Would taking flight lessons prior to submitting my WOFT application increase its competitiveness?

Here is the truth, military flight training is tough but it was harder getting accepted than it was making it through the program. If you have a good basic flight aptitude and are willing to listen and stay focused, you can make it through. I am certainly not the sharpest tool in the shed and I made it. Don't get me wrong, it is challenging but it doesn't require you to be a master of anything before you start.

Because of that, the decision of whether you should take flight training prior to going depends on what you are trying to get out of it. It will not give you an edge up on your selection over another applicant unless everything else is equal between you. It really won't help you in flight training except you will have a little better understanding of what instructors are talking about when it comes to the traffic pattern and some aerodynamics. You will still have to do all of the training everyone else does so some will be redundant.

However, a little flight training will give you some confidence that this is something you really want to do. I went through flight school with one guy who after flying about 10 hours dropped out. Why? because flying was not what he thought it would be and it scared him. It probably seemed cool on TV. Better to know that you don't like flying before you go through basic training and Warrant Officer Candidate School and then realize you made a mistake. You don't need your pilot certificate to figure that out. Just go out for a few hours, learn a little bit and see if it is what you really want to do.

Good luck to you. I enjoyed my military flying career and I hope you will too.

I can’t speak to the WO application, but a few flight hours might be a good investment in your future. If you have little to no experience actually flying small aircraft, then you should give it a try. If you love it, then the cost and work needed to fly more will be worth it to you. If you hate it, then now is the time to find out.

I'm going to be honest...that depends on a lot. Do you think you have a good shot already based on other factors? Do you think you can complete your PPL before reporting?

Before reporting to flight training at NAS Pensacola, I had logged a substantial amount of time towards my PPL (can't remember the exact number of hours, but I estimate I had been flying once or twice a week for more than six months). However, I didn't have time to complete.

I arrived for training with great "stick" skills, understood systems extremely well, and aced by briefs...I was also in peak physical shape, and cut through API like a knife through hot butter.

Then, I got to the squadron, and the bottom quickly fell out (I was DOR within twelve months).

Military aviation is very, very different from general aviation. For starters, the standards are MUCH higher for things like IFR and flight planning. You'll have to hit waypoints EXACTLY...without breaking minimums for height and separation from the mark-on-top. You'll be required to report remaining hours of fuel, outbound legs, and approach procedures, almost from memory, while communicating with multiple ground controllers. Aviation training culture in the military is (at least was) based on something of an "attrition culture"...it's the whole, "look right, look left...one of these people won't be here when you leave...etc..etc.). The pace is demanding, and so is the flying.

Not to say that it's not worth every second of it...I wish I had been older/wiser, and stuck it out.

My advice is this; do a little "casual" flying with a focus on procedures/navigation...just to get your headspace and timing. Don't put yourself through trying to get a PPL, UNLESS you don't think you have a strong application, and need every "plug" you can get. I'm sure it looks good to the boards, and it does point to a higher potential for success...but only if you complete.