According to Reddit, various informative articles, and word of mouth I had no chance at becoming a pilot. I graduated Spring of 2019 with a degree in criminology from a small college. I could’ve went federal, I could’ve became a Massachusetts state trooper, and I could’ve became a police officer but I said nah. I said “I’m going to try and join the Navy and become a pilot idc what anyone says.” I had Labrum surgery and I had asthma as a child. I was told I had no chance to become a pilot again. I was told my chances of getting SWO were much higher. I got a waiver for my shoulder and I took the Methacholine test for my asthma to get that cleared. I took the ASTB twice first time I scored 43/6/6 the second time I scored 47/7/7 and I just found out last week I’ve been accepted to become a pilot! I head to OCS July 26th. NEVER LET ANYONE TELL YOU WHAT YOU CAN OR CANT DO.
You're a ban proud person. Good for you. I can see you jumping up and down in delight. Might have been me. Im 74 now so have to accept "no" at this stage. Ha. UA-cam allows me to do all the stuff Id dreamed of years ago and can now experience it vicariously. Right Im off now to fly that mean F86 or maybe a F18!!
Steve Hodges Growing up to a single mother I looked to male mentors for advice and wisdom. A few were Football coaches, guidance counselors, teachers, etc.. but the most important one that I credit with saving my life was my neighbor for 8 years, a former Navy Pilot during WW2 and Fire Chief for my city. He told me when I was 11 years old I could do whatever I dreamed of.. well I dreamed of being half as amazing as him.
Hey! Didn't expect to find anyone else in my class in the wild (July 26th)! www.airwarriors.com/community/threads/26-july-2020-ocs-class.47076/ Here's an airwarrior forum where a bunch of us met up. Hope to have you join with us if you haven't already!
I loved the part where they said the Airforce is mainly focused on air to air. Because so many Airforce pilots get into air to air engagements with Taliban and ISIS fighter pilots.
"Make them tell you NO"...right on. I work as a test proctor at McChord Field, giving enlisted CDC and also FAA written exams. Had a young enlisted troop that is trying for C17 Loadmaster, but some pencil neck in personnel told her she probably would not get selected, 'just being real.' She was in tears...Pulled her aside and went into SNCO mode (retired SMSgt). I told her if she is passionate about flying (and she is), then fight for that slot, don't let anyone but the personnel chief at Randolph tell you NO. I then got her set up to talk to the CMSgts on base that can help her. I HATE when idiots stifle the dreams of our young airmen. Love your message, man, who knows, I may have refueled you before! SMSgt BB Wiggs (ret) KC-10/KC-135 boom, B-52G gunner.
@@Bsquared1972 I have a buddy I fly DCS with name Cardslammer who had the same Job we fly sim F18s F16s J17s all kind of stuff if your ever wanna fly check out DCS it's a load of fun and about as real as it gets
@@jeremiah4810 You'll probably be fine I know for a fact that the Navy will wavier something like that and I'd assume that the Air Force would to. And honestly at 18 your not done growing yet you may grow that extra .5 by the time you're 21. I wouldn't worry over something like that.
3:57 When I was a boy I was dead set on becoming a fighter pilot. Had all the movies, books, models, RCs, everything to get closer to the life. At 14 I learned my left eye was notably weaker than my right, and 'learned' perfect vision was a basic requirement just to be eligible. Naturally, I abandoned the dream. I'm a programmer today and life is fairly comfortable, if not boring, so I can't complain.... but hearing the 'perfect vision' bit was a lie is soul crushing right now. Not sure how I got here, but you gained a new sub.
@ Taylor S - Don't beat yourself up. The vision requirements change as the needs of the military change. When I was going through ROTC you had to have 20/20 uncorrected vision, only Academy guys could get waivers for that. Also could not have any eye surgery before being commissioned. Now it's no big deal if you do. If you still want to fly, my advice would be to learn now. There's a TON of cool, fast stuff out in the civilian world if you have the money for it. I saw a civilian, flyable F-86 in Trade-A-Plane for something like $400K or go buy a Stewart S-51D for $200,000. They're back in production now.
20/20 vision is not "perfect". There are people with much better eyesight than that. Also, everyone has one eye that focuses better than the other. Every human is like that. It's not a condition--it's just the way human eyes work! If you have 20/20 vision in one eye, it's entirely normal for your other one to have 20/30 or 20/40 vision. Nothing wrong with it--it's the way we're made, and the Air Force and/or Navy pilots are all like that, too. The only people that see equally well out of both eyes are the ones that wear glasses or contacts.
And even when they tell you ‘no’ keep asking. Persistence pays off. I can’t tell you how many people I know (including me) who have bulldozed institutional obstacles by sheer force of will coupled with leadership support. If you are a worthwhile person, and people can see that in you, ‘no’ often eventually turns into ‘maybe’ then ‘YES!’
@@corinthianimperialstudios704this might be too late but tell ur buddy do NOT get lasik! Due to flap complications it may disqualify you altogether. The military’s preferred eye surgery is PRK and I heard (only through word of mouth) that lasik will disqualify you immediately
This, no shit, is probably the most informative and accurate video about becoming a pilot in the US Military. Well done, Mover. One thing Mover didn’t mention- when you do your flight physical and you are asked if you have seasonal allergies, the answer is “No.” Even if you think you do, you need to say that you don’t. The reason is because most people will say this without actually knowing if it’s true or not. So don’t DQ yourself. If you have seasonal allergies, trust me when i say that the flight surgeons will find it.
Tony, you are absolutely right. I told the doctor during my AF physical that I did and I failed. My ROTC cammander arranged for a second physical (have no idea how he did this) and I said no to the question. I passed and flew interceptors, a year in Vietnam, became an instructor and the rest was history. This was 1965 and you still had to have 20/20 vision uncorrected and believe it or not, you could not chew your fingernails. Those were disqualifying. Times have changed.
Totally correct. Unfortunately, the flt doc is "not" your friend. Even though I retired about 4 yrs ago I still don't tell my civilian flt doc/AME everything.
This is confusing. If you have allergies and say no but the doctors will find out if you have allergies why lie anyway. If you’re telling people to lie then they can’t find out if you do
Aaron Shaw Like I said in my original comment, most people don’t know what true seasonal allergies are. So, people shouldn’t DQ themselves. But Aaron, by all means, tell them that you have allergies if you want to.
Mover: "No, that's stupid." Hah!, makes me laugh. As a cadet going through AFROTC Field Training in the summer of 1988 I asked our camp commander, Col. Kerry G. Herron, a pilot with several thousand hours in fighters, what was the number one skill or trait required to become a fighter pilot. His answer was one word long: confidence. He was right.
I went through the RAF pilot selection. I had "all the natural talent of a frozen turkey and none of the charm". Ended up ATC instead. If I can't fly, no one can. ;)
@N1g3a lord It was in 1990 at Biggin Hill and I was very green. The academic tests were straight forward as were the aptitude tests . If you are thinking of going for it, my only advice is to reapply if you get binned at selection and build your confidence. Well placed confidence in yourself is key to winning a commission. Join sport teams and climb mountains etc. My father applied five times and ended up a creamy on JP's then flew the Vulcan for the next ten years. I gave up immediately and took the ATC post they offered. PS a creamy is someone that gets posted as an instructor straight out of training.
The standards for vision first changed in 1968 when the USAF went to 20/40 correctable to 20/20 due to a pilot shortage in the height of the Vietnam war. I saved this video for someone who wants to be a fighter pilot but thought he wasn't qualified. I told him to make them tell him no. Thanks for the current facts to share with him.
@@johnnytopgun6414 No. I retired from the Air Force in 1991. I just know the vision changes because it affected me when I was in AFROTC, An F-4 I flew back in the day is in the USAF Museum at Wright Pat. I am one of the old geezers with a baseball cap and a cane
"Make them tell you no." This cannot be stressed enough for any job in the military. When I went into Satellite Communications for the Army, the counselor (the guy you talk to at MEPS who assigns your MOS) didn't want to give me 25S. He had other quotas he had to fill so he was trying to get me into one of those instead. He stated I didn't have Algebra in college, and my transcript didn't have it. Well I had tested out of it in my entrance exam which didn't reflect on the transcript (despite having math classes that had it as a prerequisite). So I had my recruiter fax in the HS transcript (no idea how he got that, but they have their ways). And hitting all the I's and crossed the T's he had to allow me to get the MOS. So my advice is just harp on it till they nearly throw you out, like physically. Like Lemoine said, don't tell yourself no, follow those dreams. Forge your own path. I've got too many civilian friends in their 30s that wanted to join and didn't because they didn't try to get waivers and thought they never could hack it. You never know till you try. Half the time its just to see if you will try.
I couldn't agree more with your "don't self eliminate" advice. I was told after getting a D in calculus my freshman year of college that I had little chance of picking up a Navy scholarship and almost zero chance of picking up a pilot slot. I never stopped working hard and I never gave up on my goal, and I am now a commissioned officer in flight training in Pensacola. Your attitude dictates your path just as much as your aptitude does.
you are the exact comment i made to the guy above...he bailed, you didnt...your burn was deeper to succeed...i think this 'fake news' is a good way to weed out the hesitant...guy like you dont take NO...
LOL Awesome Mover... Love how you broke this down... I was Enlisted Air Force, as a Crew Chief on T-37's and T-38's, then cross-trained into Food Service to I could get out of Texas... 1st Assignment was Reese AFB Lubbock, Tx.. Food Service was at RAF Bentwaters UK..
Cudos to you. I was a crewchief and the food was fantastic in the Air Force. Even during excersises in the temp chow halls it was good. Not sure how they made powdered eggs taste good but they pulled it off. The flight line chow hall was kind of nasty though lol. No worse than mcdonalds to be honest.
I realise this is an older post, but I feel compelled to support something Mover said. He said that "make them tell you 'no'" is just a good way of living. It's worked well for me! I've never been in the military, I've never taken any flight training. I'm your garden-variety software engineer. No matter which career path you choose, listen to Mover: make them tell you "no". I'm 62, now, with a successful career behind me. Twice, I have wanted something strongly enough to go all the way to the top. Both times, they eventually said "yes". Don't talk yourself out of anything, because you have weaknesses. Every person on this planet has at least one weakness. Focus on your strengths. Be aware of what you would bring to the team. Don't be cocky or arrogant about it, but be confident about your strengths. Be proud of yourself for having them. That confidence shows through in emails, phone conversations, and interviews. Gather up your confidence, pursue what your heart desires, and make them tell you "no". You will be glad you did.
Make "them" tell you no is a life lesson. Some get confused by who "them" are. Them is not an internet video, them is not a news article. Them is not your mate who you think is the one to listen to. Them is the person that says no and no further progress can be made. I have four rules I live by, they are simple. R1, shut the F up. Rule 2, Listen. Rule 3, Understand. Rule 4, Respond. If you have failed at rule 1 to 3.... Don't do rule 4. Couple them bad boys together and you are on a path that is correct for you. Even if it's a crapshoot, at least it's your crapshoot ;)
I'm at Laughlin for UPT right now, and you pretty much nailed it. I was prior enlisted, and the only thing I have to say is officer recruiters are just as crappy as enlisted. They don't know the process and tend to focus on test scores. Recruiters will often immediately tell you you're not qualified. It happened to me. I was told by my recruiter I had *zero* chance at being a pilot, when I already had my commercial and instrument ratings...haha.
@@jamesburns2232Yep, most commercial pilots don’t fly close formation at night in weather. Your private ratings may give you a head start in the early phase of UPT, but won’t help after about the first third of the year. When I went to UPT I had never been in an airplane.
Anyone that can’t complete this drinking game doesn’t even belong in the military.... well, maybe today’s weak military. Pretty soft now in many ways. ==✊🏼==D💦💦👅
The U.S. military currently has an acute shortage of pilots and has been trying to fix the problem for years. There have even been congressional hearings about the situation. According to a 2018 Military Times article about one in four pilot billets were empty because of the dire shortage. So, don't self-eliminate or you may be preventing yourself from getting your dream job.
