I was wondering what peoples’ thoughts are when comparing these schools, as to which one is better?
Better for WHAT??? You honestly don’t have a preference between flying vs. sailing?
From what I have heard you can fly in both services.
Anyone else have a thought? If you are equally interested in serving in both the Air Force and Coast Guard which school would be better to attend and put you in a better place upon graduation?
I got accepted to USCGA through Early Action this year. I’ve been nominated to USAFA and am still waiting to hear back from admissions. You may fly in either branch, but if flying is what you’re interested in, then it may be important to consider which academy has more slots for flight school. USNA sends the most Mids to Pensacola, followed by USAFA. I would assume USCGA does not have many pilot slots since it is a smaller branch/ academy.
Also, in terms of which would put you in a “better place,” I would think that is dependent upon which kind of academic environment you see yourself in. I am graduating from a small high school (which I love), and since USCGA is considerably smaller than USAFA (1k vs 4k), that has been a factor in my decision making process.
And, please note that Coast Guard offers rotay and carrier-style fixed wing flight spots (think C-130). To the best of my knowledge, Air Force doesn’t offer rotary but, of course, offer slots for fighter jets (what flying assignment you get depends on how your preference and performance at flight school). That’s what they told us at the USAFA Summer Seminar. I hope it helps! It’s super important to think about the mandatory 5-year commitment after graduation as opposed to just thinking about academy life.
Thanks for your insight!
So much misinformation on this thread that I had to reply.
USAFA doesn’t send anyone to Pensacola. That is a Navy training base. AF has 4 training bases for pilots. Laughlin, Vance, Columbus, and Sheppard AFB. They send approximately 500-550 from each graduating class to pilot training compared to Navy’s 250-300.
The Air Force has rotary-wing slots flying the UH-1, HH-60, or CV-22. There are usually one or two rotary slots in each flight class of 25.
Most pilots in the Coast Guard do not get their slot right out of the Academy. They do a tour on a cutter first then apply for aviation.
Also, Navy has an 8-year commitment for pilot trainees and AF has a 10-year commitment.
Both the Coast Guard Academy and Air Force Academy are great schools and will put you in a good place for the future. Think about which service you would prefer to serve in. That should be the determining factor.