Pilot Journey Forums

Hello, I have a question; What is the best way to go about getting a flight degree and the certificates when the goal is to join one of the military branches with my flight experience?

The military will most likely train you like they want you to be trainied, so the obtaining of certificates will be a moot point.  Talk to an officer recruiter and if you are qualified, they will be able to enable the military to pay for your college in exchange for 6 years or so.  Be sure to not enlist, though.  Enlisting is were you sign up and go to boot camp.  What you want to do is get the degree and then get a commission in the military.  (I was 4 years USN, enlisted.  The officers are treated WAY better than enlisted.)

Also, I would not persue an aviation degree.  Get something other than that, the military will train you in everything you will need to learn.  If you have another type of degree, and for some reason you can not fly in the future (sight, blood pressure, etc) you have something to fall back on, and make money.

   The military is totally unconcerned about the area in which you have a degree. They will train you from no experience to pilot on orders without worrying about a career field.  Many times they will use a pilot's certificate only to confirm, that you are suited to be a pilot. The USAF has a program in which they pay civilian flight schools to vet pilot applicants prior to commiting to a flight training program. See a military training specialist at a base education center for the latest information.  It is important to understand that many military pilots do not hold civilian pilot certificates because they are not required when flying military aircraft. Civilian certificates are obtained by military pilots by passing a written military competency examination and receiving a certificate from the Federal Aviation Agency.