WT Forums

Hi all,

Please bear with this long post, but I have an honest question.

First off, I'm 22 years young, I just graduated (with honors) with an Associates of Applied Science in the field of Recording Arts (specifically, video game sound design). However, it has been my childhood dream, my passion, my one true aspiration, to be a pilot in the AF. Not just any pilot, but an A-10 pilot. Things happened during my adolescence that sidetracked me from this that I'll spare here for the sake of time, but I did a few things and started pursuing a career in music and sound designing. So far, that has only cost me 50k, and untold amounts of time and energy wasted on a for-profit education institution.

I am now seriously considering pursuing my lifelong passion of Combat Flying. Right now, like I said, I have a 2 year degree. So I am considering joining the ANG down in Peoria, Il, go to school with in ROTC and get a BA in computer science (Or something that will benefit my desire to fly), and receive my commission, and apply my ass off at A-10 units. However, this is where my dilemma lies. If I do this route, I will have to do 4 years active as an officer with the ANG, and from what I have read about, it is much harder to get a UPT slot with an ANG wing due to the fact that there is less units flying less planes than their AF counterparts. Alternately, I've heard that there are programs that pull enlisted soldiers out of full time service, and put them through school so that they can become officers (boot start? jump start?) I'm not sure the exact name, but my uncle was telling me about them (he is a MSgt TACP instructor down at Hurbie, but he's not an officer, so he can't answer all my questions).

Basically, I'm asking what would be the best route to go from point A (being a bum civvie in Chicago) to point B (Flying A-10s actively)


I want to fly, I must. I don't want to fly 130's, 17's, or 5's, not even 16's, 15's or 22's. I want that big fucking 30mm under my dick, and I want to be that flight to respond to a TIC and save the day. I don't want to do mach 10 at 40,000 ft, I want to roll around @ 1,000 ft; help out friendlies on the ground, and make it back to base in one (shot up) piece. This has been my childhood passion ever since I first starting playing with GI Joes and watching the Military Channel and flying flight sims. Also, visiting my uncle on Air Bases made my childhood even more hopeful.

Hope I wasn't too vulgar, but I think you pilots can relate.

Thanks to anyone who responds to my question!

Also, feel free to email me your responses @ dserviss@hotmail.com

I'm looking forward to Coach's reply................

Recently, a current A-10 pilot has been in e-mail contact with me regarding this post.

So now, I am looking to do the ANG, go through basic training, then do an aircraft structural maintenance or similar for tech school, then use that knowledge and credits plus my prior college experience, and go to a college with an aviation program, go through that, then graduate with plenty of flight time and good grades, and then apply for AMS (since I'll be in the guard still) Kick ass through AMS, and then apply my ass off to A-10 units throughout the country, once I'm commissioned.

This has been a lifelong dream of mine that has been recently \"resurrected\" as the lull of undergraduate, unemployed, civilian life begins to take hold. I can no longer stand living this way, not having a purpose, and getting laughed at while trying to find a job in the digital media industry.

Any thoughts?

Crew Chief to pilot...match made in heaven. Other than it would be harder to BS you, at least you'll know how your jet works, and how the maintenance process works and not always expect miracles when a jet is broke.

From Illinois you have Fort Wayne, IN or Selfridge, MI flying A-10Cs, and rumors about the Iowa ANG maybe ramping up to A-10Cs.

Good luck to you!

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SoWW #2485
Cave Putorium!

Do you think going with the aircraft maintenance tech school is a good choice? I heard there are better ones that might knock some credits off of my college, I just am unaware at what those would be, and I'm just not sure what enlisted MOS would include credits for a flight program. Either way, I think I'm looking at at least 3-4 years in college BEFORE I'm even looked at for an officer position. Also, I'm looking at SIU Carbondale (Southern Illinois University) since they have a top notch aviation program. (Top 3 in the USA)

I don't know what each *AFSC's credits are awarded. I'm not sure how much it's worth, but as a Crew Chief I have around 25 credits for just doing the tech school and upgrade training. I'm not a college boy so you should probably listen to him.

* AFSC = AF Specialty Code. We don't have MOS.

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SoWW #2485
Cave Putorium!

Right, AFSC, sorry! (That's why I'm on these forums )

What AFSC do you think would grant credits for flight school at a university? Or should I focus on something pertaining to the upkeep of a particular airframe? (Crew Chief, Life Support, etc...)