Competitiveness for Guard/Reserve fighter unit

[mb1685]

I've been on these forums for quite a while but have never bothered to post one of these. I guess now is the time.

I previously attended Navy OCS with a Pilot slot and disenrolled due to a family emergency involving my pregnant wife. Tried to get an age waiver but they don't do them for non-prior service, then started pursuing Guard/Reserve units, but got to be too old. Now that the age limit has been increased to 33, it looks like I've got some time to try again.

-Age: 30 next month

(I assume that gives me a solid year of attempting this again since 28 seemed to be the cutoff for most units when the age limit was 30)

-AFOQT scores:

Pilot: 92
Navigator: 55
Academic Aptitude: 77
Verbal: 85
Quantitative: 63

-PCSM score: 80 with 20 flight hours

200+ hour column is 97 (mentioned because I've heard some units compare all applicants based on that)

I'm planning on knocking out my PPL as soon as I can. My flight time has all been really staggered over many years so I'll probably start from practically the ground up and I figure I'll end up in the 60-80 hour bracket, putting my PCSM at 88.

-GPA: 3.11, B.S. Mass Communication

-5+ years of professional digital marketing experience, including a promotion to management

-No medical issues, clean background

Already used both AFOQT and TBAS attempts so I figure the PPL is the only thing really within my power at this point other than taking the time and effort to rush units. I definitely can't afford a master's degree + the PPL.

I know my stats/background aren't extremely impressive and time isn't on my side, so I'm not fighters or bust. But I do want to shoot for them primarily. Do I stand a chance with a PPL?

[EvilEagle]

The reason most fighter units don’t go for age waivers has very little to do with the hassle of doing the waiver or the likelihood of it being approved (it’s high). 

 

Most dont go after them because the track record for people who start training late in life to become fighter pilots is very poor.  There are exceptions to everything but in general starting after 30 has increased likelihood that you’ll struggle as a FP. Units have to want to take a gamble on you in favor of someone with comparable or better scores and is younger; it’s an uphill fight IMO. 

[mb1685]

Thank you, gentlemen. Definitely sounds like the odds aren't in my favor but there's no reason not to try of course. I'll give it my all but keep my expectations in check!

[FDNYOldGuy]

If you're set on fighters, the advice given by @EvilEagle is probably the best insider info you can get for rushing fighter units with your age and scores. And, not to be too callous but, while I'm sure no one would fault you for leaving Navy OCS due to a health issue with your pregnant wife, quitting a program and not returning will likely give units pause, even if the reason was one most would understand is legitimate. Coupling that with your age, it'll probably be hard to convince them to go for the waivers.

All of that said, if you're dead set on flying fighters, you shouldn't let anyone else dissuade you. Until each unit you'd fly for tells you "No," anything is possible, right? Time isn't your friend, though, so you need to get on it, if you're going to try. 

However, if you aren't locked into only flying fighters, your scores are decent and a solid packet will likely get you a foot in the door at heavy units. They're much more willing to do waivers. Source: I've just graduated OTS and PCS-ing to UPT next week having just turned 37 last month; thanks to the hard work of a Reserves heavy unit working an ETP for me. 

So, you've just gotta decide if your interest in flying military, whatever the airframe, outweighs your preference for fighters. 

[mb1685]

18 minutes ago, FDNYOldGuy said:

If you're set on fighters, the advice given by @EvilEagle is probably the best insider info you can get for rushing fighter units with your age and scores. And, not to be too callous but, while I'm sure no one would fault you for leaving Navy OCS due to a health issue with your pregnant wife, quitting a program and not returning will likely give units pause, even if the reason was one most would understand is legitimate. Coupling that with your age, it'll probably be hard to convince them to go for the waivers.

All of that said, if you're dead set on flying fighters, you shouldn't let anyone else dissuade you. Until each unit you'd fly for tells you "No," anything is possible, right? Time isn't your friend, though, so you need to get on it, if you're going to try. 

