Becoming an Army Aviator

Welcome back! I'm Jacob and in this video I go over what the process is like to become an aviator in the U.S. Army.

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If you are not in the Army, the place to start is talking with a recruiter first. This video covers the gap between here and starting flight school. Now there are 2 paths to choose from here because there are 2 types of aviators. There are your regular commissioned officers (lieutenants, captains, etc.) and then there are Warrant Officers. While both are aviators, their jobs differ. Commissioned officers lead and manage soldiers. To become one you are required to have a college degree. They receive orders from higher, direct soldiers, and fly when they can. Warrant Officers, on the other hand, don't manage personnel. Their job is to be the most technical and tactical experts in their aircraft and are, in most cases, the most proficient pilots. So while an officer goes to meetings and directs training/scheduling, warrant officers are continuously flying and studying their aircraft systems, missions, etc. That is, unless they are doing additional duties. Overall 1/5th of pilots are Commissioned Officers while 4/5ths are Warrant Officers. So there are 2 paths to choose from.

To become an officer you must go through Officer Candidate School (OCS), Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), or a military academy such as West Point. These schools are whats known as your "commissioning source." After completing one of these you are ranked on an Order of Merit (OML) where you compete against peers for your service branch. After selecting aviation you move to Ft. Rucker, Alabama for flight school. The alternate route is becoming a Warrant Officer. Here you have to first complete what is called a WOFT (Warrant Officer Flight Training) packet. This packet has a few requirements:
1. You must be eligible to join the Army. This includes passing Heigh/Weight standards and a basic physical exam. For flight packets you have to have a High School diploma and be 18-32 years old.
2. You must be able to pass an Army physical fitness test.
3. You must be eligible for a secret security clearance. This includes looking at things like previous criminal history, excessive debts, foreign ties/influences, mental health, drug history, etc.
4. You must pass the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery). This is similar to the ACT/SAT in high school and is used to determine what military jobs you qualify for. The important part here is to not only pass but get at least a 110 GT (General Technical) score.
5. You must pass the SIFT (Selection Instrument for Flight Training) Test. This exam is to verify candidates have the mental aptitude for flying.
6. You must pass a Class 1 Flight Physical ensuring you are medically fit to fly. A big part is ensuring your vision and hearing are top notch and that there is nothing medically wrong that could prevent you from flying (seizures, blackouts, etc.).
7. You need Letters of Recommendation (minimum of 3). These can be from employers, teachers, public figures, or anyone who can speak to your character. If you're prior enlisted, you can get some of these from your chain of command.

All of this will be compiled into a WOFT packet and then submitted to a selection board for review. This is why it is important to make your packet as competitive as possible. You want the best scores you can get to make your packet look the best. Ultimately, if the board gets to accept 100 packets in a quarter and there were 150 submitted, you want your packet to be in the top 100. Once your packet is accepted you ship out to Basic Training (skip this for prior enlisted) and then Warrant Officer Candidate School (WOCS), located at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Afterwards, you proceed straight into flight school.

Both Commissioned Officers and Warrant Officers have to meet these basic requirements prior to flight training. For officers, you complete different parts at different times throughout the process whereas Warrant Officers do everything up front in the WOFT packet. As these officers arrive at flight school a new class starts every 2 weeks. Keep in mind that this is the current process at the time of this video and is subject to change as the Army changes policies.

Well that wraps up this video. If you have any questions or comments leave them below. Be sure to hit like and subscribe as well. Once again, I'm Jacob and this is Helicopter Lessons in 10 Minutes or Less. Safe flying!