Questions about AFROTC

[Stefan]

Hi, I'm currently a freshman in High School and have loved flying since when I was about 7 and got Flight Simulator 2002 on my PC, and when I was 11 or 12, took the introductory flight in a Cessna at a local flight school, doing takeoff, turns (like watching your bank angle while turning), ascents, decents, and the like, and impressed my instructor with how much I knew, and said I was a fantastic pilot, better than many of the 30 and 40 year old's who came in to fly. He was around 20 then, with a lot of pilot licenses, and has now been accepted into the Air Force.

A friend, who is a junior in High School said he was aiming to join the Air Force by means of the AFROTC, hopefully at Embry Riddle. As I have always loved aviation and planes, I want to see if I can get into the Air Force, and I've heard ER is a great school to go through the ROTC.

Being only a Freshman in 9th grade, I have alot of questions about college, ROTC, and what I should be doing now.

What should I focus on doing now to increase my chances and prepare me for (Hopefully) Embry Riddle and ROTC?

If I do get in, what would be a good education to pursue to increase my chances of getting a pilot slot? I've heard Aeronautical/Aerospace Engineering can be good for your chances. And are there any extra things you have to do to be able to pursue that education? (I.E. having higher grades or taking certain classes)

Is there any point of taking lessons at a local flight school before college? Maybe just to make sure I want to be a pilot? How does the on campus airfield work? Can you get lessons there?

Should I start working out, like doing push ups and crunches on my own at home, and using a treadmill?

Is ROTC hardcore? Because I looked at the academy and it just seemed crazy hard, considering only 1000 out of 20000 graduate.

If you do get a pilot slot, do you get to choose at all what you actually do? Like if you want to fly bombers or fighters? I always thought Ground-Attack was cool, supporting the troops on the ground always seemed like the best thing to do. Fighters, Bombers and UAVs are all things that interest me, and if Search and Rescue is something you can choose to do, I would also be willing to do that, so I'm pretty flexible in what type of aircraft I could work in.


By the way, its not really related, but I have built myself a computer, it cost about 3000 dollars, and is top of the line, and worked perfectly the first time I did it, but it took months of research on parts and how to build it and what mistakes not to make, and when I finally had the parts come to the door my parents thought it would be a disaster, months in the making, but it only took a day, and the computer was working the next morning, I dunno if it matters, but its a little fact.

Thats it! Sorry for the huge wall of text, a lot of the stuff in High School is new and only now have I been really thinking about what I want to do when I grow up, college, etc. Thanks for the help! :D

[Miguel Diaz]

dude....... im not saying that you should be a procrastinator or anything.......
but you will have A LOT of time in high school to think about college, you don't have to worry about it now......

but either way...... i can help you a little bit with some of these questions

If you want to increase your chances of acceptance to ERAU, all you can do for now is keeping grades up and getting involved (extracurriculars, sports, comm. service). Also, even though GPA is only a factor in the admission decision, it is an important one.
There are no specific classes that you need to take to get accepted, but advanced physics and math classes will surely help you understand the material once you get here.

I don't know that much about the air force ROTC, but I do know that if you accept scholarships from them (which can cover up to the full cost of tuition) you are committed to at least 4 years of service to the air force after you graduate
and for pilots its 10 years. That is what turned me away from the AFROTC

If what you really want to do is being a pilot, then the better option for a major would be Aeronautical Science which is the degree for a professional pilot. Taking flying courses somewhere else will save you some money once you get here but it will only be money that you will have used earlier. You can take various flying courses at the flightline (our airfield) as part of the AS major or separately with any other other major. However, you have to consider that flight courses add a considerable amount of money to your yearly expenses (approx 15,000/year) The flighline itself isn't in campus, its a little less than 10 min away

Also, I don't know for sure if you can choose what to do when you join the AF but I do know that in order to be a pilot for them you NEED a Bachelor's Degree. Not necessarily an degree in Aeronautical Science

Unless you are really out of shape, I don't think you should worry too much about working out. Because, the ROTC is very far from being as physically demanding as the AF academy. I'm not saying it's easy though, It is definitely not.


Well, that's all I got, maybe someone else who is actually in the AFROTC program can offer you more insight. But like I said, right now just enjoy high school, don't worry TOO much about college this year, you will have plenty of time for that.

[Christopher Rollins]

Disclaimer: I've done a lot of research into the military, AFROTC, and ERAU, however what I write below is not official and if you have any further questions, you should contact ERAU or AFROTC directly.

Hey Stefan, it's good to see that you're starting to get focused on these types of things early. As a freshman, you have some time to go before getting into the college preparation stuff, but since you're considering the military, now is certainly a great time to start. I've been decided on the Air Force since I was in 7th or 8th grade (specifically as a pilot), and I've done a lot of research in the area, and I highly suggest that you take the time to do the same in regards to your options in the military and how ROTC works.

