Chopper Pilots in the Military, I have questions regarding my future.

[BlackHawkDown]

I didn't want to talk to a recruiter so my dad and I have been going around for months to try and find someone who knows a pilot on the nearby military base that flies a chopper. I will be going to college in about 2 years. What I was looking for was someone who could give me details on what to do with college. (should I join ROTC programs, should I go to a college with a helicopter program-if so where?) I've been looking at the University of North Dakota. I was also looking for someone who might be able to tell me about the process of becoming a pilot. I've researched but I'm finding about a hundred complicated ways of doing it. My goal is to fly for the military for a long time and then go fly for a fire department or hospital. If anyone could help, all the information you supply will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!

[FlightPathOBN]

Not to rain on your parade, but I have just been to the MEP and witnessed all of this first hand.

First off, the days of the military paying you to go to school are virtually over. I think UND may have about 5 ROTC scholarships.
You really should talk to a recruiter as soon as possible to get yourself in the que, right now people are sitting in the que, waiting for slots to open.

Take the ASVAB test and get your score, that will determine what you qualify for with each respective service. It appears you are still in high school, so you can take the exam that is not service specific, that way you can shop your scores.
If you are looking 2 years into the future, you will have a better chance of securing the position you want.
With the economy, no one is getting out, and many are trying to get in. The military is downsizing, so in reality, there are few jobs openings in the military.
I saw people at MEP that were coming back month after month, one person for over 18 months, waiting for a job to open. The military has a glut of people applying, so they are very, very selective these days.

The positions that seemed to be available were in the forward deployed positions, such as forward observer, Navy Seals, Special Forces Search and Rescue, Combat equipment operators (SeaBees),and spotters. The Seals and SF positions are very, very hard to qualify for, and if you wash any part of the training, you are at will, which means you will likely be made a forward observer.

Talk to a recruiter, and get the ASVAB test...without your test scores, the recruiter will not be able to help you at all.

Good Luck.

[grumpytroll]

Getting into army flight training is a challenge but thats good because getting through the training is even more challenging. In my case, I went to a recruiter who knew literally nothing about the Warrant Officer flight training course in the army or how to get into it. I spent a year applying, testing, interviewing etc. only to be turned down. However, the education I recieved about the process was invaluable. Two years later when I applied again, i was accepted in two months. There could be many reasons why I didn't get in the first time but I was told by someone in the know that the real reason I didn't get in is because I applied and was considered at the end of the school year (april, may) and because of that I was competing for a slot with all the ROTC and military school grads who needed slots. When I did get in, I was considered in September and the end of the Army's fiscal year is September 30th, therefore they needed to allocate all the slots and money by the end of the year. Crazy isn't it? The point is, don't ever give up after trying once if that is what you really want to do and of course if you don't give up it proves that it is in fact what you really want to do. During the two years, I returned to college and got a few more classes on my record which didn't hurt. For all the bitching I hear about the pay etc., being a helicopter pilot is truly a very unique profession. Of course, if I win the lottery, I quit. (At least flying for a paycheck)

[FlightPathOBN]

ROTC is not what it used to be as far as paying for school. As I said, we talked with UND, and they had 5 scholarships last year for tuition, that was it., The more typical ROTC 'scholarship' these days is they provide you with all of the uniforms.
What most dont realize is that when you graduate, say Army ROTC, as the previous post noted, you are on a list, with the top of the list perhaps getting their choice of positions, the reality is, right now, almost everyone is being slotted as infantry, mechanized infantry, or cav scout.
The positions just arent there anymore.
I was just there last week with my son, watching all of this, listening, and talking with the soldiers and sailors there.
The ASVAB score it worth its weight in gold...a low score, and you can just about forget it, even median scores werent getting very far.

They are looking for advanced search and rescue teams, dont know if that is flying the helo or not... Aviation Rescue Swimmer : Special Operations : Careers & Jobs : Navy.com (http://www.navy.com/careers/special-operations/air-rescue.html)

IF you do score high, there are some outstanding positions, and I mean upwards of 90%.