Originally Posted by
mateuszb
Out of curiosity, is there a current "best" option for someone looking to earn a military pilot slot? (Chance of getting a slot, maximum flying time, etc.)
USAF Academy. Hands down the highest percentage chance of getting to pilot training after graduation. Nothing else comes even remotely close, running the numbers.
One thing people don't realize is that you can keep applying to the Academies until age 22 or 23, and multiple applications while succeeding in ANY college program shows that you really want to attend AND graduate, which can make the difference between acceptance and rejection. If you want to go to a service academy, tell your nomination source (House representative usually) that you intend to apply every year until you're too old, and then you plan on applying for both admission and the required age waiver. Then every year while you're applying, work to pad your application with activities. Anything with a leadership role. Sports. Aviation clubs. Volunteer activites. ANYTHING that shows dedication to a military service career. I think you can even already have a college degree and still go, although I'm not 100% certain about that. I do know that you can get accepted to the academies even if you have a few years of college completed already, since it improves the chances that you'll actually complete the program and graduate.
Of course, you need to consider the 30%-ish washout/dropout rate at the Academy prior to graduation, and the 50%-85% UPT selection rate for graduates depending on whim of the AF. But it's STILL the best odds of getting a pilot slot, even when UPT numbers are cut back. In 1993/1994, 225 USAF academy grads out of approx 800 medically qualified new 2Lts went to UPT. In those years for ROTC - 50 graduates from the entire nation got UPT slots and I don't know if there were any OCS grads accepted to UPT for those years. I was one of those 225, damn glad I went to USAFA instead of ROTC because there's no way in hell I would have been competitive for one of those 50 nationwide UPT slots.
No question, USAFA is the best odds of getting a pilot slot, and you can keep applying until you hit the age limit and each time you apply you'll just look better and better to the admissions board. And don't forget to butter up the nomination source. There is usually a staffer in charge of managing the academy nominations, and you need to get well acquainted with that person so you can impress on them your unwavering intent to keep applying every single year until they say you can't even apply anymore, because that's how much you want to be a USAF officer.
Another tip - Get good enough at an NCAA sport that an Academy coach will blue chip you. Live on the west coast? Do some swimming or learn water polo, play on a community college team. That can help in a BIG way and some teams are chronically short so they'll blue chip almost anyone who has a legit claim at varsity skills or previous collegiate sports experience. All it takes is one phone call to the coach's office to see if they need you or not, and you don't have to limit yourself to one sport either. You never know what might make the difference and making the effort to check can pay off huge.