The Navy anyway caused their own problem. I remember Navy Reserve discharging pilots about 10-15 years ago. Because of right sizing? You can't easily get those skills back.
@@michaelvol8922 I agree. The Army discharged over 4,000 Majors a few years ago when they were "right sizing". As a result they've gutted their leadership ranks to save money. Yet, the Pentagon admits they can't account for a few TRILLION dollars in expenditures (aka: stolen money). Are the Three Stooges running the DOD these days or is it just corporate criminals calling the shots as usual?
Let enlisted fly with the right ASVAB score and that problem will unfuck itself. A degree has fuck all to operating an aircraft. Plenty of qualified guys who just don't have a degree and don't want to get one.
My dad was a career USAF fighter pilot; my brother a career Navy helicopter pilot. Dad was a college dropout, brother had a C average non-technical college degree. Dad had sinus problems, brother was highly prone to motion sickness and had one eye permanently dilated due to injury. None of this slowed either down. Both retired as high ranking officers. Meanwhile I get nearly straight A’s in college and end up a sport skydiver...
It's great watching these vids by a guy who was actually a fighter pilot. I had a friend whose father flew phantoms in the Royal Air Force. He came last on his initial flying course before they were streamed as fast jet, transport or helicopter. Because everyone ahead of him either wanted transport or helicopter he ended up with fast jets. In addition to flying Phantoms he also was selected as a flight instructor. This was back in the early 70 s I think he served for something like 20 years in the RAF. So there ya go. Love all these vids. I'm going to check out your books as well. Cheers from Canada.
Back in the good old days...1980s...they did demos with the A10s at Mugu which included live fire of the main gun out into the ocean. That is a sound you *never* forget.
My Brother-in-law is a Green Beret. He was wounded in Afghanistan last year and they called in an air strike during a fire fight where they were outmatched and it was an A-10 and he told me it was the best sound he's ever heard as he laid there with half his arm blown off from a RPG. He is alive and well, and after multiple surgeries, his arm is mostly usable. He did have to retire from the military, and from Texas DPS, but his young kids get to grow up with a father because an A-10 annihilated the Taliban who attacked them. Unfortunately one of his teammates was KIA in the firefight.
@@anthonypenaflor Simplification, but you'll get paid some extra money for you to feed yourself and live somewhere when away from home. In the Navy, you typically won't get this money because if you deploy on a boat, you are fed and housed. It's less necessary. Some Navy pilots that are not ship-based will get this money as well.
@@austinschober9519 actually, Naval Aviators, and all Navy Officers in general, have to pay for their meals when deployed. My last Mess Bill was $200 a month when our squadron was deployed on the USS ENTERPRISE.
The ASTB is taken prior to commissioning, I went the ROTC route and this is taken your senior year and you find out weather you’ve gotten a pilot slot around xmas. I’m nobody special, took it hungover and got a slot; so there’s that.
Thank you - Go to the Source! People doing research should always use source information to find out anything! So many now rely on second-hand, third-hand, or "no-hand" sources for information that they assume is correct. Anything can be put on the internet, and there's all sorts of junk there to prove it. I'm so glad you made that point so clearly. Love your videos.
@QuadBlaster _ Now he is really moving right along. Congrats again C.W. for another major milestone. What would it take to get a backseat ride with you in a T-38?
I just turned 40 last year and all the way through jr high and high school I wanted nothing more to be a fighter pilot and like this video you made, I got WRONG information about how to get there and what I needed to do. I still look back wish I wouldn't have listened to the people that told me all wrong info and basically told me I had no chance if I didnt get into one of the academy's. Love your videos keep up the good work 👍👍
Man same story here. Saw top gun when i was about 6-7 and literally at that moment my whole life changed and i wanted nothing more than becoming a pilot in the air force or navy. However my older brother of all people. Someone who also obviously got wrong information absolutely crushed that dream for me. However like mover says if your passionate about something you should make sure to do your own research and that you are nit just getting info from youtube videos as anyone can post a UA-cam video and it goes completely un checked therefore further spreading the misinformation. Best thing you can do is go on the actual air force or navy website and find out requirements for yourself from them instead of someone who doesnt have a clue and posts a youtube video. Anyways ultimately i cant blame anyone but myself for not getting the right information and for listening to my brother and believing him or even thinking he would have the right information in the first place.
Yeah thats why you never even tried. Tell this lie to yourself so you feel better that you didn't have the balls to even try. I Coulda been a contenduh
When I found out about the vision requirement I was CRUSHED when I was a kid. I'm 45 now, and back then (at least this is what I was told by folks at the AFB where my dad was stationed) the vision requirements were that strict. But at the time corrective eye surgery was just entering the main stream and had some pretty severe side effects. I'm really glad to hear those aren't as bad now :D
So many of us gave up for that very reason. Being a fighter pilot is the only job I ever wanted to do. Make great money now but I don’t love it. 38 now so the dream has passed For you young girls and guys listen when he says don’t eliminate yourself based upon outside sources. Follow your dreams, worse they can tell you is no but you don’t want to have a what if life.
Totally agree with your mantra, “Make Them Tell You No”! While I was not a pilot or even officer, I twice in my 20-year Navy career accomplished career opportunities that I was told impossible by many. For sure....make them tell you no!
Brother, love your videos and (especially in this one) your message. Career-man Army here; Motor Sergeant/Training NCO and sometimes (hopefully soon again) Civil Affairs, 18 down 7-12 to go. I salute you, Sir, respect to the man and not just the rank in this case.
I'm so glad you're sharing this. It's frustrating that I told myself no; it's more frustrating that I see talented young people also telling themselves no. I want to do my best to make sure that these talented individuals at least WORK on defense for this country, but I can only imagine how frustrated they are to find out, like I did, that I could have had a YES.
Mover, Rammer here. I went the USNA ('76, BS Eng.) route, Navy Flt School, made the cut for jets, winged June '78, F-4 Phantom "RAG" (now, "FRS", the now-defunct VF-171), VF-31 Tomcatters, F-14A transition (whole squadron, 1980). Best times of my life. Got out after a Class A Mishap in the 'Cat (damnit). I work as an engineer for the JSF Joint Program Office now, and am close to retirement. I really enjoy the videos and your content. Keep it up, brother. I really loved your helo training as I never flew one. Rode in lots of them, though. Wow, I got lost in time and space watching those. Nice work on your part. That you fly the 737 now, made me check out the Doofer911 series he does using FSX. The level of automation these days is astounding (to this old guy). All the best to you and yours. Thanks for all of it!
Also...though I was Navy (an FMF Corpsman), I and everybody I knew looked forward to training on an AF base because chow and quarters were outstanding!
In the 70's, I intended to become an Astronaut. One of the best ways to do that was being a fighter pilot first. Like you I had stigmatism, unlike you, I was never told it was waverable. I did get my private license and was going to become IFR followed by being a flight Instructor. (raised a family in between) Then 9-11 happened. I was in the CAP, and we were grounded until further notice. I was also in the Army Reserve and almost immediately was called up, spending over 2 years being a Combat Medic (Paramedic was my civilian job), and I simply never went back. It's great to hear stories about what I possibly might have done, but thank god we have you real fighter pilots to do what needs to be done. I've since retired from wearing uniforms, and spend my days writing and drawing. So, Thank You for Your Service! I love this channel
I'm a teen now and I hope to be an astronaut too. I also want to take the fighter pilot route. it scares and saddens me to read about your journey. Hopefully ur doing well now
When I wanted to get into the airforce to fly, there was no shortage of pilots. I envy the guys now. I'm 54 now, but thank you for the interesting information.
Outstanding! You ripped that page up good! Retired USAF here and was laughing along with ya! However back in the late 70s and early 80s the strict 20/20 vision requirement was in place. (Perhaps due to the "Hollow Force" of the 70s). So I became an Air Intelligence Officer. Enjoying your page, keep 'em flying!
One of my regrets was not learning to fly in my teens. My dad was a pilot since before Vietnam(he flew the skycrane and other planes and helicopters) and took me to one class to see if I'd like it. I did but at the time it intimidated me. Should have gone for it.
Dont let it be a regret! Go as far as you can and if you dont make it all the way, at least you can have that piece of mind. Best of luck to you man, make em tell you NO!
Definitely make them tell you no, multiple times. My oldest son was told no by the Navy twice for reasons I won't go into. He graduated boot camp in January and is now in A school. The graduation ceremony was awesome and I'm so freaking proud of him. I'm an Air Force vet and tried to talk him into the family branch, but he wasn't having it...lol
I’m hope one day i’m able to become a pilot of some sort I would prefer being a fighter pilot but if I get the chance to fly anything i’ll be more than happy
I am student pilot part 61 private school . I like your videos because it encourage a young pilot to learn and never give up on their training. A lot lies and wrong paper and information on the net discourage a young pilot. Please keep talking and inform a young and smart student pilot for inspiration and love of flight. 😊🌹🌻🦋
Mover, I just love how you kept mentioning the A-10 - I was always around them back in the early 80’s when they would come to Patrick AFB, FL [don’t remember if from Mrytle Beach or Moody-at that time - been to Moody a few times but it was a long time ago] for their 2-week deployment (also F-16A/C/F-4E/A-6/E/A-7K/ etc) and train with us doing FAC schoolhouse missions (via O-2A/OV-10A/OT-37B’s). the A-10C, especially in DCS [my 1st module back in 2010], has been one of my favs. And, it was always so fun to mark a target with a WP, in the Avon Park Bombing Range, and watch them come in and “rain” on the target with their 30MM. Hell, on that note, I reminisce that it was also fun to call in a flight of F-4E’s to drop their simulated [if I remember correctly] their BDU-23’s on target as well. Lots of good times back then! Keep up the good work you are doing for interested community! Thanks..
I joined the Air Force and made a few key mistakes in trying to become a pilot in my youth. Where were you then man! Glad you are helping out the young guys today.
@@Skyhawks1979 I can see it now. It's your first ever deployment as a nugget getting into the squadron and hearing the squadron leader is called "Too Tall". Knowing that you gotta earn your name you start thinking this is gonna be a huge intimidating person to work for. The duty pilot calls attention and you turn to see that guy rolling in.
I always wanted to fly F18s because I saw the Blue Angels at an air show when I was young. I knew from a young (but not as young) age that I would be disqualified, so I live vicariously through people like you. Thanks for the video!
