Candidate Question:
I am seriously considering going through the Aviation path of a Marine Officer, but I have a few questions before I decide:
- How long will your contract be when being in an Aviation Position?
- Do you have to have a Pilots License or anything specific before joining?
- What tests do you have to take to get into an Aviation position?
- I’m female, will that set any limits on me?
Thank you in advance, by the way this website has been really helpful and I’ve learned a lot from it!
A:
- Eight years active duty from pinning the wings (probably 11 years total), 4 years reserve. Flight school takes a few years to get through.
- No training in flight whatsoever is required but it does help.
- Aviation Selection Test Battery, which currently has sections on math, reading, mechanical knowledge, spatial awareness, and naval aviation “jargon”
- Yes. Check on size, weight, height restrictions especially. Very few women are the right size/shape/whatever for minimum safety requirements of ejection seats in jets, so it’s much more likely you’d pilot an Osprey, helicopter, or C-130 eventually.
Lastly, I highly recommend you talk to as many USMC pilots as you can! Do NOT go into the 3 year flight school pipeline naively or ill-informed.
I was sent down to NAMI for my flight physical last month. At 5’2″ and 125 pounds, the only aircraft I was told that would not be available given my current weight are jets- I would need to gain 10 pounds if this was the route I desired.
If you’re not compatible with a certain airframe, are you still allowed to become a pilot? i doubt i would be able to fly jets either but I’m interested in helicopters.
Yes, a significant number of females who are not physical matches for jets are still successful pilots!
What happens if I complete OCS and my degree and find out that I have physical limitations for flying? Would I get the option for ground or reserve with a shorter number of contracted years?
Yes, your total contract could be as little as 4 years in fact depending on when you leave the flight path