Additionally, most pilots looking to move onto a major carrier will have several times over the amount of flight experience as a military aviator because of their regional job.

I suggest going to the message boards at Military.com with your specific questions about military aviators-

http://forums.military.com/eve