getting into marine corps aviation

[kruneil]

I'm wondering if I have a chance at getting into marine corps aviation. I have always dreamed of being a pilot. I've spoken to a few different recruiters and the oso I spoke to told me about the selection boards and all of the requirements. She seemed interested and told me they would be getting in touch when my graduation drew nearer.

[Victory103]

This should probably be in the Real Aviation thread, as there is a sticky about the RN. I assume you mean high school grad is near, but regardless do good in school, stay away from trouble. You can probably tons of prep info from the interwebs.

[PhantomTweak]

Weeellll....if you are about to graduate college, you will have to apply to the Marine OCS (Officer Candidate School), which includes physicals, complete physicals at your own expense, interview boards, grade reviews (better have a 3.9 GPA or better!) and a recommendation from a Senator or Congressman, altho Senators are better, just to start. If you are graduating highschool, it makes it easier, since you can get into ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) and let the Marines pay your tuition, if you are accepted, but will still have to go through all the other fun stuff, including OCS, but you will be a lot better prepared after 4 years of ROTC. Still going to have to carry a 3.9 GPA (Grade Point Average)or better to get in, whatever they may tell you. That's for all 4 years of college, all classes total, plus attending all the ROTC drill meetings.
Oh, and better have a good degree, like BA or PHD in Aeronautical Engineering is the best for getting to Aviation.
Actually, you will attend the Naval Academy in Annapolis Md, after being accepted to Marine OCS. I know, wierd system, but all Marine Aviators are actually classed as Naval Aviators, Since the Marines are a Department of the Navy....The Mens department, granted but still...Essentially you will be accepted to OCS, attend Annapolis as a Navy Midshipmman, graduate and accept a Marine 2nd Lt. Commission instead of a Navy Ensign commision, and I think, not certain, that you would have to attend an abbreviated version of Marine OCS also to teach you to be an actual Marine Officer, things such as Rank Structures, Marine Customs and Traditions, Uniform, Proper wearing of, care, maintennance, and so on, things like that.
THEN you go to Basic Flight School, and IF, not when but IF you graduate that, you can apply for the kind of aircraft you want to fly, and go to the school for that particular variety of aircraft. No guaranty you will get it but you can apply.
Now, assuming you get through ALL this fun stuff, you will be a real live Marine Aviator, assigned to a squadron, and probably out at see 8-10 months a year, or more. Onboard a ship, not at a shore station, sharing a broom-closet sized room with another Lt., and don't sit up suddenly or you will brain yourself on the overhead and you must maintain all your Currencies to remain an Aviator, with the lowest, newest nugget pilots being last on the list for selection to requal flights. This incudes Night Carrier Recoveries, Daytimne ones, CAT i, II, and III recoveries onboard the boat and a shore station, presuming the gear is up for them the entire time, ACMs and all the rest. Oh, and watch the knee-knockers and head-bashers, etc, as well as the ladderwells on the ship, the overhead piping, the Flight Deck Rules, and all the rest as they are all out to get you. And they will too. Flight Surgeons are picky about injuries from them too...And NO, positively NO Engery drinks, like 5 Hour Energy, etc. Strictly forbidden to Aviators, although coffee in unlimited quantities is permitted. And the FS will check.

And bear in mind, when you go on dates, or just try to get laid, that there are unwritten rules about Marine Officer Wives, including the fact the Lt,'s shouldn't get married, Captains, MAY get married, Majors SHOULD get married, Lt.Col.s WILL get married, etc etc...If the Corps wanted you to have a wife they'd have issued you one, and so on...

I hope all this helps a little bit...
Pat☺

[pegger]

Fellas....this is probably spam.

If you copy the text from these random offbeat questions, and paste them into google search, you will quickly see this question (word for word) has bee posed on countless other forums.
Some form of trolling I suppose, but don't ask me how this actually accomplishes anything for the spammer.

On that topic, can anyone explain how the spammer gains anything from these random forum posts?

[Hagar]

Fellas....this is probably spam.

If you copy the text from these random offbeat questions, and paste them into google search, you will quickly see this question (word for word) has bee posed on countless other forums.
Some form of trolling I suppose, but don't ask me how this actually accomplishes anything for the spammer.

Precisely. Note that the spammers only post once & usually in this particular section of the forum.

