Posted on Sep 6, 2017
How Do you become Air Force One Pilot? What are the various Paths?
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Okay - Ive asked questions for my eldest - 18 - currently in Army BCT - englisted.
Ive asked Qustions for my 16 yr old son - desire to be 68W RASP/Option 40 and long term army combat medic/ranger.
Yesterday - on the way to gymnastics, my 13 year old says he wants to fly Air Force One. Wants to know how he gets THAT job.
He is a competitive gymnast. Regional Champion at 13. I told him to
A) Continue being regional Champion in gymnastics and get spot to Air Force Academy.
B) Continue to get good grades through High School - He goes to a VERY small private school (14 students total) but can have his curriculum individualized - it works with his very heavy gymnastics training schedule.
C) get his eagle scout rank - hes currently a star scout in boy scouts.
I just am shocked that he has a long term goal. Up until today his goals where:
A) go to chico and party (he was 11) -
B) become a cop and live at home forever because no women can be better than you mom...(he was 12 and I told him - ummm...you have to move out kid.)
C) Join the Coast Guard because they can hang out with chicks in bikinis and get same Pay as Army Solider in sand storm in Afghanistan. (that was this summer).
Did I miss anything?
Ive asked Qustions for my 16 yr old son - desire to be 68W RASP/Option 40 and long term army combat medic/ranger.
Yesterday - on the way to gymnastics, my 13 year old says he wants to fly Air Force One. Wants to know how he gets THAT job.
He is a competitive gymnast. Regional Champion at 13. I told him to
A) Continue being regional Champion in gymnastics and get spot to Air Force Academy.
B) Continue to get good grades through High School - He goes to a VERY small private school (14 students total) but can have his curriculum individualized - it works with his very heavy gymnastics training schedule.
C) get his eagle scout rank - hes currently a star scout in boy scouts.
I just am shocked that he has a long term goal. Up until today his goals where:
A) go to chico and party (he was 11) -
B) become a cop and live at home forever because no women can be better than you mom...(he was 12 and I told him - ummm...you have to move out kid.)
C) Join the Coast Guard because they can hang out with chicks in bikinis and get same Pay as Army Solider in sand storm in Afghanistan. (that was this summer).
Did I miss anything?
Edited 7 y ago
Posted 7 y ago
Responses: 7
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Lt Col Jim Coe is correct, but all that is only the first step. I was also a HS gymnast and entered the USAFA in June 1980. I was on the USAFA gymnastics team for 2 years. I was a VIP-SAM pilot but did not fly Air Force One. Your son needs to focus on one step at a time to get there. Make it into USAFA and graduate with a pilot slot. Graduate pilot training and select a jet airlift aircraft (C-5, C-17, KC-135, KC-10, KC-46). After 6+ years of flying operations and surviving several in-flight emergencies, he may request and be selected for VIP-Special Air Mission service. Once he flies VIP-SAM for 2+ years, he may request and be selected for 89th Airlift Wing at Andrews. There, he starts at the bottom of the pecking order again, and works his way up the 89th. If he has met all the requirements, impressed all the right people, displayed flawless pilot skills and judgment, and worked harder than everyone else, he may be nominated to enter the training pool of Air Force One pilots. A very high goal. One step at a time.
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LT Col Jim Coe - Thank you for this. I really appreciate it. This is great advice. He is 13 and in the 8th Grade. His School does not have sports teams and where we live - no HS offers mens gymnastics. But he does club gymnastics and competes at all the JO levels. USAFA has a summer camp for young gymnasts, I think I will send him to that this summer
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Col Joseph Lenertz
(Join to see) - excellent, glad to hear it. Later, when he's a Junior in HS, USAFA also offers a "Summer Scientific Seminar" where HS Juniors with excellent grades can take a class in astronautical engineering or one of several other science or engineering course.