C.W. - Thank you for breaking some of the stigma that surrounds pilot selection and training. I am an AF veteran, served in the 5th SSS (Space Surveillance Squadron). My 19 year old son is interested in becoming a Commercial Pilot and has already started his journey in college and pilot training through a well recognized Flight Training School here in Austin, TX. My son watches your videos and just the other day he said to me, "Hey Dad, I've started to think about joining the military and flying there to serve our country and build up my skills". It was music to my ears. He has had some personal fears about all the requirements and your calm demeanor in explaining things has built his confidence. He likes your quote, "Make them tell you No". So, thank you for your vidoes and please know that you are "literally" changing peoples lives for the better. ~ My son wants you to know that ~ TY Sir
I won't sit on a fence and ignore the question regarding which Flight Demonstration Team is better. As a former Naval Marine Aviator, the choice for me is obvious, The Blue Angels. Why? Simple. Their shows really push the envelope much further then the other teams. I'm not suggesting the other teams are no good. Quite the opposite. They're all exceptional in their own unique ways. Its just I'm very partial too Naval Aviation. I had to go exactly thru the same training the Blue Angels pilots initially go thru once they started their individual careers. I'm referring to Pensacola. Then I went thru primary flight training on my particular aircraft, the F-4 Phantom. Then off to the fleet. So, I know, like all Naval/ Marine Aviators the trials and tribulations of Naval Aviation. The Blue Angels are unique. Flying at sea and landing on an Aircraft Carrier is what sets Naval Aviators apart from all other forms of military Aviation. In fact, the Blues incorporate several maneuvers based upon carrier landings to demonstrate their flight capabilities along with that of the aircraft being demonstrated. In this case, the Legacy F-18 Hornet. These maneuvers are unique to the Blues. Its how they demonstrate to the crowds the capabilities of these aircraft to potential future Naval pilots. Its how I got started. Watching the Blues in Texas one day put me on the path to becoming a Marine Aviator. In terms of the actual maneuvers, the Blues start off pretty spread out during formation flight training. As the season progresses, they tighten up significantly. The wings appear to touch they're so close. The other flight demonstration teams do not get as close as the Blues in my opinion. I watched them since the early 1960's. These guys fly really really tight formations. Anyway, that's my take. I'm old school Marine Aviation. I talk Phantoms and many young people are like, Phantoms? What are they? Mention F-18's and they know. Why? Simple, the Blue Angels. Just so I'm clear about my above statement. I love all types of Aviation, aircraft, pilots, history, military Aviation etc. I have seen the Thunderbirds, the Snowbirds, the Red Arrows and more. Each of these teams do things that are absolutely amazing in my humble opinion. They take their aircraft right to the edge and beyond. Sometimes it's very risky. Stuff happens. In a fighter aircraft when it does, there's no time to think. Just react! I respect all the services. Including the Army's Parachute Team, the Golden Knights. Those guys are amazing. I am an old Marine proud of his aviation career, his Phantom and his men he served with. I'm also so very proud of the Blue Angels, even today, I still get teary eyed watching them. Had it not been for them, I might never have become a Marine Aviator. As for our awesome host "Mover" all of us, no matter our branch of service, love your channel and your videos. Keep up the great work. God Bless America🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
If I may add one other thing. I also tip my hat to those men and women who fly up in Alaska. I'm referring too the Bush pilots up there who each day risk life and limb flying in environments so dangerous, it's the only other form of flying that is considered equally as dangerous as that of landing on an Aircraft Carrier. I've gone Bush flying. It scarred the hell out me. Mountains so close you could touch them. Landing on ice, snow, lakes, even rivers. Absolutely beautiful, but very risky flying. Those guys amaze me no end. 🇺🇸
I was in the Air Force and I won't lie, the Navy is more fun to watch, even just doing simple stuff like take offs and landings. We loved it when they would fly into our base. I think they just get away with more. The Air Force is pretty rule heavy.
I think all demonstration teams are top shelf. I also know they work hard , to get to where they are in thier careers. My favorite aircraft are the F-4 & F-14. So I really didn't get much farther than you writing that you flew the F-4. I am very proud of all the men and woman in the armed forces, I am proud to be American and I am proud that you all stayed focused enough to complete all your training. Did you enjoy flying the F-4? At the time , would you say the F-4 was the best fighter ?
@@danfisher2497 The F-4 Phantom was and still is, in my opinion, the greatest all around fighter jet ever created on this earth. Yes, I enjoyed flying her. I enjoyed the variety of missions we could fly in it. A true multi purpose fighter, the F-4 could do anything. Then the F-14 came along and the honeymoon was effectively over with. Even my F-4 couldn't do the things the F-14 could. In my opinion, the Tomcat is the best all around combat aircraft ever invented. I know. During several training missions in which the Marines acted as the enemy, we got our tails waxed by the F-14's. We knew it was over then. The Navy decided it was time to move on. The F-14 with its advanced radar system, it's amazing avionics and most of all, the phoenix air to air system just neutralized the F-4 Phantom and pretty much all other aircraft of the day. Everyone wanted the ride. At the Academy, that is all anyone could talk about. The Tomcat. I flew backseat once in one. I was amazed at its overall size, agility and combat capabilities. You see the F-4 started off life as a very fast interceptor with missile capability. In Vietnam, the F-4 proved worthless. Nothing more then a big target. Why? No internally mounted gun. Then someone over in the Navy got the bright idea of mounting an external pod gun on her. Then she started to kick ass against the Chinese fighters. Eventually, McDonnell Douglas gave the F-4 an internally mounted gun capable of knocking down enemy aircraft. Coupled with externally mounted missiles, the F-4 Phantom came into its own, but the lessons of that war, those initial problems are why the Navy and Air Force went shopping for a new more effective combat fighter. Born from those initial problems and the need to have a combat fighter capable of being launched from an Aircraft carrier, the boys over at Grumman gave us the beautiful, majestic and very capable combat aircraft......the F-14 Tomcat. I loved flying F-4's. When I graduated the Academy, I knew I wanted to take my commission in the Marines. Thus effectively killing my chances of ever flying the Tomcat. However, I have no regrets. In an all out flat out high speed chase, nothing on heaven and earth could catch or run from our F-4's. They were extremely fast, durable and aggressive. Especially in the Corps. We flew our F-4's until the wings nearly fell off. Which on one occasion nearly happened. We loved our F-4's. Today it's all about making one bird for all the branches. The JSF ( Joint Strike Fighter) is the bang these days. If you like technology over honest to goodness raw fighter power. I don't. In fact, I hate the damn thing. Wouldn't be caught dead in one and yeah, in my prime as a Marine Aviator, I know we could kick the F-35's a** anywhere, anytime in our F-4's. Brawn over technology. Two sets of eyes vs one set. Today, the Navy only has one really decent aircraft in my opinion, the F-18E Super Hornet. That aircraft is amazing and extremely reliable. With avionics that are 21st century. The thing is, it's still a fighters fighter. The JSF is a single engined wreck. Well that's my opinion based upon many flight hours in a real combat fighter......the F-4 Phantom. Hope this helped. God Bless America. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 If you really wanna know about the F-18 Hornet, please ask our host, Mover. He really knows that aircraft inside and out. I have immense respect for him and what he has accomplished. Just ask him......
Thanks for this video, C.W. It was very helpful to my nephew. He's 15 and I've been taking him up in the Tomahawk since he was 9. He got a C in in Algebra and had convinced himself that his dream of being a fighter pilot was all but finished. I think he had watched all of your video between the time i told him about this one, and the next time saw him!
"Make them tell you no"... perhaps the best life-advice any young person should hear. And further, when they do tell you "no", try again. Look for another way. Keep looking forward and up, and just try. Unless you just like the feeling of regret, that is. Thanks for the informative video.
Maybe. Age eligibility is waiverable to 33. You can try for an exception to policy (ETP) but the chances are low for AD. Best bet is to find a Guard unit and see if there are openings that you can apply for. Again, make the true decision makers tell you "No".
I was told in 1978 when I started college to forget being a pilot as I wore glasses. I could not get a slot for pilot training with the AF, the offer was to go to Nav School at Mather with the "chance" of applying for UPT later. I didn't want to risk it so went the civilian route and just retired from 35 years with the airlines. My biggest advantage was being hired young, got my start with the majors at age 28. I accrued the hours flying 1,000 a year with a commuter airline.
On a bit of a tangent - I wondered if you knew the actor (Robert Conrad) that starred in my favorite show as a kid (Black Sheep Squadron) died on Sunday at 85. That show completely juiced me up on Corsairs and I must have begged for a new Corsair model kit to put together every other week my entire childhood. For a couple of years in the late 70's, he played Maj. Gregory Boyington, the leader of the Marine Corps Black Sheep Squadron in WWII which the series was very loosely based. Conrad was as tough as they came in Hollywood and could be considered an outsider looking back. He also played Pascanal in the James Mitchener TV miniseries "Centennial". Anyway, that show along with Airwolf, Firefox, and countless WWII air combat flicks along with my Dad led me to be in military aviation and made me a real nut on the subject. My wifes grandfather was even a test pilot for Igor Sikorsky (used to cook dinner at his house) and my girls are named after aircraft. Corsairs and Marine Corps Aviation are still considered holy subjects of legend in my household.
These articles always give me a chuckle, Even a few years ago when I joined the army In Canada there was pretty much nothing that either the personnel at the recruiting office or Your BMOQ/BMQ staff would be unwilling or unable to help you work through to get you where you want to be.
There's a lot of things I wished I had heard differently when I was 16 (46 years ago). If UA-cam had been around with videos like this, I might have gone a completely different direction.
Gotta love that the articles leave out going to ROTC. Hella easier than trying to get into OTS/OCS or a service academy. For AFROTC medical stuff, cadets don't go to MEPS. During their freshman/sophomore year they go see a designated civilian doctor in their local area who takes the initial measurements and does the tests and sends the results to the Department of Defense Medical Review Board (DODMERB). DODMERB comes back (via your school's assigned officer or NCO cadre) and tells you if you're unqualified to be an officer, qualified, or qualified as an RPA pilot, Combat Systems Officer (CSO: the back-seater in an F-15E, or any officer who isn't a pilot or navigator on an airplane), and/or pilot. Tip for DODMERB: if a problem doesn't exist in your medical records, you don't have that problem. For standard 4-year cadets: after you've taken the AFOQT, gone to Field Training for 2 weeks, taken the Test of Basic Aeronautical Skills (TBAS), submitted your previous flight hours documentation, and gotten your PCSM score calculated you throw your name in the hat for a rated (pilot, RPA, CSO) officer slot before December of your junior year. A gonkulator gonkulates your scores and you get a yay/nay selection for a rated position from Big Blue a few months later. Once you've got your rated slot, you go to Wright-Patterson AFB for a more in-depth flight medical review. We had one guy who could have been a non-rated officer, but because he went to WP to be a pilot, and they did more in-depth tests on his eyes, they found a condition that disqualified him from even joining. If he hadn't tried to be a pilot they would have never found the problem. I think the #1 thing that DQ's people is the eyes. For me, my femur was almost too long. Yeah, they measure the length of your leg bones. I got lucky and the tech recording everything re-measured me and I passed. Again, like DODMERB, if it doesn't exist in your medical records, you don't have it. Also, can confirm that it't not uncorrected 20/20. I'm a natural 15/20, but corrected up to 20/20 with glasses. I've also known a bunch of pilots (in Airlift, not fighters) who wear glasses when flying. Lastly, the Air Force just changed its height and age requirements. At this point, there's no minimum or maximum height for the DODMERB pilot qualification. I'm guessing they do the go/no-go at WP. And it used to be that you had to commission before your 29th birthday to be an Air Force pilot (I think it was before your 34th for CSO/RPA). That recently got extended, so all you "old" prior-enlisted bros are still qualified if you can get your degree KO'd via ROTC or get into OTS/OCS before your 33rd birthday.
Came across your video talking about the TopGun trailer. Enjoyed it and seen you wrote books. Ended up buying the first one.... wow.. in the last 3 weeks I’ve bought all of them and just started book 7 today.. love your writing, love your channel.. keep up the great work.
Hope you enjoy my (very long) AFOQT story. Many years ago, I took the five-part Air Force Officer Qualifying Test, along with several other airmen and one officer, a second lieutenant. The officer was the only one not in uniform, and he got reamed by the Chief Master Sergeant administering the test. "This is a mandatory formation, and you should be in uniform -- Sir." He said. After the lunch break, the officer returned in uniform. The first test booklet was placed before us and the Chief read the instructions. "Are there any questions?" I raised my hand and was acknowledged. "Chief," I said, "can you tell us how this test will be scored? Percent correct, or correct minus a fraction of incorrect?" In reply, he reread the instructions exactly as before and again asked if there were any questions. This time I knew enough to remain silent. He said to begin. I opened the test booklet and began to read all the questions. I considered myself an expert test-taker (and still do), and always took the time to read all the questions before beginning a test. I turned over the last page and saw, among some other cryptic notes, R - W / 4. Ah, ah! I silently exclaimed. That has to mean right minus one-fourth wrong. I'll guess only if I'm quite certain my guess is correct. I began answering the questions. When I was finished, I went over it again and again until the Chief called time. When we began the second part, I again read through all the questions, and, sure enough, on the back was a similar formula. Later in the day, however, I found a part with the formula R - W! On this one, because of the extreme penalty for incorrect answers, I didn't guess at all. Of, probably, 100 questions, I only answered about 40 or so. After the test, I ate a snack with one of the airmen who'd taken the test with me. I bragged about how good I was at taking tests, and he claimed to be good also. I explained how I'd deduced the meaning of the formulas on the back of the booklets and decided, based on the penalty, whether or not to guess. "Oh, I didn't see them," he said, "I answered all the questions." He seemed unconcerned, but I thought, boy, wait 'till you see your scores, then you'll be sorry you weren't as smart as I was! The official Air Force letter that gives my scores arrived a month later. My scores were 95, 95, 95, 85, and 95 -- 95 being the highest possible. The parts were Pilot, Nav-Tech, Officer Quality, Verbal, and Quantitative. To my astonishment, the guy I talked to after the test got all 95's! I guess intelligence more than compensates for wiliness! In case you're wondering, the officer got 01 in Nav-Tech and 05 in Quantitative. He didn't have scores in the other three areas, but everyone else did. He probably wasn't selected for flight training.