I am now a senior in high school, and just submitted the first part of my AFROTC scholarship application last Friday. My first choice of major is Aeronautical Science because I just simply love to fly, and the AS major suits me perfectly. The cost of it however (as mentioned by Miguel) fairly substantial however, so I listed my second and third majors as Meteorology and Computer Science (both technical majors) since I'm also interested in those two fields. Pretty much unless I win the lottery, whatever the Air Force offers me as a scholarship (for a specific major), I'll be taking that major...

AS helps in understanding flight and getting all of the technical stuff and pilot training under your belt, but everyone I have talked to (including the ROTC detachment itself) have said that the choice of major doesn't really affect pilot slots. What I'm saying is that you should take the major you are most interested in. Based on what you wrote, Aeronautical Science (or Aerospace Science as listed in the AFROTC application) would be perfect for you, but paying for it is going to be what you need to work on, and you should always have a backup plan (including alternative colleges).

Here's the AS major page for the Daytona Beach campus for more information: http://www.erau.edu/db/degrees/b-aerosci.html

Note: I've referred to AS a few times in this post - don't confuse that with Aerospace Studies, another major offered at ERAU, and different from Aeronautical or Aerospace Science.

Physical Fitness:
Very important. Take my advice as a freshman - lots of pushups, lots of situps, and lots of running (along with other military exercises). One - regardless of the standards, you're joining the military - this may sound selfish, but I want to have a physically (and mentally) fit guy next to me when my life is in his hands, and with that notion in mind, I've been trying to improve my fitness levels every single day (particularly over this past summer and now this fall). Two - part of the AFROTC scholarship application process is a PT test. There are no minimum standards, but of course doing the very best possible increases your chances.

Let your guidance counselor and gym teachers know that you are going for the military, and specifically AFROTC. If you have the financial means not to need a scholarship, I'm glad to hear that - it saves a lot of paperwork for you - but still, remain physically fit. In obtaining a pilot slot, you need good PT scores during ROTC anyway. Pilot slots are very competitive.

Grades:
Fight any impulse to slack off during high school, especially when you enter your junior year. Whenever you feel any difficulty, don't know material, or are just simply unsure of something, seek extra help immediately - especially in math. Math in particular, do not let that subject get away from you, that one you need to stay on top of.

This past summer I was at a Civil Air Patrol flight academy, and in one day we happened to cover earth science, physics, trigonometry (math), chemistry (though that one was kind of a fluke) and English (lot of stuff to read) in ground school. It was actually a pretty fun and fairly easy week, but it was interesting to see that all come together, and we just did basic stuff for a solo. Actually being a pilot requires a lot more (especially in the military).

Now, don't let this freak you out if your grades start to slip - especially in math. I did horrible in math during my junior year, though dealing with things that had no real world use was probably the main reason for it ;) Just take things one step at a time and don't be afraid of asking for help.

Selection of what you fly is done at undergraduate pilot training (in the Air Force). Fighter slots are extremely competitive. Search and Rescue is an option, but depends on if you want to be in the air or ground. On the ground is Air Force Pararescue (Special Forces). In the air SAR is typically around C-130s and Pavehawk helicopters, though I don't have much knowledge of it for active duty. There's an ANG Base near where I live that deals specifically with search and rescue, so I know more about it from that side, but not active duty.

Finally, that computer knowledge will definately help you. Having the ability to do that type of research and actually put together a computer can be an invaluable resource to the Air Force, and you may even want to consider a field in intelligence or cyber warfare in the Air Force. You definitely should as a backup at least (I have). ERAU (at least at Daytona, I don't know about Prescott) also has a Homeland Security major that you may want to consider (I'm taking it as a minor though).

I hope this helps. I'm in the last rounds of my high school career, and even with all of the steps I've taken to become an officer in the Air Force (and specifically, a pilot in the Air Force), the weight of getting everything sent in for scholarships, financial aid, and applications to colleges is starting to become apparent. You'll feel the same way your senior year, but as a freshman now, take advantage of the fact that you know what you want to do and go at it full force, that way it's a lot easier that what most other people face.

One last thing...

Core Values:
Integrity First - Service Before Self - Excellence In All We Do

Those are the Air Force core values. Take them (and the core values of every service) to heart now. Your background and your reputation is extremely important, especially as an officer, and most especially when applying for a security clearance. Don't do drugs, don't drink alcohol, don't lose control of yourself. Always be a person of integrity and always do the right thing, even if no one is looking. Put others before yourself, because that's what being in the military is all about. Always do your very best, because that's how you get where you need to go and that's how you best serve your country. Settle for nothing but your very best, and no matter what setbacks you encounter in life, especially on your path to becoming a pilot in the United States Air Force, don't ever, ever quit.