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AF-1 pilot is a rarefied air topic as so few from so many. I'd correlate it to a friend of ours out on Adak. He was a Navy Flight Surgeon that simply stated he was going to be an astronaut. Saying is one thing, but what made Dave different was his singular focus and always connecting the dots as he progressed. That was his life dream and he lived his dream achieving his dream. Had another friend on Adak who played ball at the Academy. He was going to coach NFL. Same focus. Dave and Chuck got great joy out of making their dreams a reality. Chuck never made head coach in the NFL. Near miss as he was the Defensive Coach for the Raiders for several years. And Dave? Lost him when the Columbia broke up. While I was crying looking at his memorial at the Cape last year, I got a little bit angry. All the displays were about what they did, not who they were. Miss Dave. Tell your son that it's great to dream. But to make that dream, or most other dreams happen, you work out a plan, execute, make corrections, but foremost, never quit. If he is miserable chasing that dream, it's the wrong dream. When I was a teen, I'd dream about having a great wife, whatever that was. Had no idea what one was, until she punched me. Another story. Sometimes the dream comes to you. That's very rare. Improve the Vegas odds by working for it, every day.
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Ultimately its up to him. He has the benefit of having a project manager for a mother. Ive had my sons path to Eagle scout mapped out on a ghantt chart since they where 13, 11 and 9... So far Ive one eagle (at army basic training), one life scout on track to make eagle and join army in two years (wants to be a combat medic and ranger) and the 13 year old regional champion who is also a start scout on track to make eagle by 15.
There are helicopter moms who hover over and protect...but coddle... make sure children feelings are protected, participation ribbons given etc. Im not one of those.
my boys joke that I am more...Apache Attack Helicopter mom... They make a whomp whomp whomp sounds when I am being a bit to helicoptery. Son at basic training right now says when he hears a helicopter at fort jackson - he thinks of me...
There are helicopter moms who hover over and protect...but coddle... make sure children feelings are protected, participation ribbons given etc. Im not one of those.
my boys joke that I am more...Apache Attack Helicopter mom... They make a whomp whomp whomp sounds when I am being a bit to helicoptery. Son at basic training right now says when he hears a helicopter at fort jackson - he thinks of me...
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The Air Force homepage has information about officer and pilot recruiting. You could ask a recruiter also. I'll give you the basics as I know them.
-Be an Air Force officer, meaning you are a US Citizen, over 21 years of age and under 33 years of age, have a bachelors degree, pass the basic physical, and complete a commissioning program such as Officer Training School, Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps, or Air Force Academy
-Pass the flight physical (more invasive and comprehensive than basic officer physical)
-No history of asthma, drug use, felony arrest
-Vision at least 20/40 correctable to 20/20
-Score at least 25 on the pilot portion of the AFOQT and 50 on the combined pilot-navigator portion (these numbers might change so check the AF home page)
-Meet AF height and weight standards and be within the overall height and sitting height requirements (again see AF home page)
If you are accepted into USAF Pilot Training, then you start a three-phase program. The first phase is "pre-flight". This phase is conducted in small light-weight aircraft. It is intended to eliminate the students who don't have the basic hand-foot-eye-brain coordination to fly an aircraft. The second phase in taught in the T-6 Texan II. It teaches all the basic flying stuff including instrument flying, acrobatics, cross-country navigation, and formation flying. Sometime in the T-6 phase, you and the Air Force decide if you will be a tanker-transport pilot or a fighter-attack-bomber pilot. If you go tanker-transport, then you continue to training in a Cessna Citation after the T-6 phase; focus on aircrew coordination, instrument flying, and navigation. If you're selected for fighter-attack-bomber, then you complete your training in the T-38. Focus on the same stuff as the T-6 phase, but at a much higher speed and altitude. Either way after successful completion of the third phase of training you get your wings. Next you go to the training course(s) for your aircraft of assignment. This training can take from a few weeks to several months. Finally, you're off to your first unit of assignment.