I wish UA-cam had been around in my teens. I desperately wanted to be a pilot, but I had no support and no family who knew anything about it, or could even see my interest in it. I played dozens of flight sims, built model aircraft, but I succumbed to all of this sort of false information and gave up on my goal. Now I'm 38 and it still sticks with me. I'm glad you're out there trying to set things right. When I was a kid Airshows were filled with hope and inspiration, now when I see them I feel a longing for something I will never have. Thanks for helping prevent that for other people.
I am actually going through the process in this article talks about right now for the Navy, so I can convey the most current information. Basically everything Lemoine said is correct. When I went through MEPS I was originally disqualified because of my depth perception. As Lemoine mentioned, just because you don't pass one part doesn't mean you're out. I got a waiver for my depth perception and passed through it. He's also correct in saying the physical test isn't too difficult. For the Navy, going into OCS you have to able to do a minimum of 42 pushups in 2 minutes, and a minimum of 50 curl ups (kinda easier version of sit ups) in 2 minutes. There is also running, and I think it's a mile and a half in 13:30. These are not too difficult to attain, especially if you spend a few weeks training for this. I am not some physical specimen, I'm on the skinnier side and I can make it through. There is no test for if your body can handle g's (is he saying FAC test?). I didn't have to take such a test and if it was still a thing they would have had me do it before I submitted my application. They also massively over exaggerate how difficult the ASTB (he is right you do the test before you send in your packet to the SNA board). If you are college educated and spend a month of hard studying, you'll probably pass. The issue isn't passing it is about having your scores being competitive enough to be selected. Just because you passed doesn't mean you are in. The swim part he mentioned is done at flight school, after you are commissioned. I haven't gotten there yet but they will train you to pass. If you want to be a pilot, go for it! It isn't as hard as this article makes it out to be!
Great video. I used to live in Utah, Right next to Hill AFB. I had 2 pilots that lived in my neighborhood that I became good friends with. I asked them so many questions, They pretty much said exactly the same thing you did. I asked them about going on a flight. They both laughed.
My flight instructor had the navy pay for prk and got his eyes corrected and now hes an f18 pilot. So definitely correctable and also he did say theres a lot of things that can be waived in the military so make sure to make them tell you no
Yep, I was not a pilot but they waved a lot of things when I joined the Air Force. I was 5'3" and weighed like 98 lbs with hay feaver and a history of asthma. They called my family doctor at MEPS and asked him if he thought I was healthy and he said yes and waved it. And they had a test where you had to lift a weight, I think it was 80lbs to a certain height. It was taller than I was. I said how am I going to do that? The guy said " I will give you a hint, we don't care how it gets there, as long it passes that line." So I just yanked it up and threw it up there. It went passed the line and came slamming down. He said good job and passed me lol. And when I was in basic the drill instructor gave the normal speil about how if we screw up and don't make it back in time for chow we were not going to eat "Except for Airman Mohr, you can eat whenver you want you scrawny fk.". They also let me slide on the having to drink X amount of glasses of water because I told them if I drink that much I won't be able to eat anything. They said ok, but if you pass out we are leaving you there and you are done. And then made me be the guy that had to carry the water when we were marching lol. I am one of the few people that thought basic was kind of fun actually.
I the second I had my first epileptic seizure, I knew I "did have what it took" to be a pilot, even though it was instilled in me that was going to be my life. I grew up with my dad as a pilot, and an airplane enthusiast. He took us all over the state watching a airshow every month, (during airshow season) from the time I was an infant, through my teens. We became friends with the Blue Angels. Sean Tucker, Bob Hoover, and more. It was my ultimate goal. But life does screw with you sometimes. I still love to fly on trips, love plane spotting everyday. But the closest I'll get to being a pilot is through flight simulators. Still, if I became a pilot, I wouldn't have met my wife, and I wouldn't have my 2 kids. And I'd rather have that in my life (most of the time.)
"Fontainebleau State Park" near your home C.W Lemoine! Me too I have "Fontainebleai" near my house near Paris..It's the historical castle of Fontainebleau and a nice forest too!
Nightingale Rangers and marines are usually the big muscular dudes. But guys in delta force or other tier 1 groups are usually pretty thin and averaged size.
BS on the runner's build. This is NOT what you want for a pilots pulling G. The services want smart/quick thinking pilots in great general shape with decent muscle mass.
wish i had seen this 10 years ago. hearing the visual requirements (that i now know are wrong) kept me from applying. glad you are putting content out like this
I just got home from the eye doctor and I apparently have an incredibly rare 20/10 vision and the doctor asked if I considered joining the Air Force and yes I have
What does it take to be a fighter pilot? Mental toughness, the will to excel, reasonable physical fitness, and the inner drive to win. Don’t forget the strong work ethic.
I did UPT at Vance AFB. Class 00-03. It was joint with the Navy. We had 2 Navy and 2 USMC students and all students had to accomplish all Navy swim training requirements to include the 1 mile swim in a flight suit.
Haha nice, but I still messed up a little bit😂 15yo 6,3“ +glasses (not in diopter limit) But common I am still trying Maybe they accept lasered and I stop growing 😂
20/20 is uncommon, which is precisely why the AF and Navy don't require it. And thank you for pointing this misconception out. I've had several arguments with people about this vision requirement. "Oh you can't fly if you don't have 20/20 vision!!" Now I'll just refer them to your video.
Hey Mover, young pilot select here. Currently slotted for OTS dates and IFT as well as a C-17 slot waiting for me at my the guard base. Just wanna say how interesting it was to hear you had a eye issue at your medical processing all those years ago (I'm sure the military was stricter with medical back in the day). When I went through my flight physical they said I had abnormally thin corneas and that made me shit my pants lmao (glad that's over). Anyways....love your content and the hope n' advice you give to us younger guys coming through.
As a former Navy Recruiter I can tell you that there is a waiver for just about everything...even if the manual says no waiver authorized. Had a college graduate admit to drug use with a previous recruiter and he really wanted a NSW contract, but the manual said no waiver authorized and that he wasn't qualified. I could see his passion and told him to go see the NSW mentor (retired Navy SEAL Master Chief) in person at one of their events they held with all the NSW candidates. The mentor wrote a glowing recommendation after meeting him and lo and behold, even though the manual said no waivers authorized for drug use...he got a waiver and an NSW contract. If you have a passion for something...don't let anyone tell you no. And just a little dig at ya...I was an enlisted recruiter back in 2006-2010 and our officer accession recruiters were so bad they turned over officer recruiting to the enlisted recruiters. We had E-5's and E-6's in positional authority over officers, purely in a recruiting context. Of course, like always, your results may very lol.
According to Reddit, various informative articles, and word of mouth I had no chance at becoming a pilot. I graduated Spring of 2019 with a degree in criminology from a small college. I could’ve went federal, I could’ve became a Massachusetts state trooper, and I could’ve became a police officer but I said nah. I said “I’m going to try and join the Navy and become a pilot idc what anyone says.” I had Labrum surgery and I had asthma as a child. I was told I had no chance to become a pilot again. I was told my chances of getting SWO were much higher. I got a waiver for my shoulder and I took the Methacholine test for my asthma to get that cleared. I took the ASTB twice first time I scored 43/6/6 the second time I scored 47/7/7 and I just found out last week I’ve been accepted to become a pilot! I head to OCS July 26th. NEVER LET ANYONE TELL YOU WHAT YOU CAN OR CANT DO.
You're a ban proud person. Good for you. I can see you jumping up and down in delight. Might have been me. Im 74 now so have to accept "no" at this stage. Ha. UA-cam allows me to do all the stuff Id dreamed of years ago and can now experience it vicariously. Right Im off now to fly that mean F86 or maybe a F18!!
Steve Hodges Growing up to a single mother I looked to male mentors for advice and wisdom. A few were Football coaches, guidance counselors, teachers, etc.. but the most important one that I credit with saving my life was my neighbor for 8 years, a former Navy Pilot during WW2 and Fire Chief for my city. He told me when I was 11 years old I could do whatever I dreamed of.. well I dreamed of being half as amazing as him.
@@marcosdiaz5068 I'll be siting right behind you on your first solo.
Hey! Didn't expect to find anyone else in my class in the wild (July 26th)!
www.airwarriors.com/community/threads/26-july-2020-ocs-class.47076/
Here's an airwarrior forum where a bunch of us met up. Hope to have you join with us if you haven't already!
Congratulations
Never take a "no" from someone who doesn't have the authority to say "yes"
Oh how I wish I could have known this in 2000.
@@yeoldesaltydog7415 better late than never!
@@saucegotti8538 true that :)
I loved the part where they said the Airforce is mainly focused on air to air. Because so many Airforce pilots get into air to air engagements with Taliban and ISIS fighter pilots.
I can confirm as a Taliban fighter pilot, these guys just keep shooting our planes down.
Those crop dusters are hard to shoot down
Derp 101 r/whoosh
@Derp 101 ISIS and Taliban are still around
Kagan Roy on 18 of June 2017, an American f/18E shot down a Syrian SU-22
"Make them tell you NO"...right on. I work as a test proctor at McChord Field, giving enlisted CDC and also FAA written exams. Had a young enlisted troop that is trying for C17 Loadmaster, but some pencil neck in personnel told her she probably would not get selected, 'just being real.' She was in tears...Pulled her aside and went into SNCO mode (retired SMSgt). I told her if she is passionate about flying (and she is), then fight for that slot, don't let anyone but the personnel chief at Randolph tell you NO. I then got her set up to talk to the CMSgts on base that can help her. I HATE when idiots stifle the dreams of our young airmen. Love your message, man, who knows, I may have refueled you before! SMSgt BB Wiggs (ret) KC-10/KC-135 boom, B-52G gunner.
Is your name CardSlammer?
C17 is my favorite heavy.
TheAceOfSpades Of course mine is Big Sexy, the KC10. Loved that jet, got about 6500 hours in it, and was an Instructor/Evaluator Boom Operator in it.
The Roof Man L not me man. 👍
@@Bsquared1972 I have a buddy I fly DCS with name Cardslammer who had the same Job we fly sim F18s F16s J17s all kind of stuff if your ever wanna fly check out DCS it's a load of fun and about as real as it gets
Mover, I love how you call out the BS out of these articles, it really encourages a lot of people. Thank you so much.
Wish I could have seen these videos when I was younger.
could i get a waiver if i’m 5’3.5? i’m 18, maybe i’ll get passed the minimum height needed
@@jeremiah4810 Make Them Tell You No!
@@harrisonpowers4265 understood
@@jeremiah4810 You'll probably be fine I know for a fact that the Navy will wavier something like that and I'd assume that the Air Force would to. And honestly at 18 your not done growing yet you may grow that extra .5 by the time you're 21. I wouldn't worry over something like that.
