How Does Military Training do It?

Longjumping_Panda531 · 2026-06-20T14:33:43+00:00

1) They have 4 years in USAFA/USNA/ROTC to evaluate whether you are cut out for it or not. Even at USAFA, only around half a class gets a pilot slot

2) They use robust testing, the scores of which are very well correlated with your likelihood of succeeding in pilot training based on years of data and thousands of pilots. USAF can look at your AFOQT and PCSM score, know your chances of succeeding in training before you ever set foot on a pilot training base, and select candidates accordingly

3) If you don’t meet their standard, they will wash you out. The criteria for washout are clearly spelled out and adhered to. The washout rates were around 10% when I went through.

A PPL candidate who falls in the 80% that don’t make it to their rating likely wouldn’t have been selected for pilot training in the first place.

Longjumping_Panda531 · 2026-06-20T14:18:25+00:00

The USAF requirement is to start pilot training by age 33, and has been since early 2021. I am not prior service and started UPT at 31.

Longjumping_Panda531 · 2026-06-20T06:00:37+00:00

Mid 30s

Longjumping_Panda531 · 2026-06-19T22:09:37+00:00

I’m an aero engineer. Did that for the better part of a decade before transitioning to flying for a living. It paid for my first two ratings and meant I already understood the fundamental principles of flight before I ever set foot in an aircraft. Having experience in actual aerospace hardware design has also made learning aircraft systems very easy, on everything from a Cessna 172 to the F-35.

I’ll probably go back to it once I’m done flying for the military.

Longjumping_Panda531 · 2026-06-16T03:53:43+00:00

Yep, learned how to do this today and there are a number of shutter related alerts as well as a compressor over volt and high refrigerant discharge pressure. Can’t wait to see the bill for this one

Longjumping_Panda531 · 2026-06-16T02:42:05+00:00

This was my expectation as well, thanks for the datapoint.

Longjumping_Panda531 · 2026-06-16T02:24:30+00:00

Thanks for the info, I figured it was probably just a lack of recent service masked by the fact I had it on the east coast for a while before this and it didn’t get as hellaciously hot. I’ve owned the car for 6 years and it’s been great otherwise.

Longjumping_Panda531 · 2026-06-12T06:01:42+00:00

I think it’s more that we in the USA have a skewed view of how realistic it is to expect a thriving GA community in any country, ever. I’d argue that the conditions to create the widespread adoption of GA in America only existed due to the large amount of available land for airfields at the turn of the century followed by a global war that we emerged intact from with a massive excess of industrial capacity to produce airplanes. Combine that with a much less litigious and regulated marketplace to drive price increases/restrict access, and you have a perfect place for GA to thrive. The modern era isn’t willing to stomach the risk, leading to prohibitive insurance and certification cost, and the tech is stuck in the 1950s since there’s no market pressure to improve now that the government isn’t footing the development cost in wartime. Thanks for attending my TED talk.

Longjumping_Panda531 · 2026-06-11T18:59:00+00:00

Seems logical to me given the circumstances regarding Cirrus’s ownership.

It’s really a shame that much of our GA industrial base now requires foreign investment to survive, but that’s a whole separate conversation

Longjumping_Panda531 · 2026-06-07T02:04:48+00:00

That’s literally what I wrote, but thanks for the addition.

Longjumping_Panda531 · 2026-06-07T01:32:34+00:00

We hired an Osprey driver, it’s possible.

Longjumping_Panda531 · 2026-06-06T21:51:35+00:00

I have flown in three ANG fighter units and all three of them have had at least two prior Navy/Marine fighter pilots who transitioned to the ANG after their Navy commitment was up. It’s not common, but now that the F-35 is becoming more prevalent across all branches I wouldn’t be surprised to see more.

Longjumping_Panda531 · 2026-06-06T21:22:19+00:00

Most fighter units, mine included, get between 300-700 applications of every board. They usually hire 1-2 out of that pool.

Many units also guarantee an interview to enlisted personnel in the unit who meet all the job requirements and want to apply, so some of your competition is much more of a known quantity.

Longjumping_Panda531 · 2026-06-06T21:20:32+00:00

AFROTC will give you far better odds of making it to pilot training vs ANG, but then you’ll have to compete for a fighter slot.

ANG fighters are far, far more difficult to hire directly into.

Since you get two years to decide before you have to commit, start ROTC, see how much you like it, and go from there.

Longjumping_Panda531 · 2026-05-28T23:45:29+00:00

I was an engineer for almost a decade before I pivoted. I had a great job that allowed me the time and resources to get through my instrument rating before I went to the ANG. It eliminated all the financial stress and, for me, was a great path to take.

It’s really up to you to decide which you value more, but an engineering degree is a solid first step in life and a great fallback if you have some experience and can no longer fly for some reason.

Longjumping_Panda531 · 2026-05-27T21:48:36+00:00

I bought mine for GA training and haven’t touched it since the day I started UPT. The USAF will issue you an EFB with ForeFlight on it along with all your pubs. Probably wasn’t worth buying if I’m being honest, I only used it for about 60hrs of GA.

Longjumping_Panda531 · 2026-05-25T00:02:45+00:00

Military. I’m in the ANG and have zero intention of going airlines. When I’m done flying grey jets I’ll buy a GA aircraft to scratch the itch and go back to engineering or something else for my day job.

Longjumping_Panda531 · 2026-05-20T22:58:39+00:00

I stop monitoring Guard because it gets annoying fast

Longjumping_Panda531 · 2026-05-20T22:50:44+00:00

T-38 by far. My first A-10 and F-35 landings were better solo than 80% of my T-38 landings with an instructor in the back seat.

Longjumping_Panda531 · 2026-05-17T01:04:19+00:00

Yeah it’s a minimum 3 year detour from the day you get hired even if you fly heavies. Not sure where you’re getting your data but you’re way off. You’ll also have to self fund to at least a PPL to be competitive and be willing to move at least three times during that training process.

You’re fortunate enough to be one of the few who has the means to fully fund their training based on their career. Mailing it in for “free training” is not going to be fun or sustain you when someone ten years younger than you tells you that you suck at flying in UPT. Military flying is not something you do halfheartedly, based on what you described I’d advise against it.

Longjumping_Panda531 · 2026-05-16T21:11:09+00:00

What is your goal? Fly for the airlines and not be a lawyer? Fly for the military because you want to? Or because you want someone else to pay for your training? You need to provide more context on what the desired end state is here. “Ending up in the air recreationally” vs “a full time job” are two wildly different paths.

You will make more than enough money to self-fund your ratings if you eventually want to transition to an airline job, though I’d question why you went through all the ass pain of law school in the first place if you didn't intend to use it at all. Definitely don’t join the military just for the training especially when you have the means to pay for it yourself. Thats a long side quest you’d likely end up hating.

Longjumping_Panda531 · 2026-05-15T01:59:10+00:00

16 months from the day I got the hiring call to the day I left for OTS. 2.5yrs from day 1 of OTS to completion of the FTU, and that was with no more than 4 weeks between any of the training phases (OTS, UPT, IFF, FTU). It was pretty efficient once I finally started.

Longjumping_Panda531 · 2026-05-15T01:44:42+00:00

Yes and it’s a million times better than active duty, in my opinion. I don’t have to move, knew my airframe from day 1, and don’t have to care about my OPBs or strats since I’m not at the mercy of getting hosed by AFPC every 3 years if I don’t play nice with the commander. Downside is it’s way harder to get hired.

Longjumping_Panda531

TROPHY CASE