-Be an Air Force officer, meaning you are a US Citizen, over 21 years of age and under 33 years of age, have a bachelors degree, pass the basic physical, and complete a commissioning program such as Officer Training School, Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps, or Air Force Academy
-Pass the flight physical (more invasive and comprehensive than basic officer physical)
-No history of asthma, drug use, felony arrest
-Vision at least 20/40 correctable to 20/20
-Score at least 25 on the pilot portion of the AFOQT and 50 on the combined pilot-navigator portion (these numbers might change so check the AF home page)
-Meet AF height and weight standards and be within the overall height and sitting height requirements (again see AF home page)
If you are accepted into USAF Pilot Training, then you start a three-phase program. The first phase is "pre-flight". This phase is conducted in small light-weight aircraft. It is intended to eliminate the students who don't have the basic hand-foot-eye-brain coordination to fly an aircraft. The second phase in taught in the T-6 Texan II. It teaches all the basic flying stuff including instrument flying, acrobatics, cross-country navigation, and formation flying. Sometime in the T-6 phase, you and the Air Force decide if you will be a tanker-transport pilot or a fighter-attack-bomber pilot. If you go tanker-transport, then you continue to training in a Cessna Citation after the T-6 phase; focus on aircrew coordination, instrument flying, and navigation. If you're selected for fighter-attack-bomber, then you complete your training in the T-38. Focus on the same stuff as the T-6 phase, but at a much higher speed and altitude. Either way after successful completion of the third phase of training you get your wings. Next you go to the training course(s) for your aircraft of assignment. This training can take from a few weeks to several months. Finally, you're off to your first unit of assignment.
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That you Lt Col for your response. Really appreciate it. This is a whole nother thing for me. I know army stuff - Air Force is new.
His Grandfather wants him to be a helicopter pilot - he flew in vietnam. Air Medal Recipient - but out of the blue - kid wants to fly jets and air force one. His Hand Eye Coordination is pretty good.
I think I will send him to AF Academy gymnastic camp next summer - start there.
His Grandfather wants him to be a helicopter pilot - he flew in vietnam. Air Medal Recipient - but out of the blue - kid wants to fly jets and air force one. His Hand Eye Coordination is pretty good.
I think I will send him to AF Academy gymnastic camp next summer - start there.
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LtCol Robert Quinter
Add to LtCol Coe's list no questionable conduct, credit problems or past relationship with any organization that might be questionable. The background check for Presidential pilots is exhaustive and strict.
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Lt Col Jim Coe
I'd also like to comment on helicopter vs fixed wing piloting and Service Academies.
If your son wants to be a helicopter pilot following in his father's footsteps he should go Army. The Army has many helicopters and employs them in a variety of roles and missions. Aviation is its own Branch in the Army creating a different personnel management system than the Air Force. Also, the Army has Aviation Warrant Officers who don't need a college education to fly. Air Force helicopters are almost all in special operations. It's a very small community within the Air Force with limited opportunity for promotion beyond Major. Overall the Army is the best Service in which to be a helicopter pilot.
The story with fixed wing is almost the opposite. The Air Force flies fixed wing aircraft almost exclusively. They have the widest range of pilot occupations ranging from fighter pilots to transport pilots. A very small group of pilots get to fly the Presidential and executive jet fleet of aircraft.
I have to give the Navy and Marine Corps their due. Navy trains pilots for both services. Cover a wide range of missions using fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft. Most of their fixed wing aircraft are fighter-attack-reconnaissance aircraft. Only a few transport and tanker aircraft. Helicopter pilots fly wide range of missions from sub hunting to close air support to special operations.
With regard to Service Academies. Your son should apply to them all (Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard). If he lands an appointment to one, go there. He can fulfill his pilot dreams in any of the Services.
If your son wants to be a helicopter pilot following in his father's footsteps he should go Army. The Army has many helicopters and employs them in a variety of roles and missions. Aviation is its own Branch in the Army creating a different personnel management system than the Air Force. Also, the Army has Aviation Warrant Officers who don't need a college education to fly. Air Force helicopters are almost all in special operations. It's a very small community within the Air Force with limited opportunity for promotion beyond Major. Overall the Army is the best Service in which to be a helicopter pilot.
The story with fixed wing is almost the opposite. The Air Force flies fixed wing aircraft almost exclusively. They have the widest range of pilot occupations ranging from fighter pilots to transport pilots. A very small group of pilots get to fly the Presidential and executive jet fleet of aircraft.
I have to give the Navy and Marine Corps their due. Navy trains pilots for both services. Cover a wide range of missions using fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft. Most of their fixed wing aircraft are fighter-attack-reconnaissance aircraft. Only a few transport and tanker aircraft. Helicopter pilots fly wide range of missions from sub hunting to close air support to special operations.
With regard to Service Academies. Your son should apply to them all (Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard). If he lands an appointment to one, go there. He can fulfill his pilot dreams in any of the Services.
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