3:57 When I was a boy I was dead set on becoming a fighter pilot. Had all the movies, books, models, RCs, everything to get closer to the life. At 14 I learned my left eye was notably weaker than my right, and 'learned' perfect vision was a basic requirement just to be eligible. Naturally, I abandoned the dream. I'm a programmer today and life is fairly comfortable, if not boring, so I can't complain.... but hearing the 'perfect vision' bit was a lie is soul crushing right now.
Not sure how I got here, but you gained a new sub.
@ Taylor S - Don't beat yourself up. The vision requirements change as the needs of the military change. When I was going through ROTC you had to have 20/20 uncorrected vision, only Academy guys could get waivers for that. Also could not have any eye surgery before being commissioned. Now it's no big deal if you do. If you still want to fly, my advice would be to learn now. There's a TON of cool, fast stuff out in the civilian world if you have the money for it. I saw a civilian, flyable F-86 in Trade-A-Plane for something like $400K or go buy a Stewart S-51D for $200,000. They're back in production now.
20/20 vision is not "perfect". There are people with much better eyesight than that.
Also, everyone has one eye that focuses better than the other. Every human is like that. It's not a condition--it's just the way human eyes work! If you have 20/20 vision in one eye, it's entirely normal for your other one to have 20/30 or 20/40 vision. Nothing wrong with it--it's the way we're made, and the Air Force and/or Navy pilots are all like that, too.
The only people that see equally well out of both eyes are the ones that wear glasses or contacts.
If you're young enough you can still pursue and in today's environment you have a solid chance at getting a waiver.
What kind of programming do you do?
That's how life works.
"Make them tell you no. Don't self-eliminate."
Every up-and-comer out there needs to burn that very sentence in their brain.
And even when they tell you ‘no’ keep asking. Persistence pays off. I can’t tell you how many people I know (including me) who have bulldozed institutional obstacles by sheer force of will coupled with leadership support. If you are a worthwhile person, and people can see that in you, ‘no’ often eventually turns into ‘maybe’ then ‘YES!’
I wish I read that when I was young....
And this isn't even exclusive to joining the military. Apply this to every dream you may have! NEVER self-eliminate!
Wish I'd heard this years ago 😢
Article: To become a fighter pilot you must be god himself.
Actual fighter pilot: If you're blind that's fine just get a waiver.
LOL so accurate
I feel attacked
My buddy is getting LASIK for that, because his eyesight is super fucked.
Accurate. Too bad they weren’t taking LASIK back then.
@@corinthianimperialstudios704this might be too late but tell ur buddy do NOT get lasik! Due to flap complications it may disqualify you altogether. The military’s preferred eye surgery is PRK and I heard (only through word of mouth) that lasik will disqualify you immediately
This, no shit, is probably the most informative and accurate video about becoming a pilot in the US Military. Well done, Mover.
One thing Mover didn’t mention- when you do your flight physical and you are asked if you have seasonal allergies, the answer is “No.” Even if you think you do, you need to say that you don’t. The reason is because most people will say this without actually knowing if it’s true or not. So don’t DQ yourself. If you have seasonal allergies, trust me when i say that the flight surgeons will find it.
Tony, you are absolutely right. I told the doctor during my AF physical that I did and I failed. My ROTC cammander arranged for a second physical (have no idea how he did this) and I said no to the question. I passed and flew interceptors, a year in Vietnam, became an instructor and the rest was history.
This was 1965 and you still had to have 20/20 vision uncorrected and believe it or not, you could not chew your fingernails. Those were disqualifying. Times have changed.
Tony Ferrari
My Sister applied to the Air Force after college.
Told them she was allergic to cats.
DQ'd herself ...
Totally correct. Unfortunately, the flt doc is "not" your friend. Even though I retired about 4 yrs ago I still don't tell my civilian flt doc/AME everything.
This is confusing. If you have allergies and say no but the doctors will find out if you have allergies why lie anyway. If you’re telling people to lie then they can’t find out if you do
Aaron Shaw Like I said in my original comment, most people don’t know what true seasonal allergies are. So, people shouldn’t DQ themselves. But Aaron, by all means, tell them that you have allergies if you want to.
"Don't self eliminate" that's gold, thanks!
Mover: "No, that's stupid." Hah!, makes me laugh. As a cadet going through AFROTC Field Training in the summer of 1988 I asked our camp commander, Col. Kerry G. Herron, a pilot with several thousand hours in fighters, what was the number one skill or trait required to become a fighter pilot. His answer was one word long: confidence. He was right.
I went through the RAF pilot selection. I had "all the natural talent of a frozen turkey and none of the charm". Ended up ATC instead. If I can't fly, no one can. ;)
@N1g3a lord It was in 1990 at Biggin Hill and I was very green. The academic tests were straight forward as were the aptitude tests . If you are thinking of going for it, my only advice is to reapply if you get binned at selection and build your confidence. Well placed confidence in yourself is key to winning a commission. Join sport teams and climb mountains etc. My father applied five times and ended up a creamy on JP's then flew the Vulcan for the next ten years. I gave up immediately and took the ATC post they offered. PS a creamy is someone that gets posted as an instructor straight out of training.
@@evilunclepaul8850 thanks my biggest demotivating thing was failing, hearing this made me feel much better knowing you could reapply a lot
The standards for vision first changed in 1968 when the USAF went to 20/40 correctable to 20/20 due to a pilot shortage in the height of the Vietnam war. I saved this video for someone who wants to be a fighter pilot but thought he wasn't qualified. I told him to make them tell him no. Thanks for the current facts to share with him.
Are you an army pastor?
@@johnnytopgun6414 No. I retired from the Air Force in 1991. I just know the vision changes because it affected me when I was in AFROTC, An F-4 I flew back in the day is in the USAF Museum at Wright Pat. I am one of the old geezers with a baseball cap and a cane
"Make them tell you no." This cannot be stressed enough for any job in the military. When I went into Satellite Communications for the Army, the counselor (the guy you talk to at MEPS who assigns your MOS) didn't want to give me 25S. He had other quotas he had to fill so he was trying to get me into one of those instead. He stated I didn't have Algebra in college, and my transcript didn't have it. Well I had tested out of it in my entrance exam which didn't reflect on the transcript (despite having math classes that had it as a prerequisite). So I had my recruiter fax in the HS transcript (no idea how he got that, but they have their ways). And hitting all the I's and crossed the T's he had to allow me to get the MOS.
So my advice is just harp on it till they nearly throw you out, like physically. Like Lemoine said, don't tell yourself no, follow those dreams. Forge your own path. I've got too many civilian friends in their 30s that wanted to join and didn't because they didn't try to get waivers and thought they never could hack it. You never know till you try. Half the time its just to see if you will try.
I couldn't agree more with your "don't self eliminate" advice. I was told after getting a D in calculus my freshman year of college that I had little chance of picking up a Navy scholarship and almost zero chance of picking up a pilot slot. I never stopped working hard and I never gave up on my goal, and I am now a commissioned officer in flight training in Pensacola. Your attitude dictates your path just as much as your aptitude does.
you are the exact comment i made to the guy above...he bailed, you didnt...your burn was deeper to succeed...i think this 'fake news' is a good way to weed out the hesitant...guy like you dont take NO...
What do your grades have to do with flying a plane?
LOL Awesome Mover... Love how you broke this down... I was Enlisted Air Force, as a Crew Chief on T-37's and T-38's, then cross-trained into Food Service to I could get out of Texas... 1st Assignment was Reese AFB Lubbock, Tx.. Food Service was at RAF Bentwaters UK..
Cudos to you. I was a crewchief and the food was fantastic in the Air Force. Even during excersises in the temp chow halls it was good. Not sure how they made powdered eggs taste good but they pulled it off. The flight line chow hall was kind of nasty though lol. No worse than mcdonalds to be honest.
I realise this is an older post, but I feel compelled to support something Mover said. He said that "make them tell you 'no'" is just a good way of living. It's worked well for me! I've never been in the military, I've never taken any flight training. I'm your garden-variety software engineer. No matter which career path you choose, listen to Mover: make them tell you "no". I'm 62, now, with a successful career behind me. Twice, I have wanted something strongly enough to go all the way to the top. Both times, they eventually said "yes". Don't talk yourself out of anything, because you have weaknesses. Every person on this planet has at least one weakness. Focus on your strengths. Be aware of what you would bring to the team. Don't be cocky or arrogant about it, but be confident about your strengths. Be proud of yourself for having them. That confidence shows through in emails, phone conversations, and interviews. Gather up your confidence, pursue what your heart desires, and make them tell you "no". You will be glad you did.
Make "them" tell you no is a life lesson. Some get confused by who "them" are. Them is not an internet video, them is not a news article. Them is not your mate who you think is the one to listen to. Them is the person that says no and no further progress can be made. I have four rules I live by, they are simple. R1, shut the F up. Rule 2, Listen. Rule 3, Understand. Rule 4, Respond. If you have failed at rule 1 to 3.... Don't do rule 4. Couple them bad boys together and you are on a path that is correct for you. Even if it's a crapshoot, at least it's your crapshoot ;)
excellent
You should tell that to some good for nothing antifa they might get offended
I'm at Laughlin for UPT right now, and you pretty much nailed it. I was prior enlisted, and the only thing I have to say is officer recruiters are just as crappy as enlisted. They don't know the process and tend to focus on test scores. Recruiters will often immediately tell you you're not qualified. It happened to me. I was told by my recruiter I had *zero* chance at being a pilot, when I already had my commercial and instrument ratings...haha.
Patrick, you know that UPT doesn't care about your Commercial and Instrument Ratings or ATP for that matter!
@@jamesburns2232Yep, most commercial pilots don’t fly close formation at night in weather. Your private ratings may give you a head start in the early phase of UPT, but won’t help after about the first third of the year. When I went to UPT I had never been in an airplane.
"Sometimes there's a waiver"... 100% agree /// Do your homework ... 100% ..... Don't give up! Be relentless...
I can tell this will be a goodie, take one shot every time he says stupid
I don't think I could stay conscious that long.
Tom B Those last minutes where you’re hanging on to your last seconds of consciousness LMAO
I passed out before the end... did I do it right?
Anyone that can’t complete this drinking game doesn’t even belong in the military.... well, maybe today’s weak military. Pretty soft now in many ways.
==✊🏼==D💦💦👅
Of Jeremiah Green?
The U.S. military currently has an acute shortage of pilots and has been trying to fix the problem for years. There have even been congressional hearings about the situation. According to a 2018 Military Times article about one in four pilot billets were empty because of the dire shortage. So, don't self-eliminate or you may be preventing yourself from getting your dream job.
@Man In The Arena I believe the Air Force will now accept you up to 35 years old. Go for it!
The Navy anyway caused their own problem. I remember Navy Reserve discharging pilots about 10-15 years ago. Because of right sizing? You can't easily get those skills back.
@@michaelvol8922 I agree. The Army discharged over 4,000 Majors a few years ago when they were "right sizing". As a result they've gutted their leadership ranks to save money. Yet, the Pentagon admits they can't account for a few TRILLION dollars in expenditures (aka: stolen money). Are the Three Stooges running the DOD these days or is it just corporate criminals calling the shots as usual?
1notgilty I go for option 2 on your last sentence.
Although, there’s gotta be at least a little of option 1.
Let enlisted fly with the right ASVAB score and that problem will unfuck itself. A degree has fuck all to operating an aircraft. Plenty of qualified guys who just don't have a degree and don't want to get one.
My dad was a career USAF fighter pilot; my brother a career Navy helicopter pilot. Dad was a college dropout, brother had a C average non-technical college degree. Dad had sinus problems, brother was highly prone to motion sickness and had one eye permanently dilated due to injury. None of this slowed either down. Both retired as high ranking officers. Meanwhile I get nearly straight A’s in college and end up a sport skydiver...
It's great watching these vids by a guy who was actually a fighter pilot. I had a friend whose father flew phantoms in the Royal Air Force. He came last on his initial flying course before they were streamed as fast jet, transport or helicopter. Because everyone ahead of him either wanted transport or helicopter he ended up with fast jets. In addition to flying Phantoms he also was selected as a flight instructor. This was back in the early 70 s I think he served for something like 20 years in the RAF. So there ya go.
