Afrotc Pilot slot. Aerospace vs Mechanical Engineering

AI Thread Summary
To secure a pilot slot in the Air Force, focus on excelling in ROTC and maintaining strong physical fitness through activities like running and sports. Flight hours are not required before selection, as the training is provided, but having them can be beneficial. Choosing between aerospace and mechanical engineering, both degrees are acceptable, but the emphasis is on having an engineering background to demonstrate analytical skills. Participation in leadership roles and extracurricular activities is crucial for a competitive edge. Overall, dedication to academics and physical training, along with a strong commitment to leadership, will enhance chances of becoming a pilot.
elu22
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I am a female seniour in high school and i really really want to become and Air force pilot. I'm doing rotc and i was wondering what steps i could take when i start college to secure a pilot slot. Would i need flight hours and how could I get them?

Also, I cannot decide between aerospace or mechanical engineering. Is one major more likely to get me a slot than the other.
 
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I considered joining the US Navy to be a pilot when young. During the discussion phase I discovered they cared nothing for the content of my degree, they only wanted someone who had an engineering degree. This was their litmus test for intelligence and analytical thought (and possible 3-dimensional thinking) that they considered of premium value in order to fly high performance aircraft. Oh, and they frothed at the mouth over my 20-15 vision.

I declined.
 
Thank you. Did you have to get flight hours before they choose you?
 
I moonlight as an officer in the Guard. To have first dibs on your choice of MOS (or AFSC), make sure train to run really fast and do lots of push-ups and situps. Ensure that you participate in extracurricular activities (sports is a good one) and serve in a leadership role (such as team captain). Being an officer is more than getting A's.
 
No, no flight hours necessary. They teach you that stuff. Doesn't hurt to have it, though.
 
Pilot training is critical to safe flying. I watched the following video regarding the crash of TAM 402 (31 October 1996), which crashed into a Sao Paolo neighorbood about 25 seconds after takeoff. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TAM_Transportes_A%C3%A9reos_Regionais_Flight_402 The pilots were never trained to handle such an event (the airline had asked the manufacturer about training for this event), since it was considered too improbable (so rare) by the manufacturer. There was no...
Due to the constant never ending supply of "cool stuff" happening in Aerospace these days I'm creating this thread to consolidate posts every time something new comes along. Please feel free to add random information if its relevant. So to start things off here is the SpaceX Dragon launch coming up shortly, I'll be following up afterwards to see how it all goes. :smile: https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacex/
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