Expert: MARK A. HOWELL - 3/19/2009

Question
QUESTION: Hi Dr. Howell,
    My name is Stephen. I always thought I would grow up to fly fighter jets for the Air Force and when I got to middle school I learned about the United States Air Force Academy and i started to pursue an appointment to USAFA; Unfortunately for me I don't have the test scores. I tried everything to get there I was football team captain, an NHS member, JROTC Battalion Commander, top 10% of my class, AP courses, Boys Stater, Track athlete, I had a job working 20 hours a week all freshmen year to present, i started flying when I was 16, I'm a few hours short of my private pilots license, I even started paying for tutoring to help me with my test scores! For the last 4 years I've crammed my schedule full of extra-curricular activities to up my composite score for the Academy and impress my nominees. I didn't get the nomination. I was shocked as well as resentful of the Air Force so i didn't apply for an AFROTC scholarship, but i did however receive a full tuition Army ROTC scholarship to a Tech school with a flight program that claims to be better then Embry Riddle and has a higher safety rating then the Academies! So needless to say I don't think I got the short end of the stick I know for a fact I will be flying more then the cadets at USAFA, but I don't know if I want to serve in the Army. So my question for you is, Can I cross commission from Army ROTC to the Air Force when I get my commission? If so, What are the chances of me being able to get a chance to go to flight school right of college? And if I have to fulfill my obligation for the Army could I switch to the Air Force after the 8 years of flying helicopters then go to flight school? Thank you so much for your help!

ANSWER: Stephen,
Short answer is yes, it can be done.

Since you mentioned helicopters I assume you wish to fly helicopters, correct?  If so, you're correct to look at the other Services also.  Unless you have a burning desire to fly only for the AF you'll find there are a lot of other opportunities.  Services flight training is far above what Embry-Riddle has to offer.  Theirs is good, but just can't compare.  I'm sure I'll get some flak over that remark from E-R graduates, but my defense will be "How much time did they spend teaching you combat tactics?"  Flying an aircraft of any kind is basically very easy.  It's employing it as a weapon that's hard.  Sounds like the tech school you described has a very good flight program, that's why the Army has offer you a ROTC scholarship to there, because they know what kind of quality they can expect to get from them.

If you're healthy and have good eyesight you stand a good chance of becoming a pilot.  Having a Bachelor's degree in anything is all you need, but be advised, your competition includes graduates from the Service Academies who graduate with aeronautical degrees.  Job preference is always given to someone who has a degree related to the job.  If, by chance, you have a private pilot license you can skip the initial screening flights, etc. and go right to Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT).  Otherwise they'll send you to separate training for about 9-12 hours flight time just to see if you are cut out to be a pilot.  It's here that some people find out they're afraid of heights or get airsick, etc.

I consulted several helicopter pilot friends before I answered your question.  I kind of had an idea what they'd say, but I wanted you to hear it from the real experts.  The Army, Navy,  and Marines all have helicopter pilots, and I have friends in each Service who fly helicopters.

The Army has very few fixed-wing aircraft, so most Army pilots are helicopter pilots. General Matia, a good friend of mine, is the commander of Army helicopter aviation.  He says most Army pilots are generally enlisted Warrant Officers, so the field is very small for officers.  The Army is the only service that sends soldiers directly into helicopter training without first being trained in Fixed-Wing aircraft to learn the basics of flight, plus they're the only Service that doesn't require their pilots to be officers.

I have another good friend, Colonel Hayward in the Marines, who began his career in helicopters (he led the invasion in Grenada) and later transitioned to the Harrier aircraft because he said Marines don't consider a helicopter pilot a "real pilot" like the fixed-wing guys.  Captain Eason, my Navy buddy, thought he'd get to do SAR  (Search and Rescue) ops but instead spent most of his flying time in helicopters doing drug interdiction ops in the Caribbean.  He'd fly his H-3H Sea King into a suspected area and draw fire while a Marine AH-1Z Cobra attack helicopter was waiting just over the horizon out of sight waiting to move in for the kill after the target was located.  Sounds like fun, huh?  Lucky survivors like him usually only fly for a short time and then get a desk job.  I'll skip the AF stuff since that may not be an option for you.

Did you know that the Army teaches AF pilots to fly helicopters?  All AF pilots spend 3 months at Fort Rucker in Alabama learning to fly the UH-1N helicopter before they go on to specific AF training.