However, if you aren't locked into only flying fighters, your scores are decent and a solid packet will likely get you a foot in the door at heavy units. They're much more willing to do waivers. Source: I've just graduated OTS and PCS-ing to UPT next week having just turned 37 last month; thanks to the hard work of a Reserves heavy unit working an ETP for me. 

So, you've just gotta decide if your interest in flying military, whatever the airframe, outweighs your preference for fighters. 

Thanks for responding! I've been following your story and it's inspiring, although again I do make sure to keep my expectations in check since my background pales in comparison to yours. If it matters at all (although it's difficult to communicate everything concisely in an application package and assumptions instead prevail), I did try to pursue an age waiver twice from the Navy to go back to OCS, but their Program Authorization explicitly specifies that age waivers are only authorized for prior service and so they wouldn't budge, despite my persistence. I hope that a unit will be willing to hear the whole story if they're interested in considering me but have reservations about that.

What EvilEagle said makes perfect sense. Although I know the biggest hurdle is convincing a unit that I'm a good fit and that the lifestyle (during and after training) is compatible and won't diminish my ability to thrive despite my age, there's perhaps a tiny silver lining in that I'm no longer in age waiver territory for another year or so thanks to the age limit increase to 33. When I had just turned 28, I had one fighter unit give me a call and told me I was on their short list for interviews but my age was the only concern -- then later they told me that ended up being why I didn't get one. That gives me a little bit of hope (and was also the moment that took me from thinking there's no way in hell I'd have a shot at fighters to wondering if maybe there's a chance). But I fully understand that the regulation isn't so much the issue, it's the actual real-life implications of how things have tended to shape up for older guys.

I definitely have no qualms with flying heavies, and if the age limit extension hadn't happened then I'm sure I'd be trying to rush heavy units in hopes of getting selected with an age waiver. But since I'm now technically eligible again for a little bit longer (cue Lloyd Christmas "so you're telling me there's a chance..."), I figure I'll hard-charge after primarily fighters for a while and see what happens.

[FDNYOldGuy]

Awesome, dude. You've got the right mindset, for sure. Make them tell you, "No," because, until then, you don't know for sure that it won't work. Send as many apps as you can, even if they say "no waivers" because it's all good practice. Even more so, you never know who might see your packet and think you'd be a good fit for ### unit and reach out to their buddy there to pass along your packet. 

And I'm flattered, dude, but my story and background is no better than anyone else's, by any stretch. I got lucky, for sure, but I also created a bit of my own luck by trying to get my best foot forward and put as much legwork as possible to remove as many potential hurdles as possible.

Keep up the good work! Start firing out applications (I have a little time, so feel free to shoot over your packet if you need another set of eyes) and apply anywhere you think you'd consider being. Have good (legitimate) reasons for applying to any unit you do and sell yourself to the best of your ability. It's not impossible until the last fighter unit says, "No," right?

Good luck!

[mb1685]

17 hours ago, FDNYOldGuy said:

Awesome, dude. You've got the right mindset, for sure. Make them tell you, "No," because, until then, you don't know for sure that it won't work. Send as many apps as you can, even if they say "no waivers" because it's all good practice. Even more so, you never know who might see your packet and think you'd be a good fit for ### unit and reach out to their buddy there to pass along your packet. 

And I'm flattered, dude, but my story and background is no better than anyone else's, by any stretch. I got lucky, for sure, but I also created a bit of my own luck by trying to get my best foot forward and put as much legwork as possible to remove as many potential hurdles as possible.

Keep up the good work! Start firing out applications (I have a little time, so feel free to shoot over your packet if you need another set of eyes) and apply anywhere you think you'd consider being. Have good (legitimate) reasons for applying to any unit you do and sell yourself to the best of your ability. It's not impossible until the last fighter unit says, "No," right?

Good luck!

That would be great! I'll shoot over a sanitized copy of my main application documents to you soon.