Expert: MARK A. HOWELL - 10/30/2010

Question
I have currently completed my CFII rating with Scottsdale Helicopters. I am 22, 5'10, 180lbs. I am interested in the Warrant Officer Program with the Army.  Is there any advantage to having my CFII rating for this program.

Answer
Monte,
Absolutely!  Already having your CFII will enable you to skip a lot of the "Basics of Flight" classroom training, reading maps, etc. in addition to the simulator time that others will take.  You'll likely skip ahead to learn combat maneuvers used by Army pilots in trainer TH-67 helicopters (a Bell Model 206B JetRanger III)

Flying the aircraft is easy, it's employing it as a weapon that's difficult.  You'll also learn how to fly with night vision goggles, which limit your field of vision to 40 degrees.

Then you’ll become an expert in one of four helicopters:
OH-58 Kiowa reconnaissance
UH-60 Black Hawk, medical evacuations and search & rescue
CH-47 Chinook, transport
AH-64 Apache, the Army’s primary attack helicopter

Depending upon the type of aircraft you specialize in, you’ll log about 100 hours of actual flight time.

Hopefully you meet the physical requirements. The hardest is the vision requirement.  You can’t have vision worse than 20/50 in either eye.  To remain on flight status after training, pilots can’t allow their vision to deteriorate beyond 20/400.  Also you can’t be colorblind or have problems with depth perception.  Your weight is exactly right for your height.  180 is the minimum, so don't lose any weight.  190 is the maximum.

If accepted, first you’ll have to attend 9 weeks of basic combat training and 6 weeks of Warrant Officer Candidate School at Fort Rucker, Alabama.  Then you’ll proceed to the flight training program, also at Ft. Rucker.

I'm sure you'll love it!
Colonel H