Civilian FY 2020 OTS Boards

[DinaMight]

46 minutes ago, tarheelaviator said:

Wait you are a professional pilot (commercial?) and they offered you CSO?  God who the on these boards actually has any common sense?  

No am currently working on my commercial at a flight school. At this point I have already invested a lot of money into this so to hang it up and put in on hold for 8 years will not leave me in good footing with the airline industry once I get out of the USAF.

[mb1685]

2 hours ago, DinaMight said:

No am currently working on my commercial at a flight school. At this point I have already invested a lot of money into this so to hang it up and put in on hold for 8 years will not leave me in good footing with the airline industry once I get out of the USAF.

Since you’ve invested so much in your hours and ratings, I 100% would recommend not accepting the CSO slot. I’m sure it’s a great career in many ways but you’d be throwing away so much money and opportunity compared to someone with little or no flight time.

I can’t speak to the odds of getting picked up for AD OTS again after turning down a position, but it doesn’t hurt to try. And as most people here would recommend, pursue Guard and Reserve units. You’d be able to continue your civilian flying career in parallel, and I’m pretty sure 99% of their selection boards are not going to bat an eye at someone in your shoes having turned down an AD CSO slot.

Edited May 17, 2020 by mb1685

[tarheelaviator]

2 hours ago, mb1685 said:

I’m pretty sure 99% of their selection boards are not going to bat an eye at someone in your shoes having turned down an AD CSO slot.

I can 100% confirm they will see it as a positive.  I was in a similar situation to him and turned down a CSO offer last year.  Everyone I've mentioned it to during squadron visits, Zoom meetings and phone calls from Guard/Reserve squadrons saw it as dedication to being a pilot and said they would have done the same thing.  

[CharlieHotel47]

Don’t do it. CSO’s are second class citizens int the Air Force. Well pilots are too. But not as much.
 
Plus if you want to fly. Fly. Riding is technically flying.
 
Same same. But different.
 
 
https://media3.giphy.com/media/C6JQPEUsZUyVq/source.gif

One of the best shows to watch while drinking at the squadron bar is a CSO and a NAV arguing about who was the most important/toughest/coolest job between the two. And how the other guy couldn’t handle it...


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[DinaMight]

On 5/17/2020 at 2:14 PM, tarheelaviator said:

I can 100% confirm they will see it as a positive.  I was in a similar situation to him and turned down a CSO offer last year.  Everyone I've mentioned it to during squadron visits, Zoom meetings and phone calls from Guard/Reserve squadrons saw it as dedication to being a pilot and said they would have done the same thing.  

Was it the same when reapplying for OTS?

[tarheelaviator]

1 hour ago, DinaMight said:

Was it the same when reapplying for OTS?

Don't know yet unfortunately.  

[tarheelaviator]

On 5/15/2020 at 7:40 PM, Kiloalpha said:

That’s nuts. You’re applying again though? Keep at it, your stats are rock solid.

To illustrate how freaking incomprehensible the boards' selection criteria is there is someone bragging on the FB group about being picked up for pilot with a PCSM of 32, AFOQT pilot of 73 and 0 flying hours.  Granted they are saying their undergrad GPA was 3.5 but that's still ing nuts.  Is this how these boards decide on pilot candidates?  

 

[tarheelaviator]

2 hours ago, Kiloalpha said:

That said, I think it’s fair to say you got shafted with bad timing.

My military aviation efforts in a nutshell

Edited May 19, 2020 by tarheelaviator

[DinaMight]

10 hours ago, tarheelaviator said:

To illustrate how freaking incomprehensible the boards' selection criteria is there is someone bragging on the FB group about being picked up for pilot with a PCSM of 32, AFOQT pilot of 73 and 0 flying hours.  Granted they are saying their undergrad GPA was 3.5 but that's still ing nuts.  Is this how these boards decide on pilot candidates?  

 

Yeah but she shared her TFOT application and one can see why she was selected. Its that "Whole Person Concept" the AF loves to talk about. No flight hours but lots of leadership and volunteer experience. LORs from O6s and such. 

By the end I get the impression that for USAF, its better to have 100 hrs and lots of volunteer experience rather than 500 flight hrs and no volunteer experience.

[DinaMight]

According to AFMAN 36-2032: reapplication for nonselects/decline is 12 MONTHS not 6?

 

[tarheelaviator]

21 hours ago, DinaMight said:

According to AFMAN 36-2032: reapplication for nonselects/decline is 12 MONTHS not 6?

 

Was shown something similar and found someone who would work with me anyway.  Everything can be bypassed.  

[DinaMight]

12 hours ago, tarheelaviator said:

Was shown something similar and found someone who would work with me anyway.  Everything can be bypassed.  

Maybe even bypass the 6 months and start earlier?

[tarheelaviator]

On 5/23/2020 at 10:52 AM, DinaMight said:

Maybe even bypass the 6 months and start earlier?

No idea.  I'd just call different recruiters until you find one who's amicable to your cause.