Love all these vids. I'm going to check out your books as well. Cheers from Canada.
*You guys don't know about A-10* ?
P.S. - *BRRRRRRTTTTT*
Back in the good old days...1980s...they did demos with the A10s at Mugu which included live fire of the main gun out into the ocean. That is a sound you *never* forget.
#triggered
My Brother-in-law is a Green Beret. He was wounded in Afghanistan last year and they called in an air strike during a fire fight where they were outmatched and it was an A-10 and he told me it was the best sound he's ever heard as he laid there with half his arm blown off from a RPG. He is alive and well, and after multiple surgeries, his arm is mostly usable. He did have to retire from the military, and from Texas DPS, but his young kids get to grow up with a father because an A-10 annihilated the Taliban who attacked them. Unfortunately one of his teammates was KIA in the firefight.
The fart of doom.
A-10 has been my favorite since like 4th grade... I’m 43😆
"Choose the AF for the per diem obviously" 😂 I seriously love this dude
Miles Bhuller what’s per diem is he referring to?
Anthony Penaflor mo money
I meant how do Air Force pilots get more per diem than Navy pilots?
@@anthonypenaflor Simplification, but you'll get paid some extra money for you to feed yourself and live somewhere when away from home. In the Navy, you typically won't get this money because if you deploy on a boat, you are fed and housed. It's less necessary. Some Navy pilots that are not ship-based will get this money as well.
@@austinschober9519 actually, Naval Aviators, and all Navy Officers in general, have to pay for their meals when deployed. My last Mess Bill was $200 a month when our squadron was deployed on the USS ENTERPRISE.
The ASTB is taken prior to commissioning, I went the ROTC route and this is taken your senior year and you find out weather you’ve gotten a pilot slot around xmas. I’m nobody special, took it hungover and got a slot; so there’s that.
Thank you - Go to the Source! People doing research should always use source information to find out anything! So many now rely on second-hand, third-hand, or "no-hand" sources for information that they assume is correct. Anything can be put on the internet, and there's all sorts of junk there to prove it. I'm so glad you made that point so clearly. Love your videos.
Just noticed you are coming up on 100K subscribers. I remember back when you were passing 50K. Congrats on your major achievement!
Yeah, I'm gonna need y'all to stop subscribing before 100k. Thanks in advance. 😂
Oh man he really is... ive been subbed for a long time i don’t remember since when 100k is crazy
@@CWLemoine Not going to take no for an answer, I Just subscribed now :P
"Major achievement"
*salutes
@QuadBlaster _ Now he is really moving right along. Congrats again C.W. for another major milestone. What would it take to get a backseat ride with you in a T-38?
I just turned 40 last year and all the way through jr high and high school I wanted nothing more to be a fighter pilot and like this video you made, I got WRONG information about how to get there and what I needed to do. I still look back wish I wouldn't have listened to the people that told me all wrong info and basically told me I had no chance if I didnt get into one of the academy's. Love your videos keep up the good work 👍👍
Man same story here. Saw top gun when i was about 6-7 and literally at that moment my whole life changed and i wanted nothing more than becoming a pilot in the air force or navy. However my older brother of all people. Someone who also obviously got wrong information absolutely crushed that dream for me. However like mover says if your passionate about something you should make sure to do your own research and that you are nit just getting info from youtube videos as anyone can post a UA-cam video and it goes completely un checked therefore further spreading the misinformation. Best thing you can do is go on the actual air force or navy website and find out requirements for yourself from them instead of someone who doesnt have a clue and posts a youtube video. Anyways ultimately i cant blame anyone but myself for not getting the right information and for listening to my brother and believing him or even thinking he would have the right information in the first place.
@@punanie05 I agree I absolutely would have went out on my own and tried to make it, if I had it to do all over again.
Bruce Wayne i hear 100%. Me as well.
Ditto
Yeah thats why you never even tried. Tell this lie to yourself so you feel better that you didn't have the balls to even try. I Coulda been a contenduh
When I found out about the vision requirement I was CRUSHED when I was a kid. I'm 45 now, and back then (at least this is what I was told by folks at the AFB where my dad was stationed) the vision requirements were that strict. But at the time corrective eye surgery was just entering the main stream and had some pretty severe side effects. I'm really glad to hear those aren't as bad now :D
So many of us gave up for that very reason. Being a fighter pilot is the only job I ever wanted to do. Make great money now but I don’t love it. 38 now so the dream has passed
For you young girls and guys listen when he says don’t eliminate yourself based upon outside sources. Follow your dreams, worse they can tell you is no but you don’t want to have a what if life.
My folks always talked about the vision thing but I did my own research. I’m 16 so I have a shot still
Was a childhood dream. Was involved in all kinds of programs wanting to be a fighter pilot. Passed that 6 foot 5 mark at 16 years old. RIP lol
Get a waiver lol. I’m 5’2 female they said get a waiver.
@@JS-ns8dr i was able to fly other planes. It was me being physically too tall to fit in the cockpit.
Totally agree with your mantra, “Make Them Tell You No”! While I was not a pilot or even officer, I twice in my 20-year Navy career accomplished career opportunities that I was told impossible by many. For sure....make them tell you no!
When I was in California training in the marines, the f18s used to run some really low passes on us, loud as F! Pretty cool memory
Brother, love your videos and (especially in this one) your message. Career-man Army here; Motor Sergeant/Training NCO and sometimes (hopefully soon again) Civil Affairs, 18 down 7-12 to go.
I salute you, Sir, respect to the man and not just the rank in this case.
I'm so glad you're sharing this. It's frustrating that I told myself no; it's more frustrating that I see talented young people also telling themselves no. I want to do my best to make sure that these talented individuals at least WORK on defense for this country, but I can only imagine how frustrated they are to find out, like I did, that I could have had a YES.
(And yes, I would pick fighter pilot over phd in physics. 100%. I'd also get a degree potentially without debt afterwards)
if it werent for u Lemoine, I probably wouldnt pursue my dream, thank you for being who you are.
Mover, Rammer here. I went the USNA ('76, BS Eng.) route, Navy Flt School, made the cut for jets, winged June '78, F-4 Phantom "RAG" (now, "FRS", the now-defunct VF-171), VF-31 Tomcatters, F-14A transition (whole squadron, 1980). Best times of my life. Got out after a Class A Mishap in the 'Cat (damnit). I work as an engineer for the JSF Joint Program Office now, and am close to retirement. I really enjoy the videos and your content. Keep it up, brother. I really loved your helo training as I never flew one. Rode in lots of them, though. Wow, I got lost in time and space watching those. Nice work on your part. That you fly the 737 now, made me check out the Doofer911 series he does using FSX. The level of automation these days is astounding (to this old guy). All the best to you and yours. Thanks for all of it!
Also...though I was Navy (an FMF Corpsman), I and everybody I knew looked forward to training on an AF base because chow and quarters were outstanding!
In the 70's, I intended to become an Astronaut. One of the best ways to do that was being a fighter pilot first. Like you I had stigmatism, unlike you, I was never told it was waverable. I did get my private license and was going to become IFR followed by being a flight Instructor. (raised a family in between) Then 9-11 happened. I was in the CAP, and we were grounded until further notice. I was also in the Army Reserve and almost immediately was called up, spending over 2 years being a Combat Medic (Paramedic was my civilian job), and I simply never went back. It's great to hear stories about what I possibly might have done, but thank god we have you real fighter pilots to do what needs to be done. I've since retired from wearing uniforms, and spend my days writing and drawing. So, Thank You for Your Service! I love this channel
I'm a teen now and I hope to be an astronaut too. I also want to take the fighter pilot route. it scares and saddens me to read about your journey. Hopefully ur doing well now
When I wanted to get into the airforce to fly, there was no shortage of pilots. I envy the guys now. I'm 54 now, but thank you for the interesting information.
MeesterVegas True. We grew up in the 80s. So after Top Gun and Iron Eagle, everyone wanted to be a pilot.
Outstanding! You ripped that page up good! Retired USAF here and was laughing along with ya! However back in the late 70s and early 80s the strict 20/20 vision requirement was in place. (Perhaps due to the "Hollow Force" of the 70s). So I became an Air Intelligence Officer. Enjoying your page, keep 'em flying!
One of my regrets was not learning to fly in my teens. My dad was a pilot since before Vietnam(he flew the skycrane and other planes and helicopters) and took me to one class to see if I'd like it. I did but at the time it intimidated me. Should have gone for it.
why don't you now?
@@EnclaveDesigns 🤷♂️ idk.
Dont let it be a regret! Go as far as you can and if you dont make it all the way, at least you can have that piece of mind. Best of luck to you man, make em tell you NO!
I am an Army guy, and we both said "that's stupid" at the same time.
I tried to follow We Are the Mighty. But, too many of their articles come off as written by fanboys rather than by people in the know.
Love when Sgt Hy over at Angry Cops gets a hold of some of the trash they write.
Definitely make them tell you no, multiple times. My oldest son was told no by the Navy twice for reasons I won't go into. He graduated boot camp in January and is now in A school. The graduation ceremony was awesome and I'm so freaking proud of him. I'm an Air Force vet and tried to talk him into the family branch, but he wasn't having it...lol
Entertaining as usual Mover. Keep them honest!
You give very practical advice about life. Even kids who would never consider this career should watch this.
I’m hope one day i’m able to become a pilot of some sort I would prefer being a fighter pilot but if I get the chance to fly anything i’ll be more than happy
Don't knock the AWACS, transport, and refueling boys. Support assets need love out there too.
I am student pilot part 61 private school . I like your videos because it encourage a young pilot to learn and never give up on their training. A lot lies and wrong paper and information on the net discourage a young pilot. Please keep talking and inform a young and smart student pilot for inspiration and love of flight. 😊🌹🌻🦋
True - take the initiatve - never give up - Inspired to get a fighter pilot I ended up flying an Airliner... which isn’t too bad 😁
Mover, I just love how you kept mentioning the A-10 - I was always around them back in the early 80’s when they would come to Patrick AFB, FL [don’t remember if from Mrytle Beach or Moody-at that time - been to Moody a few times but it was a long time ago] for their 2-week deployment (also F-16A/C/F-4E/A-6/E/A-7K/ etc) and train with us doing FAC schoolhouse missions (via O-2A/OV-10A/OT-37B’s). the A-10C, especially in DCS [my 1st module back in 2010], has been one of my favs. And, it was always so fun to mark a target with a WP, in the Avon Park Bombing Range, and watch them come in and “rain” on the target with their 30MM. Hell, on that note, I reminisce that it was also fun to call in a flight of F-4E’s to drop their simulated [if I remember correctly] their BDU-23’s on target as well. Lots of good times back then! Keep up the good work you are doing for interested community! Thanks..
"Good information for life in general", OMG, so true!! Thank you!! Mover for 'President' !!! 8) --gary
I joined the Air Force and made a few key mistakes in trying to become a pilot in my youth. Where were you then man! Glad you are helping out the young guys today.
Can concur on the height minimum: I'm 5'4" and my F/A-18 squadron (VMFA-451) commander (a Lt.Col) was my height.
Call sign "Too Tall"? LOL
@@Skyhawks1979 I can see it now. It's your first ever deployment as a nugget getting into the squadron and hearing the squadron leader is called "Too Tall". Knowing that you gotta earn your name you start thinking this is gonna be a huge intimidating person to work for. The duty pilot calls attention and you turn to see that guy rolling in.
The first place I would go to is the careers office for whichever service I was interested in joining, not some website.
"Make them tell you no." Great moral--I'm going to start applying that with intent.
Very easy when you consider how spineless some people are. Theyll say yes to anything! It is a fantastic motto to swear by. Dont limit yourself
I always wanted to fly F18s because I saw the Blue Angels at an air show when I was young. I knew from a young (but not as young) age that I would be disqualified, so I live vicariously through people like you. Thanks for the video!