On that topic, can anyone explain how the spammer gains anything from these random forum posts?

The usual method was by putting links to various websites in their sigs. This seems to have stopped recently. I suspect this is not possible on this board until a new member has posted a number of times.

[pegger]

Thanks Hagar. Spam has been the plague of forums since the creation of forums. Thanks to mods like yourself for keeping the playground tidy.

And a great response nonetheless from Phantom! Really puts into perspective how difficult it is to become a military aviator. I'm sure we have all (I did) as kids look towards the fighter planes flying over our heads and think that was what we wanted to do when we grew up. That amount of dedication makes it look like a cakewalk to earn an ATP certification doesn't it?

[C]

My stickies are now several years out of date...

The UK still does military aviation, but not quite on the scale it ever has before.

[Hagar]

Thanks Hagar. Spam has been the plague of forums since the creation of forums. Thanks to mods like yourself for keeping the playground tidy.

Always pleased to help although I would like to point out that I'm not a mod. If I were I would have deleted this thread instead of moving it to the Real Aviation forum.

Here's a link to the original question on Yahoo. https://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20140321191853AAsAWAs
Note that it was answered 4 months ago.

[Steve M]

Regardless the spammer.. I joined the marines with a guarantee to get an aviation job. I ended up with a big fat radio strapped to my back, running with the grunts and calling in grid coordinates for air support. Yup, sort of an aviation related job I suppose.

[PhantomTweak]

And a great response nonetheless from Phantom! Really puts into perspective how difficult it is to become a military aviator. I'm sure we have all (I did) as kids look towards the fighter planes flying over our heads and think that was what we wanted to do when we grew up. That amount of dedication makes it look like a cakewalk to earn an ATP certification doesn't it?
pegger2nd Lieutenant
Posts: 88Joined: Sat Jul

I apologise if I got a tad verbose there guys, it's problem I seem to have.

I joined the marines with a guarantee to get an aviation job. I ended up with a big fat radio strapped to my back, running with the grunts and calling in grid coordinates for air support. Yup, sort of an aviation related job I suppose.

I did the same thing. They sent me to Memphis, TN to learn to be a Helo Mech (read "rotorhead" ) but my Electrical scores were so high on my ASFAB (MC entrance exams, equivalent to the SAT/ACTs) they decided to send me to AEA (Aviation Electricians mate) instead to learn to be what we called a One-Wire (replace tiny lightbulbs, repair broken wires in aviation gear, etc). Well, after the first two schools everyone in Millington (Memphis) attends, AFUN-P a week long school in 1 day (Aviation Fundamentals, read "This is a WING...repeat after me now...), and BE&E (Basic Electricity and Electronics "This is a WIRE...) a 3 week school in 3 days, I had zipped through so fast their beady ittle eyes lit up, and they sent me instead to AVA (Aviation Avionics Mate School), a higher form of the One-Wires, actually troubleshooting radios, and so on. Well, AVA, also being a "selfpaced school" supposed to take 3 months, I ran through in 1 month, so again I could see the greedy little eyes gleaming and they said "We will send you to AFTA (Advanced First Term Avionics, the most advanced school in Millington attendable by first-enlistees, basically the equivalent of an Associates in Electronic Engineering) IF you are willing to be promoted to Cpl as a result! Oh, and you have to extend for two extra years..." Well, to a new Marine, less than year out of Boot, Cpls were 1 step down from gods, so of course I signed on the dotted line, raised my right hand and said "I DO!". Sadly, AFTA was an Instructor Taught, rather than Self-Paced School, 6 months long. Well, timing being everything, thankfully I had gotten a couple Charlie shirts with Cpl stripes sewn on, pressed, dry-cleaned, Tailored, ready for graduation day, ready to be the new (Almost)god. We graduated at 1000 in the morning, and got our new ranks pinned on etc. I went to the Squadron offices to get the goodies, like my new issue of stripes for uniforms and cammy as well as Sateen uniforms, my travel orders, backpay, enlistement bonus check, and so on. They looked at me oddly in the Squadron S1 and said "You aren't checked out yet? Your flight leave at 1730....TONIGHT!" I told them it had been nice of them to let me know so far in advance, and managed to pack my gear, get checked out of the Squadron and off the base, normally a week long process, and made my flight out the Memphis Airport. I was one tired new-minted Cpl!
Thankfully, I had thought ahead enough to request a couple weeks leave at home before reporting to school for the Aero-1A F-4N Fire Control Radar system, so I was able to rest and unwind from schools for a bit...

