Posted on Jan 27, 2020
What insight can you provide on a career as a Warrant Officer Helo pilot in Army or a pilot in Air Force?
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I'm currently a sophomore cadet in AFROTC and if I am chosen for training this summer I will be contracting over the summer. I've been exploring the path of leaving rotc and college to join the army as a warrant officer to fly helicopters instead. It interests me mainly because the warrant officer route is a strictly flying career(To my understanding until CW5). Instead of the Air Force's pilot career which spirals into command positions after 10 years or so in most cases. My current AF route also has the uncertainty of me being selected for a pilot slot(granted it's not incredibly competitive currently) and also of me being awarded a plane that I would find boring. I'm also currently interested in flying fighters if I were to receive a pilot slot, however I realize this could change while I'm at flight school, but if it did not change there is always the chance of fighter slots not being available at my graduation time. I would be happy with any of the helicopters in the U.S. Army and would have a guaranteed flight spot if I did the army path. Any insight into these careers would be greatly appreciated.
Warrant Officers
Pilot
Helicopters
11FX: Fighter Pilot
Posted 5 y ago
Responses: 9
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In my 23 years of commissioned service I had 3 years I was not in a flying billet. I flew all the rotary winged aircraft the Corps had at the time and three fixed wing. I was a flight leader, had a special instrument rating and loved flying. When I retired there was no great demand for pilots since all of my contemporaries who didn't make a career out of the service had taken the spots vacated by the WWII and Korean military trained pilots.
All of that said, when I started to look for a job to support my family, the interviewers weren't interested in any of my flight quals, they wanted to know what college I graduated from and what talents I had that they could use in their company.
My point, being a stick and throttle man is the greatest career one could hope for in my opinion, but don't give up a college degree and the opportunity to learn something about all those boring things like administration, logistics, maintenance and other fields that civilian corporations can use.
All of that said, when I started to look for a job to support my family, the interviewers weren't interested in any of my flight quals, they wanted to know what college I graduated from and what talents I had that they could use in their company.
My point, being a stick and throttle man is the greatest career one could hope for in my opinion, but don't give up a college degree and the opportunity to learn something about all those boring things like administration, logistics, maintenance and other fields that civilian corporations can use.
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Finish your degree even if you want to be a Warrant Officer. Although it is not required, it is highly beneficial to your career and the Warrant Officer community highly encourages furthering your eduction.
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First off, you are not guaranteed any slot in the Army. If you want to attend WOFT, because you are currently not a contracted service member, you would have to go the Street to Seat route which tends to be a little harder then a service member select. You must take the SIFT, have above a 110 GT, pass a flight physical, get LORs from senior warrant officers, then have your packet boarded. Even after all of that, you are not guaranteed to be selected. I know numerous commissioned officers whose first choice was Aviation and had met all the requirements, and guess what? They didn't get aviation.
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Cadet 3rd Class (Join to see)
I have the required GT score, but from my understanding of the process there is no commitment for Street to Seat unless you are selected. Please let me know if I'm wrong.
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SSG (Join to see)
Cadet 3rd Class (Join to see) - I am tracking a similar thing. I just want you to get the "im guaranteed" mentality out of your head now because nothing is guaranteed.
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