If I join the air force to be a pilot, will they send me to iraq?

Question

I want to be an commercial airline pilot, and was looking into the air force for flight training. How does the training stuff work in the air force. What is it like? Is it the same as a flight school?

Answer 1

If you want to be an airline pilot, you will have to get a FAA Commercial Pilots Rating which you do not get from the airforce. Also, you will have to have a multi-engine jet rating which may be different than the aircraft you will train on in the Air Force. Also, you will have your Officer schools and countless other schools that are required to be a pilot in the Air Force.

The Air Force just doesn't train people and let them go to do whatever they want. To be a pilot, you will have at least a six year commitment in which time, you will probably be deployed to Iraq or other places around the world.

You know, it's pretty shi*** that you want to use the military to your own benefit, but are afraid to actually serve the people of this great country. If you do go through with it, don't tell anyone else, or they will make sure you have a HARD six years pal.

Honestly, just go to civilian flight school if that what you want to do. Leave the military to real men.

Answer 2

The needs of the Air Force determine what and where your assignments and deployments are. Just about every pilot will go over there at some point. During deployments, you might not even be flying. I'm an instructor pilot in TX, and another instrucor in my squadron has been deployed to do a job on the ground in Afghanistan. Don't join unless you can accept the very real possibility of being sent to Iraq, Afghanistan or anywhere else.
Also, some corrections from the other answers:
A pilot's service committment is 10 years after graduation from pilot training, not 6.
You do not need 20/20 uncorrected vision.
After graduation from pilot training, you can take the FAA exam and go to the local FSDO to get a commercial license, instrument rating, and (if you fly the T-1) a Beech 400 type rating.

Having said that, the Air Force is a great place to learn to fly. Here's how Air Force pilot training goes:
First, you spend 6 weeks in academics, learning about aerospace physiology, going through parachute training, and studying the systems in the T-6. Next, you spend 4.5 months flying the T-6. There are long duty days, sometimes up to 12 hours. During the flights, you spend a lot of time in the traffic pattern, which is a little more complicated and a lot more crowded than a civilian pattern. You also go to the practice area to work on the same basic manevers as in civilian flying, but you also do aerobatics, instrument work and formation flights. When you're not flying, you get tested in excruciating detail on the airplane's systems, flying regulations and emergency procedures. At the end of the T-6 program, everyone in the class puts in requests for what airplane they want to fly for the remaining 6 months of pilot training. The choices are:
1. T-38 -- leads to fighters/bombers
2. T-1 -- leads to tankers/transports
3. T-44 -- leads to C-130
4. UH-1 -- leads to helicopters
The instructors, flight commanders, and squadron commander decide which students get which airplanes. Those who did the best in academics and T-6 flying can get what they want. Most of the class goes to the T-1. At most, about 25% of the class could go to the T-38. I went through the T-1 and that's what I teach now. 12 hour days are a lot more common in the T-1. Ground training focuses on a lot of the same things as during the T-6, but there is more emphasis on instrument flight procedures and approaches. The flight training starts out focusing on traffic patterns and landings and some instrument approaches. Then the focus moves toward instrument procedures, low-level navigation, and lots of approaches. The last part of the T-1 program is formation and gives an introduction to air refueling and airdrop procedures.
At the end of the the T-38 and T-1 programs all the students in the class put in their requests for what type of airplane they want to fly, but not all airplanes are available for each class. On the T-1 side, we were given a list of all the airplanes and locations that were available to our specific class and we ranked them according to what we wanted most. From what I heard about the T-38 side, they had to rank every possible airplane they could be assigned, including bombers. They didn't get a list that said which airplanes their class would be assigned.

That's how it is for now. There are some changes on the way, but it won't be too different. If you have any other questions, you can email or IM me.

Answer 3

My experience with air force recruiters is that they are actually pretty honest. They will not for example tell your son he will never be in harms way. They don't have quotas to meet and there are plenty of high school grads waiting to sign up. They don't need the numbers like the army does so they don't push everybody to sign up. If your son really is a bad fit and they can see that they will probably say so. They can arrange for him to talk to other people in the air force that are doing the kinds of jobs he might be doing but I'm sure they don't pick the ones who are obviously unhappy. One thing you may want to tell your son is the air force won't guarantee him a particular job or training. Some military jobs transfer into a good civilian job but many do not and he has very little say in what he gets. Also he has no say in his schedule. He may not have a schedule that accommodates taking classes and so he will be very limited on how many credits he can get. An AA is possible but not highly likely even over a five year term.

Answer 4

In order to be a pilot in the Air Force (or Navy / Marine Corps) you are required to be an officer. This means completing college and be commissioned, either through ROTC or OCS. And there are no guarantees that you would become a pilot.

Make sure you are looking at the military for the right reason and understand there is a good chance you will go to Iraq or whatever war is going on when you are commissioned!

Answer 5

Air Force pilot training school is the same as a civilian pilot/flight training school.

If you do become a pilot (make sure you have 20/20 vision, if not-get laser eye correctional surgery), you will most likey be stationed in Iraq or Afghanistan for a while, or you will fly through dropping off and picking up troops for deployments and R&R's.

Don't be scared...well, you can't help that. But you'll be fine.

Answer 6

The training in the air force is basically the same as in the flight school. However, you can be ordered to render duty in Iraq depending upon the orders of the headquarters.

Answer 7

well,if you want to be a commercial airline pilot, then get a commercial pilot's license. the military will not provide the training required to get one.

In order to be a fixed wing pilot in any branch of the military, you must have a 4 year degree and apply for a Commission in addition to passing the very rigorous physical requirements.

While being Commissioned is a necessity, having the commission doesn't necessarily mean you will be selected for Aviation.

Answer 8

Seems you are afraid of going into the air force. The initial training schedule is the same but for air force special areas of proficiency are required.
If you join the airforce and if you are an American you can be definetly sent to Iraq . TOUGH JOB.

Answer 9

Yes and if you don't like that idea then I don't want you in my Air Force. It is the same as flight school, but first you must get a college degree and pass OCS. There is a multi year commitment.

Answer 10

Everyone goes to either Iraq or Afghanistan (or near Iraq or Afghanistan). The Armed Forces is a war machine whose singular purpose is to wage war. There is no war in the U.S. so why people think there is a chance that they can enlist (and reap the benefits) and not deploy is beyond me.