There are basically only 3 types of helicopters in the military, the "HH-1/UH-1 "Huey", the HH-3  "Jolly Green Giant", and the HH-60 Jayhawk.  Because SAR aircraft are unarmed, they are accompanied by an Army AH-64 Apache helicopter while doing SAR in a combat zone.  The AH-64 carries HELLFIRE missiles, a 30mm chain gun and Hydra 70 rockets and provides great cover fire while a Jayhawk concentrates on extracting a wounded soldier.  The Air Force plans to retire the HH-60 in anticipation of a new Combat Search And Rescue (CSAR) helicopter.  Fully armed, it can do the job of both a Jayhawk and an Apache.

If I'm wrong in assuming you want to fly helicopters, send me a follow-up question and I'll re-think it for you.

Yes, many graduates cross-over into other Services upon graduation.
Yes, you will most likely go to flight school right of college, especially if you've been in an ROTC program because you'll have already learned the basic structure of the military (warfighting doctrine, marching, identifying ranks, saluting, etc.)

Yes, even if you don't cross-commission upon graduation you will have plenty of opportunities to do so later.  Give the Army some credit, you may just end up liking it and staying in.  My wife is Civil Service and works for the Army's aviation command.  She says they're a sharp bunch of guys.

I think you have an excellent plan.
Good luck in whatever you choose!
Colonel H

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Sorry Colonel,
    I don't think I really specified what I want to do.I would really like to fly anything with a F- in front of it. I was under the impression that it is almost immpossible to get a fixed wing pilot slot if you do not attend the Air Force Academy. I would love to fly the "Raptor"! I love the fraternity like atmosphere I hear about AF pilots and the tradition and competitiveness! Like i said I've always wanted to fly (jets) it wasn't untill I was turned down that I started becoming interested in helicopters. Thanks again sir for all your help!
-Stephen

Answer
Stephen,
Now I see.  You've got the fighter pilot bug.
Pilots come primarily from 3 sources; Service Acadamies, ROTC, and OCS, not just an academy.  Nominations to the academies are tricky and often political.  So Yes, it's possible to go to Army ROTC, do the time you promised the Army in exchange for them paying for your education, and then cross-over into the Air Force.  But it's also possible to win the lottery!  The odds are not in your favor.  Although it's not advertised (obviously) the AF doesn't consider Army pilots to be "real " pilots.  Getting into the AF fighter program with an Army background is nearly impossible.  Remember, the Navy & Marines also have aircraft with an F in front of it.

You say you're close to getting your private pilot license.  If you finish it before you enter the Service you'll have a huge headstart over your peers and training will be very easy.  I speak from experience, I had my commercial with multi-engine rating and an Instrument rating.  You don't need that because it's very expensive nowadays, but just a private license will do it.  When you go to pilot training and they begin using terms like VOR, TACAN, and ARTCC your classmates will scratch their heads and say, "Huh"?  This is really important upon graduation because the #1 student gets first choice of which aircraft he wants to fly, and the #2 student gets second choice, and so on.  A private pilot license should easily put you at the head of your class.

I'd say your helicopter plan is still a good choice as it will allow you to build up flying time and you may even discover you like helicopters.  You're correct when you say you'll be flying more than the cadets at USAFA, they don't get to fly much and when they do it's in a glider.  I'd call that soaring, not flying.  I know, I used to work there.

I hate to dash your dreams of flying the F-22A Raptor advanced tactical fighter, but I just don't see that happening for you.  I'm sorry to hear the AF Academy turned down such a highly qualified man as you, but the Senator's nephew probably got the slot.  That's just the way life is sometimes.

As for the "fraternity-like atmosphere" you hear about AF pilots and the"tradition and competitiveness" you must've heard somebody's war stories, which tend to get bigger and better over time.  The only part you've got right is the competitiveness.  It's a cut-throat, back-stabbing fraternity to get ahead of the other guy.  Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of great folks there, but there's a lot more great folks all throughout the military.

I believe you're at a point in your life where you're going to make a very big "life-altering" decision and I want you to have the hard facts, not a starry-eyed dream.

If it were me, I'd take the Army ROTC scholarship and count my blessings.  If your best wasn't good enough for the AF, screw 'em.  The Army will let you fly, even if it is helicopters.  Then someday you can leave active-duty and join the Army Guard and Reserves and fly their fixed-wing aircraft.  They have a bunch of fixed-wing aircraft and everybody's dying to get behind the yoke of the new C-27A Spartan, that's going only to the Guard & Reserves.   Or maybe the UC-35A Citation 560 Ultra V, that thing is like a baby fighter.

I hope it all works out for you.
Best of Luck,
Colonel H