I love it! “Crush the Ignorance!” As a teacher (40 yr. exp), I want to borrow that! Thx...
C.W. - Thank you for breaking some of the stigma that surrounds pilot selection and training. I am an AF veteran, served in the 5th SSS (Space Surveillance Squadron). My 19 year old son is interested in becoming a Commercial Pilot and has already started his journey in college and pilot training through a well recognized Flight Training School here in Austin, TX. My son watches your videos and just the other day he said to me, "Hey Dad, I've started to think about joining the military and flying there to serve our country and build up my skills". It was music to my ears. He has had some personal fears about all the requirements and your calm demeanor in explaining things has built his confidence. He likes your quote, "Make them tell you No". So, thank you for your vidoes and please know that you are "literally" changing peoples lives for the better. ~ My son wants you to know that ~ TY Sir
I won't sit on a fence and ignore the question regarding which Flight Demonstration Team is better. As a former Naval Marine Aviator, the choice for me is obvious, The Blue Angels. Why? Simple. Their shows really push the envelope much further then the other teams. I'm not suggesting the other teams are no good. Quite the opposite. They're all exceptional in their own unique ways. Its just I'm very partial too Naval Aviation. I had to go exactly thru the same training the Blue Angels pilots initially go thru once they started their individual careers. I'm referring to Pensacola. Then I went thru primary flight training on my particular aircraft, the F-4 Phantom. Then off to the fleet. So, I know, like all Naval/ Marine Aviators the trials and tribulations of Naval Aviation.
The Blue Angels are unique. Flying at sea and landing on an Aircraft Carrier is what sets Naval Aviators apart from all other forms of military Aviation. In fact, the Blues incorporate several maneuvers based upon carrier landings to demonstrate their flight capabilities along with that of the aircraft being demonstrated. In this case, the Legacy F-18 Hornet. These maneuvers are unique to the Blues. Its how they demonstrate to the crowds the capabilities of these aircraft to potential future Naval pilots. Its how I got started. Watching the Blues in Texas one day put me on the path to becoming a Marine Aviator.
In terms of the actual maneuvers, the Blues start off pretty spread out during formation flight training. As the season progresses, they tighten up significantly. The wings appear to touch they're so close. The other flight demonstration teams do not get as close as the Blues in my opinion. I watched them since the early 1960's. These guys fly really really tight formations.
Anyway, that's my take. I'm old school Marine Aviation. I talk Phantoms and many young people are like, Phantoms? What are they? Mention F-18's and they know. Why? Simple, the Blue Angels. Just so I'm clear about my above statement. I love all types of Aviation, aircraft, pilots, history, military Aviation etc. I have seen the Thunderbirds, the Snowbirds, the Red Arrows and more. Each of these teams do things that are absolutely amazing in my humble opinion. They take their aircraft right to the edge and beyond. Sometimes it's very risky. Stuff happens. In a fighter aircraft when it does, there's no time to think. Just react! I respect all the services. Including the Army's Parachute Team, the Golden Knights. Those guys are amazing. I am an old Marine proud of his aviation career, his Phantom and his men he served with. I'm also so very proud of the Blue Angels, even today, I still get teary eyed watching them. Had it not been for them, I might never have become a Marine Aviator.
As for our awesome host "Mover" all of us, no matter our branch of service, love your channel and your videos. Keep up the great work.
God Bless America🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
If I may add one other thing. I also tip my hat to those men and women who fly up in Alaska. I'm referring too the Bush pilots up there who each day risk life and limb flying in environments so dangerous, it's the only other form of flying that is considered equally as dangerous as that of landing on an Aircraft Carrier. I've gone Bush flying. It scarred the hell out me. Mountains so close you could touch them. Landing on ice, snow, lakes, even rivers. Absolutely beautiful, but very risky flying. Those guys amaze me no end. 🇺🇸
I was in the Air Force and I won't lie, the Navy is more fun to watch, even just doing simple stuff like take offs and landings. We loved it when they would fly into our base. I think they just get away with more. The Air Force is pretty rule heavy.
@@biteme263 Both branches are awesome for a variety of reasons. Thanks.🇺🇸
I think all demonstration teams are top shelf. I also know they work hard , to get to where they are in thier careers. My favorite aircraft are the F-4 & F-14. So I really didn't get much farther than you writing that you flew the F-4. I am very proud of all the men and woman in the armed forces, I am proud to be American and I am proud that you all stayed focused enough to complete all your training. Did you enjoy flying the F-4? At the time , would you say the F-4 was the best fighter ?
@@danfisher2497 The F-4 Phantom was and still is, in my opinion, the greatest all around fighter jet ever created on this earth. Yes, I enjoyed flying her. I enjoyed the variety of missions we could fly in it. A true multi purpose fighter, the F-4 could do anything. Then the F-14 came along and the honeymoon was effectively over with. Even my F-4 couldn't do the things the F-14 could. In my opinion, the Tomcat is the best all around combat aircraft ever invented. I know. During several training missions in which the Marines acted as the enemy, we got our tails waxed by the F-14's. We knew it was over then. The Navy decided it was time to move on. The F-14 with its advanced radar system, it's amazing avionics and most of all, the phoenix air to air system just neutralized the F-4 Phantom and pretty much all other aircraft of the day.
Everyone wanted the ride. At the Academy, that is all anyone could talk about. The Tomcat. I flew backseat once in one. I was amazed at its overall size, agility and combat capabilities. You see the F-4 started off life as a very fast interceptor with missile capability. In Vietnam, the F-4 proved worthless. Nothing more then a big target. Why? No internally mounted gun. Then someone over in the Navy got the bright idea of mounting an external pod gun on her. Then she started to kick ass against the Chinese fighters. Eventually, McDonnell Douglas gave the F-4 an internally mounted gun capable of knocking down enemy aircraft. Coupled with externally mounted missiles, the F-4 Phantom came into its own, but the lessons of that war, those initial problems are why the Navy and Air Force went shopping for a new more effective combat fighter. Born from those initial problems and the need to have a combat fighter capable of being launched from an Aircraft carrier, the boys over at Grumman gave us the beautiful, majestic and very capable combat aircraft......the F-14 Tomcat.
I loved flying F-4's. When I graduated the Academy, I knew I wanted to take my commission in the Marines. Thus effectively killing my chances of ever flying the Tomcat. However, I have no regrets. In an all out flat out high speed chase, nothing on heaven and earth could catch or run from our F-4's. They were extremely fast, durable and aggressive. Especially in the Corps. We flew our F-4's until the wings nearly fell off. Which on one occasion nearly happened. We loved our F-4's.
Today it's all about making one bird for all the branches. The JSF ( Joint Strike Fighter) is the bang these days. If you like technology over honest to goodness raw fighter power. I don't. In fact, I hate the damn thing. Wouldn't be caught dead in one and yeah, in my prime as a Marine Aviator, I know we could kick the F-35's a** anywhere, anytime in our F-4's. Brawn over technology. Two sets of eyes vs one set. Today, the Navy only has one really decent aircraft in my opinion, the F-18E Super Hornet. That aircraft is amazing and extremely reliable. With avionics that are 21st century. The thing is, it's still a fighters fighter. The JSF is a single engined wreck. Well that's my opinion based upon many flight hours in a real combat fighter......the F-4 Phantom. Hope this helped. God Bless America. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
If you really wanna know about the F-18 Hornet, please ask our host, Mover. He really knows that aircraft inside and out. I have immense respect for him and what he has accomplished. Just ask him......
Thanks for this video, C.W. It was very helpful to my nephew. He's 15 and I've been taking him up in the Tomahawk since he was 9. He got a C in in Algebra and had convinced himself that his dream of being a fighter pilot was all but finished. I think he had watched all of your video between the time i told him about this one, and the next time saw him!
Good words to live by, "let them tell you no". Stay safe brother!
"Make them tell you no"... perhaps the best life-advice any young person should hear. And further, when they do tell you "no", try again. Look for another way. Keep looking forward and up, and just try. Unless you just like the feeling of regret, that is. Thanks for the informative video.
I wish i knew this stuff 16 years ago. As a 34 year old, is it already too late for me to become a fighter pilot?
Maybe. Age eligibility is waiverable to 33. You can try for an exception to policy (ETP) but the chances are low for AD. Best bet is to find a Guard unit and see if there are openings that you can apply for. Again, make the true decision makers tell you "No".
I was told in 1978 when I started college to forget being a pilot as I wore glasses. I could not get a slot for pilot training with the AF, the offer was to go to Nav School at Mather with the "chance" of applying for UPT later. I didn't want to risk it so went the civilian route and just retired from 35 years with the airlines. My biggest advantage was being hired young, got my start with the majors at age 28. I accrued the hours flying 1,000 a year with a commuter airline.
I have a hat that says "Fighter Pilot." Does this qualify me?
Yes
Uh, not unless you're wearing it.
On a bit of a tangent - I wondered if you knew the actor (Robert Conrad) that starred in my favorite show as a kid (Black Sheep Squadron) died on Sunday at 85. That show completely juiced me up on Corsairs and I must have begged for a new Corsair model kit to put together every other week my entire childhood. For a couple of years in the late 70's, he played Maj. Gregory Boyington, the leader of the Marine Corps Black Sheep Squadron in WWII which the series was very loosely based. Conrad was as tough as they came in Hollywood and could be considered an outsider looking back. He also played Pascanal in the James Mitchener TV miniseries "Centennial". Anyway, that show along with Airwolf, Firefox, and countless WWII air combat flicks along with my Dad led me to be in military aviation and made me a real nut on the subject. My wifes grandfather was even a test pilot for Igor Sikorsky (used to cook dinner at his house) and my girls are named after aircraft. Corsairs and Marine Corps Aviation are still considered holy subjects of legend in my household.
"Are you saying we're not fighter pilots?!" The incredulity in your voice was amazing. :D
These articles always give me a chuckle, Even a few years ago when I joined the army In Canada there was pretty much nothing that either the personnel at the recruiting office or Your BMOQ/BMQ staff would be unwilling or unable to help you work through to get you where you want to be.
If I saw this video when I was 16, it may have changed the course of my entire life. 😡
There's a lot of things I wished I had heard differently when I was 16 (46 years ago). If UA-cam had been around with videos like this, I might have gone a completely different direction.
@@davecasey4341 Wouldn't we all.
I’m a 12 year old and I’m glad I’m seeing this now. I have horrible eyesight 40/20 but seeing him debunk these encourages me.
Gotta love that the articles leave out going to ROTC. Hella easier than trying to get into OTS/OCS or a service academy.
For AFROTC medical stuff, cadets don't go to MEPS. During their freshman/sophomore year they go see a designated civilian doctor in their local area who takes the initial measurements and does the tests and sends the results to the Department of Defense Medical Review Board (DODMERB). DODMERB comes back (via your school's assigned officer or NCO cadre) and tells you if you're unqualified to be an officer, qualified, or qualified as an RPA pilot, Combat Systems Officer (CSO: the back-seater in an F-15E, or any officer who isn't a pilot or navigator on an airplane), and/or pilot. Tip for DODMERB: if a problem doesn't exist in your medical records, you don't have that problem.
For standard 4-year cadets: after you've taken the AFOQT, gone to Field Training for 2 weeks, taken the Test of Basic Aeronautical Skills (TBAS), submitted your previous flight hours documentation, and gotten your PCSM score calculated you throw your name in the hat for a rated (pilot, RPA, CSO) officer slot before December of your junior year. A gonkulator gonkulates your scores and you get a yay/nay selection for a rated position from Big Blue a few months later.