I got all my info from going partway through it in the MCEP (Marine Corps Enlisted Comissioning Probram), trying to get into flight school myself. Sadly by the time came to hit the boards, they informed me it would be 2-3 years, as they had way too many Aviators in at the moment. I just chucked the whole thing...And went back to Memphis 2 years after I hit Yuma (My first Duty Station) for 4 years of Instructor Duty there in Memphis. I went through AVI-C7, required for Instructors, essentially a BSEE degree in one year. My orders came through, thanks to a "friend" in the Selection department that got me orders back to YUMA!
NOOOOOOOO!!!!! :evil: (I hate Yuma with a blind passion!), So, back to Yuma I went...
I had even extended for 2 years, again, and taken a promotion to SGT...
Pat☺

[Hawkeye07]

When was AVI-C7 required for instructor duty? What kind of instructor duty were you on?

[OldAirmail]

I'm wondering if I have a chance at getting into marine corps aviation. I have always dreamed of being a pilot. I've spoken to a few different recruiters and the oso I spoke to told me about the selection boards and all of the requirements. She seemed interested and told me they would be getting in touch when my graduation drew nearer.

Just in case you're a spammer who wants go straight, let me offer a couple of words in encouragement.

The recruiters are interested in you because they think you'll make a fine general, admiral, whatever.

Listen to them and do just as they say.

True, they may have you enter a field that bears little resemblance to you intended future career, but that's only to have you ready for that great opportunity that's just around the corner.

NEVER forget that they are looking after your best interests.



SIDE NOTE - Forty odd years later I still remember my recruiters' last name.

[Victory103]

Thanks Hagar. Spam has been the plague of forums since the creation of forums. Thanks to mods like yourself for keeping the playground tidy.

And a great response nonetheless from Phantom! Really puts into perspective how difficult it is to become a military aviator. I'm sure we have all (I did) as kids look towards the fighter planes flying over our heads and think that was what we wanted to do when we grew up. That amount of dedication makes it look like a cakewalk to earn an ATP certification doesn't it?

Thanks gents for the spam/troll warning, glad I didn't send this to another RW site I'm on. Working my ATP now before the FAA rule change, I can say it's not a "cakewalk", but some focused studying helps the written portion and the checkride should be pretty basic.

[PhantomTweak]

When was AVI-C7 required for instructor duty? What kind of instructor duty were you on?

For AVA or AFTA, the two entry level instructor positions. I was told if I wanted to teach either one, I had to take C7, which meant another 2 year extension, and have Sgt stripes on my sleeve. I had enjoyed the area so much, and realy liked the cost of living there, it was worth it to me. I was paying my rent in the Mud Flats right there, plus utilities, plus my food costs with only my BAQ (I had entered into a contract marriage my first time there so I could live offbase and draw all the goodies) with a lovey pair of sailors named Leslie, who had the worst lisp you ever heard and Beth. First time I ever met Beth, I didn't even get the chance to ask her her real name, Beth or Bess, only having heard Leslie (or "Lethlie", to hear her say it ) say it before. She told me "It's BETH, I get the same question all the time!". Wonderfull pair of young ladies, altho, obviously, I could "marry" just Leslie. I really felt bad, moving out in one afternoon the way I did, but Leslie and Beth understood, once I called and I explained what had happened. We obviously let the contract we had expire, altho I understood they found another guy that didn't mind bi-sexual girls.
I never got the chance to actually BE an instructor, since I got sent back to Yuma by my good friend the Monitor. This was all back in '81, just 3 years after my Active Service Date (the day I went to boot). Very fast track to SGT for the time! I started C7 in January of 81, and was back in the hated Yuma by January of 82, darn it.

Pat☺

[Fozzer]

I got conscripted, dragged, kicking and screaming, into the British Army in 1955.
..and after the two compulsory years in the National Service, the happiest day of my life was when I was finally demobbed in 1957, and went back to living a proper life again.... ....!

Military bull-s*it was never meant for me!... ...!

...not even in the Flight Sims!... ...!

Paul....23146921 Craftsman Fosbery. R.E.M.E.....Sir!.... ...!