Private rotary-wing training to become an Army pilot. (commercial)

[bentstrider]

Is it possible to get a private-instruction on rotor-craft and use the hours obtained to get into the warrant-officer program in the Army?

[Poncho_NM]

Originally Posted by bentstrider

Is it possible to get a private-instruction on rotor-craft and use the hours obtained to get into the warrant-officer program in the Army?

Not really. I am retired Army. I am a private pilot. I have met a lot of Army pilots over the years.

The easiest and only way is to apply for the Army program...


Rich

[Balad1]

No, it has nothing to do with it.

[bentstrider]

Originally Posted by Poncho_NM

Not really. I am retired Army. I am a private pilot. I have met a lot of Army pilots over the years.

The easiest and only way is to apply for the Army program...


Rich

So basically I could obtain X-amount of commercial hours and not be able to qualify for that particular duty?

I'm bummed, but enlightened.

[Balad1]

First and foremost is that you must meet the basic requirements of the program, such as flight physical, flight attitude testing and basic WO enlistment criteria. Having a rotary wing pilot's license might be looked upon more favorably on the application but will not trump meeting the flight/basic requirements.

Years ago the Guard had a program that pilots with a minimum of 1500 hours could enlist into the program, that went the way of the Dodo.

[chucksnee]

Originally Posted by bentstrider

So basically I could obtain X-amount of commercial hours and not be able to qualify for that particular duty?

I'm bummed, but enlightened.

Do you want to be warrant officer or commissioned....

If you go into the warrant officer program "to fly" you will fly some type of Army Helicopter.....(go for the CH-47)...I might be biased though....I have about 2345 flight hours in a 47....D/E/F/models and the "G" model (nothing logged though)

And yes...you will be ahead of the game.....I would be cautious about letting the instructors know....but they will pick it up..soon enough...and grill ya a little harder....but it's all for the good...

Your civilian flight hours add to your total time of flight hours but must be kept separate from Army hours for obvious reasons...

[bentstrider]

Originally Posted by chucksnee

Do you want to be warrant officer or commissioned....

If you go into the warrant officer program "to fly" you will fly some type of Army Helicopter.....(go for the CH-47)...I might be biased though....I have about 2345 flight hours in a 47....D/E/F/models and the "G" model (nothing logged though)

And yes...you will be ahead of the game.....I would be cautious about letting the instructors know....but they will pick it up..soon enough...and grill ya a little harder....but it's all for the good...

Your civilian flight hours add to your total time of flight hours but must be kept separate from Army hours for obvious reasons...

If I were to go in at my age(27 now) then WO or commissioned is the way I'd do it.
The CH-47 looks nice, but whatever I would be stuck with would be just fine.

But for now, this is all just career-speculating, I'm still driving a truck and sifting around as it is.

[Balad1]

29 years of age used to be the cut off to have an approved slot and it can take a year or more to get it so you are time sensitive.