Once you've got your rated slot, you go to Wright-Patterson AFB for a more in-depth flight medical review. We had one guy who could have been a non-rated officer, but because he went to WP to be a pilot, and they did more in-depth tests on his eyes, they found a condition that disqualified him from even joining. If he hadn't tried to be a pilot they would have never found the problem. I think the #1 thing that DQ's people is the eyes. For me, my femur was almost too long. Yeah, they measure the length of your leg bones. I got lucky and the tech recording everything re-measured me and I passed. Again, like DODMERB, if it doesn't exist in your medical records, you don't have it. Also, can confirm that it't not uncorrected 20/20. I'm a natural 15/20, but corrected up to 20/20 with glasses. I've also known a bunch of pilots (in Airlift, not fighters) who wear glasses when flying.
Lastly, the Air Force just changed its height and age requirements. At this point, there's no minimum or maximum height for the DODMERB pilot qualification. I'm guessing they do the go/no-go at WP. And it used to be that you had to commission before your 29th birthday to be an Air Force pilot (I think it was before your 34th for CSO/RPA). That recently got extended, so all you "old" prior-enlisted bros are still qualified if you can get your degree KO'd via ROTC or get into OTS/OCS before your 33rd birthday.
I just love when the real deal calls out the bullshit 😂
Came across your video talking about the TopGun trailer. Enjoyed it and seen you wrote books. Ended up buying the first one.... wow.. in the last 3 weeks I’ve bought all of them and just started book 7 today.. love your writing, love your channel.. keep up the great work.
Are they available in audiobook form? I ride my motorbike with a book in my ear
Juan Milla yes actually, on Amazon they have them in audiobook form.
Hope you enjoy my (very long) AFOQT story.
Many years ago, I took the five-part Air Force Officer Qualifying Test, along with several other airmen and one officer, a second lieutenant. The officer was the only one not in uniform, and he got reamed by the Chief Master Sergeant administering the test. "This is a mandatory formation, and you should be in uniform -- Sir." He said. After the lunch break, the officer returned in uniform.
The first test booklet was placed before us and the Chief read the instructions. "Are there any questions?" I raised my hand and was acknowledged. "Chief," I said, "can you tell us how this test will be scored? Percent correct, or correct minus a fraction of incorrect?" In reply, he reread the instructions exactly as before and again asked if there were any questions. This time I knew enough to remain silent.
He said to begin. I opened the test booklet and began to read all the questions. I considered myself an expert test-taker (and still do), and always took the time to read all the questions before beginning a test. I turned over the last page and saw, among some other cryptic notes, R - W / 4. Ah, ah! I silently exclaimed. That has to mean right minus one-fourth wrong. I'll guess only if I'm quite certain my guess is correct.
I began answering the questions. When I was finished, I went over it again and again until the Chief called time.
When we began the second part, I again read through all the questions, and, sure enough, on the back was a similar formula. Later in the day, however, I found a part with the formula R - W! On this one, because of the extreme penalty for incorrect answers, I didn't guess at all. Of, probably, 100 questions, I only answered about 40 or so.
After the test, I ate a snack with one of the airmen who'd taken the test with me. I bragged about how good I was at taking tests, and he claimed to be good also. I explained how I'd deduced the meaning of the formulas on the back of the booklets and decided, based on the penalty, whether or not to guess. "Oh, I didn't see them," he said, "I answered all the questions." He seemed unconcerned, but I thought, boy, wait 'till you see your scores, then you'll be sorry you weren't as smart as I was!
The official Air Force letter that gives my scores arrived a month later. My scores were 95, 95, 95, 85, and 95 -- 95 being the highest possible. The parts were Pilot, Nav-Tech, Officer Quality, Verbal, and Quantitative. To my astonishment, the guy I talked to after the test got all 95's! I guess intelligence more than compensates for wiliness!
In case you're wondering, the officer got 01 in Nav-Tech and 05 in Quantitative. He didn't have scores in the other three areas, but everyone else did. He probably wasn't selected for flight training.
I'm guessing the moral of the story is attention to detail and ingenuity?
What would you recommend for study material
I wish UA-cam had been around in my teens. I desperately wanted to be a pilot, but I had no support and no family who knew anything about it, or could even see my interest in it. I played dozens of flight sims, built model aircraft, but I succumbed to all of this sort of false information and gave up on my goal. Now I'm 38 and it still sticks with me. I'm glad you're out there trying to set things right. When I was a kid Airshows were filled with hope and inspiration, now when I see them I feel a longing for something I will never have. Thanks for helping prevent that for other people.
Ted Williams would never have made it since his vision was 20/10.
Seriously, it drives me nuts when 20/20 is described as 'perfect' vision.
20/20 is described as perfect vision due to the complete balance in your eyes, 20/10 is unbalanced, not perfect.
@@FrostyA113 Not if u have 20/10 in both eyes.
I am actually going through the process in this article talks about right now for the Navy, so I can convey the most current information. Basically everything Lemoine said is correct. When I went through MEPS I was originally disqualified because of my depth perception. As Lemoine mentioned, just because you don't pass one part doesn't mean you're out. I got a waiver for my depth perception and passed through it. He's also correct in saying the physical test isn't too difficult. For the Navy, going into OCS you have to able to do a minimum of 42 pushups in 2 minutes, and a minimum of 50 curl ups (kinda easier version of sit ups) in 2 minutes. There is also running, and I think it's a mile and a half in 13:30. These are not too difficult to attain, especially if you spend a few weeks training for this. I am not some physical specimen, I'm on the skinnier side and I can make it through. There is no test for if your body can handle g's (is he saying FAC test?). I didn't have to take such a test and if it was still a thing they would have had me do it before I submitted my application. They also massively over exaggerate how difficult the ASTB (he is right you do the test before you send in your packet to the SNA board). If you are college educated and spend a month of hard studying, you'll probably pass. The issue isn't passing it is about having your scores being competitive enough to be selected. Just because you passed doesn't mean you are in. The swim part he mentioned is done at flight school, after you are commissioned. I haven't gotten there yet but they will train you to pass. If you want to be a pilot, go for it! It isn't as hard as this article makes it out to be!
FACT test. Fighter Aircrew Conditioning Training (Test). It's an Air Force thing and taken during pilot training.
@@CWLemoine I see, thanks for the clarification. At least for the Navy, it is no longer something pilots must take. Anyways great video!
Why most people don't have what it takes to be a fighter pilot: No inflight meal.
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Don't want to pee in a bag. :D
I can't thank you enough for motivating young people to not take no as a final answer and to keep following their dreams!!
smart enough, strong enough, and doggonit people like me.
Great video. I used to live in Utah, Right next to Hill AFB. I had 2 pilots that lived in my neighborhood that I became good friends with. I asked them so many questions, They pretty much said exactly the same thing you did. I asked them about going on a flight. They both laughed.
My flight instructor had the navy pay for prk and got his eyes corrected and now hes an f18 pilot. So definitely correctable and also he did say theres a lot of things that can be waived in the military so make sure to make them tell you no
Yep, I was not a pilot but they waved a lot of things when I joined the Air Force. I was 5'3" and weighed like 98 lbs with hay feaver and a history of asthma. They called my family doctor at MEPS and asked him if he thought I was healthy and he said yes and waved it. And they had a test where you had to lift a weight, I think it was 80lbs to a certain height. It was taller than I was. I said how am I going to do that? The guy said " I will give you a hint, we don't care how it gets there, as long it passes that line." So I just yanked it up and threw it up there. It went passed the line and came slamming down. He said good job and passed me lol. And when I was in basic the drill instructor gave the normal speil about how if we screw up and don't make it back in time for chow we were not going to eat "Except for Airman Mohr, you can eat whenver you want you scrawny fk.". They also let me slide on the having to drink X amount of glasses of water because I told them if I drink that much I won't be able to eat anything. They said ok, but if you pass out we are leaving you there and you are done. And then made me be the guy that had to carry the water when we were marching lol. I am one of the few people that thought basic was kind of fun actually.
I the second I had my first epileptic seizure, I knew I "did have what it took" to be a pilot, even though it was instilled in me that was going to be my life. I grew up with my dad as a pilot, and an airplane enthusiast. He took us all over the state watching a airshow every month, (during airshow season) from the time I was an infant, through my teens. We became friends with the Blue Angels. Sean Tucker, Bob Hoover, and more. It was my ultimate goal. But life does screw with you sometimes. I still love to fly on trips, love plane spotting everyday. But the closest I'll get to being a pilot is through flight simulators.
Still, if I became a pilot, I wouldn't have met my wife, and I wouldn't have my 2 kids. And I'd rather have that in my life (most of the time.)
I was told by recruiters in high school that I needed 20/20 vision. It's why I didn't join the military.
"Fontainebleau State Park" near your home C.W Lemoine! Me too I have "Fontainebleai" near my house near Paris..It's the historical castle of Fontainebleau and a nice forest too!
7:34 "skinny runners" me, a skinny track and cross country runner: LETS GOOOOO
That's actually what all the services want, including spec-ops.
Nightingale Rangers and marines are usually the big muscular dudes. But guys in delta force or other tier 1 groups are usually pretty thin and averaged size.
BS on the runner's build. This is NOT what you want for a pilots pulling G. The services want smart/quick thinking pilots in great general shape with decent muscle mass.
wish i had seen this 10 years ago. hearing the visual requirements (that i now know are wrong) kept me from applying. glad you are putting content out like this
There’s the right way, and the NAVY way... 😂🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 Aim High !!!
Great stuff Sir! This former 1-Charlie appreciates your channel!
I just got home from the eye doctor and I apparently have an incredibly rare 20/10 vision and the doctor asked if I considered joining the Air Force and yes I have
Finally. Legit information available on you tube. It is about time. Thank You C.W Lemoine
What does it take to be a fighter pilot? Mental toughness, the will to excel, reasonable physical fitness, and the inner drive to win. Don’t forget the strong work ethic.
Totally agree with all you said.
I did UPT at Vance AFB. Class 00-03. It was joint with the Navy. We had 2 Navy and 2 USMC students and all students had to accomplish all Navy swim training requirements to include the 1 mile swim in a flight suit.
Haha nice, but I still messed up a little bit😂
15yo
6,3“
+glasses (not in diopter limit)
But common I am still trying
Maybe they accept lasered and I stop growing 😂
6,3" and 15! Damn evolution is stacking you guys to be the giants of myth! You should, stop growing by 24 "ish" So hopefully before you hit 7ft ;)
imaner76 [Him n' her 76] haha
20/20 is uncommon, which is precisely why the AF and Navy don't require it. And thank you for pointing this misconception out. I've had several arguments with people about this vision requirement. "Oh you can't fly if you don't have 20/20 vision!!" Now I'll just refer them to your video.
I didnt need to spend 20 min to know i dont have what it takes to fly an iron seagull
That is an epic stoner metal band name!
Hey Mover, young pilot select here. Currently slotted for OTS dates and IFT as well as a C-17 slot waiting for me at my the guard base.
Just wanna say how interesting it was to hear you had a eye issue at your medical processing all those years ago (I'm sure the military was stricter with medical back in the day). When I went through my flight physical they said I had abnormally thin corneas and that made me shit my pants lmao (glad that's over).
Anyways....love your content and the hope n' advice you give to us younger guys coming through.
Why am I watching this I'm already a pilot. I mean in Battlefield 5
BF5 "pilot"
As a former Navy Recruiter I can tell you that there is a waiver for just about everything...even if the manual says no waiver authorized. Had a college graduate admit to drug use with a previous recruiter and he really wanted a NSW contract, but the manual said no waiver authorized and that he wasn't qualified. I could see his passion and told him to go see the NSW mentor (retired Navy SEAL Master Chief) in person at one of their events they held with all the NSW candidates. The mentor wrote a glowing recommendation after meeting him and lo and behold, even though the manual said no waivers authorized for drug use...he got a waiver and an NSW contract. If you have a passion for something...don't let anyone tell you no.
And just a little dig at ya...I was an enlisted recruiter back in 2006-2010 and our officer accession recruiters were so bad they turned over officer recruiting to the enlisted recruiters. We had E-5's and E-6's in positional authority over officers, purely in a recruiting context. Of course, like always, your results may very lol.