<p>My Youngest S was very interested in the Air Force Academy until he heard that if he was a pilot that he would need to commit to 10 years in the service. Is this true? He is now talking about going to a school for engineering and then joining ROTC. I would prefer he consider an academy (he is extremely bright, athletic BUT very young for his class) if he were going to be majoring in engineering and doing ROTC. Any information or insight would be helpful. He is only a sophmore but extremely goal oriented (some might call it stubborn)…</p>
<p>well, I'm pretty sure the 10 year requirement doesn't have anything to do with what you did before pilot training. If you're trained as an AF pilot you have to serve 10 years, it doesn't matter if you went to the academy or ROTC or OTS after college.</p>
<p>Yes, I believe that it is a 10 year service requirement for Pilots.</p>
<p>The Air Force spends over $1,000,000 per pilot to go through training, so they want to get some use out of them before they ship out to the airlines. :)</p>
<p>That's what goes with the territory.</p>
<p>The academy also has an excellent engineering program.</p>
<p>You do you ten year commitment as a pilot and you are half way to twenty. After that you retire with a full military pension and never have to work a another day in your life...well sorta.</p>
<p>Either way...i think thats what my goal would be if i become a pilot. If no pilot, do my 8 year commitment (if academy) then move on.</p>
<p>If you are worried about the commitment after the academy, maybe you should consider your reasons for attending and if it is right for you. </p>
<p>Just my $.02.</p>
<p>I had the same thought Hornet. When I see the words "I would prefer...", it's something of a red flag. It really has to come from your son 2boymom, or he is likely to be one of those that doesn't make it. Of course, we don't know the particulars. Please don't be offended --we try to all help and encourage each other on this board and it's just my opinion as well.</p>
<p>I'm not offended. He is still very young and I'm not sure he knows exactly what he wants. If he has any interest at all I would probably encourage him to apply to the summer program which would give him a taste of what college at an academy would be like His problem is that 10 years seems like forever...which it is when you are 15. For boys especially the next 2 years is a huge time of maturation and when it comes time to be making this decision he will be able to do so Just an aside I think if he went ROTC he would not pursue being a pilot. He is taking flying lessons now (his Dad flies as a hobby/ for his business) and hopes to get a drivers license at the same time he gets his pilots license.</p>
<p>I think you'll notice that he starts to really think through this decision process himself. It's something a lot of us have gone through. I know for me wrestling with weather or not to pursue the academy through my sophomore and junior years really was a maturing point for me. I know after VERY VERY THOURALLY examining why I really had wanted to go to the academy and what it would entail that it is something I want to pursue. It is very important to go through this process on your own. It took me well over a year of back and forth thinking before I knew that the academy was exactly what I wanted. If your son thinks everything through and decides ROTC is the way for him, that's very respectable. It's a fine way to become an Air Force Officer. Just the day before I got my academy LOA i sent off my ROTC application.</p>
<p>On a lighter note...It's great that your son is getting the opportunity to fly. With a little overconfidence that I would get into the academy...I've been using up a good portion of the money I've saved up for college and have about 30 fllight hours right now. Hopefully I can get my Private Pilot's license around January. Once I started flying the flight bug really caught on to me. Reinforced my desire to go to the academy 100 times over. </p>
<p>When can you get a drivers license in your state...because minimum for PPL is 17 right now.</p>
<p>I started my flight training when I was 15 too. I will try and get my license this winter break, I've been procrastinating cause of school. I have about 50 or so hours, I made time when I could. </p>
<p>Flying definately is a reality check, you never can guage if you really want it unless you do. Personally, I feel at home in the air, the plane feels like an extension of myself.</p>
<p>I love to fly. My uncle has a Cessna 414 and has had a couple Piper's before hand and I love to go flying with him. One time, I was able to go in an RV-6 and it was the most fun thing I have ever done. The bubble canopy was awesome and I love the speed, smallness, and performance of it. It is an aerobatic plane and it is awesome! I would love to take flying lessons and the 3 people I have flown with say I have "the touch" but it just costs a little too much.</p>
<p>Yes, I want to be a fighter pilot!</p>
<p>The RV-6 is definitely a sweet plane; of course, the RV-8 is just a little better because of the tandem configuration...more of a fighter-like feel. The most similar I've gotten to fly in is an RV-6A...still pretty clean though. </p>
<p>My dad used to own a J-3 Cub and that was pretty sweet, especially flying around when I used to live in South Dakota...we even flew past Mount Rushmore a couple times...lots of fun. Of course now all I fly in is a Cessna 152 for training--but it gets the job done. Cool cool.</p>
<p>Yeah 152!..my trainer too.</p>
<p>As my instructor says...you could tell a joke, have a smoke and take a nap...and then that's just during takeoff.</p>
<p>All in all though it's a good trainer. You don't need much more for PPL stuff.</p>
<p>I love the 152 I fly. Forgiving, reliable, and stable. Winds are high? No prob for the 152, gotta love it.</p>
<p>hey fiterace87. i just realized that you got into ALL THREE academies! you got in early admissions too! wow. that is amazing, you must be pretty cool.</p>
<p>This is true, I have received appointments to "all" three (I didn't apply to USCGA or USMMA), and I am very honored to be in the position that I am in. But it wasn't easy--I've known for years that I wanted to attend an academy (particularly USAFA), so I tailored my high school career around what the academies look for--to include sports, CAP, grades, SATs, leadership, the whole nine yards, and I've kept a level head on my goal. Now it is paying off for me, and I can sort of relax until the summer...well, except for doing loads of pushups and flutter kicks and not breaking something vital...lol.</p>
<p>But "early admission" doesn't mean anything except that I know what I'll be doing a little earlier than other people--we're all the same come I-Day.</p>
<p>But I guess what I'm trying to say is that to get into an academy you don't have to be superhuman--I know I'm not; I'm actually relatively short and not Pilot or Navigator Qualified--you just really need to have a strong focus on a goal. The academies see that, and they know that is what they want in their cadets/mids.</p>
<p>What exactly are flutter kicks?</p>
<p>good reply. very well-written. i agree, and i hope other people applying realize this too.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.trainforstrength.com/ex-7.shtml%5B/url%5D">http://www.trainforstrength.com/ex-7.shtml</a></p>
<p>(flutterkicks)</p>
<p>Killer after a long time.</p>