Sgt Grit Marine Forums

I graduate from college next May and am considering doing OCS. Whenever I talk to recruiters about it they always say “So you want to be a pilot?” I don’t know whether this is an actual possibility or they are just making it seem that way. I know recruiters are under a lot of pressure to perform so I have my bull**** detector on high. Are there actually a lot of opportunities to become a pilot? I know the Air Force is down sizing so are their pilots going to be flooding into the Marines? Assuming there is a sizable demand for new pilots in the Marine Corp, how hard is it to get into the program and what do they look at when deciding whether to accept you (ie test scores, college gpa, etc)? I just want to be fully informed before I make a decision. Thank you for any information you can provide.

Marine Air Flys and Fights........peace time or war time, you can get killed. Just be up front with what you want. Just tell them! They will set you up with a Flt Physical, to see if you qualify, first.

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Originally posted by Wm. R Miller Jr.
Marine Air Flys and Fights........peace time or war time, you can get killed.

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I was not aware of that. I did see that no lieutenants have been killed since early June (though a few other officers have been) so I was hoping that signaled it was a little safer. That said, I am still interested. Is it a particularly hard program to get into?

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Just be up front with what you want. Just tell them! They will set you up with a Flt Physical, to see if you qualify, first.

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I'm meeting with an OSO on Friday. I just wanted to make sure I got a second opinion.

Lieutenants are still in training Squadrons, First Flight School, then on to their respective "RAG" Squadrons.  Kid "Air Mishaps" happen anywhere, at anytime.......in combat, you just add shooting to the equation of "Murphy's Law of Flight".

Marine pilots are naval aviators and go to flight training at Pensacola. We assume you have good vision uncorrected and are willing to sign for the longer time period because of the expense of the training. Go to HqMC and search for more info. Sgt. Wolf

I've answered these questions about a billion times. Do a search. And there have been 7 fatal mishaps in training squadrons (not including the RAGs) this past fiscal year.

The Ma'am should know, she's a HMT-303 Cobro-Pilot! ATTACK Helo![;)]

Yep, Jim's class lost more people in training accidents than in combat. Lt Ky can correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the aviation contract is for 6 years...and the clock starts ticking AFTER you are winged, so it could be 8 years of service....

Why have there been so many fatal mishaps and what percentage of pilots make it through flight school all in one piece? I have read that one reason helicopters in Iraq/Afghanistan have been more susceptable to enemy fire is because after Vietnam the flight schools moved away from “running gunfire” and “diving fire” towards "hovering" tactics which were thought more appropriate for the Cold War. Apparently they are able to ward off shoulder-fired heat seeking missiles but have difficulty with the so called dumb munitions like RPGs used by insurgents. A hit to the rotor or tail and they go down. Is the flight school addressing this problem and fully preparing new pilots for urban guerilla warfare? Aside from that, what are your personal opinions on the wisdom of pursuing this? Is it just aviation that you are warning against or OCS in general? Do you think infantry is actually less dangerous than flying? I did read that the Defense Department has 400 helicopters in Iraq and lost 100 last year in traing and combat. Thanks again.

I'm really not in the mood to get into this, but here you go. Make it through in one peice? Physically or mentally? Why have there been so many fatal mishaps? Because it's FLYING you jackass! Last time I checked, we didn't have wings, therefore we can't stay airborn by our own power. Machines fail and they don't differentiate between peace time and war time, SNA and seasoned aviator. Pilots are also people and make mistakes. And guess what, when they fail, you die. Simple. As for your information on current helo tactics, it's wrong. Diving fire has been and continues to be the primary rocket deliver tactic. I can't speak for the Army (they don't have a standardized weapons tatics profile). It's 8 years from time of winging... so that's 10-11 years total. Kid, if you want to be a military aviator or any type, you have to accept the risks, bottom line. Flying doesn't differentiate between peace and war, and our trade is just as dangerous regardless of where we are. Am I confident in the training I've recieved? 100%. But that doesn't make risks go away. Oh -- and I'm done with HMLA/T-303 now. (I'm a Gunfighter/Gunrunner.... learning to be bicoastal)

If you go through the flight training pipeline, they will give you the very best training possible. However, training can not anticipate mechanical failure, cold cat shoots, pilot error, the weather going south really fast..... Likewise, the opposite side of the house...say you go to IOC. They will give you the best training and try and prepare you for contingencies. For example, you may go to MOUT, a pre-deployment CAX maybe...but that isn't going to prepare you for the anything and everything that could possibly happen in theatre. No amount of training and strategizing can do that. As our tactics and training evolve, so does the enemies. Accept that no matter what pipeline you choose, or which MOS you select, the military is a risk-inherent lifestyle. So is being a cop, a fireman, or a multitude of other professions. You have to weigh that in your decision matrix. You have to be prepared to accept that. That is why it is considered in SERVICE to your country. It is not a job. It is a calling.

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Originally posted by dcRacer
I'm really not in the mood to get into this, but here you go. Make it through in one peice? Physically or mentally? Why have there been so many fatal mishaps? Because it's FLYING you jackass! Last time I checked, we didn't have wings, therefore we can't stay airborn by our own power. Machines fail and they don't differentiate between peace time and war time, SNA and seasoned aviator. Pilots are also people and make mistakes. And guess what, when they fail, you die. Simple. As for your information on current helo tactics, it's wrong. Diving fire has been and continues to be the primary rocket deliver tactic. I can't speak for the Army (they don't have a standardized weapons tatics profile). It's 8 years from time of winging... so that's 10-11 years total. Kid, if you want to be a military aviator or any type, you have to accept the risks, bottom line. Flying doesn't differentiate between peace and war, and our trade is just as dangerous regardless of where we are. Am I confident in the training I've recieved? 100%. But that doesn't make risks go away. Oh -- and I'm done with HMLA/T-303 now. (I'm a Gunfighter/Gunrunner.... learning to be bicoastal)

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That's my Gal! You're a Gunfighter now![;)] HMLA-369 Gunfighter and split with an East Coast Sqdn the Gun Runners of HMLA-269!

Already seeing a need to grab someone by the stacking swivel.

Kid you need to learn how to use the damn search functions.

And if you want a freaking safe position, go suck your thumb in a closet and plastic sheet and duct tape yourself in.

 

Yeti

TheYeti1775:

Already seeing a need to grab someone by the stacking swivel.

Kid you need to learn how to use the damn search functions.

And if you want a freaking safe position, go suck your thumb in a closet and plastic sheet and duct tape yourself in.

 

Yeti

 

Mr. Yeti, Sir, can you tell me what MOS that is please? Does that involve NBC type stuff? I was doing a little reading about duct tape and plastic. In the event of a global nuclear holocaust, I've read that duct tape is your safest bet. If I were to sign up for NBC, would I have to actually deal with any chemicals or germs? Thanks Mr. Yeti.

Yeah, yeah, I know. I double posted. But it won't let me delete my post. So deal with it!

TomB:

Yeah, yeah, I know. I double posted. But it won't let me delete my post. So deal with it!