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What should I do if I am a very ambitious and goal-driven person who aspires to be the next Top-Gun aviator?

I got denied for an ROTC and Service Academy scholarship last year. However, I am pursuing Aerospace Engineering at Florida Polytechnic University and hoping to transfer to the University of Florida next fall.

military aviation aerospace-engineering navy aviation-and-aerospace
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Wayne’s Answer

Kristen - Once you get your 4 year degree then you can join the military as an Officer. This will allow you to apply for a naval aviator or other military flight schools. This is a very competitive field the military. Even if you get into the military as a flight officer, my guess is only 1 in 10 or so will be selected to fly the fighter jets. The military has many other type of aircraft that need pilots.
This link describes the pathway to become a military pilot by an actual military pilot: https: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGzLDxEAbl0.
Just go to your favorite search engine and type in "become an air force pilot," there will be lots of information.
You can go to the air force recruiter and they can provide you with all the information you need to accomplish your goal including basic physical requirements you have to meet.
Best regards on your journey.
Wayne
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Alec’s Answer

Hi Kristen,

There are many ways to become a fighter pilot in the military. The Air Force, Navy, and Marines all offer paths. ROTC is a great option, but the Marines also have the PLC program, which you can choose instead of ROTC. You can also apply for officer training (OTS/OCS) after graduation, but being in ROTC or PLC offers the best odds.

The best option is to transfer to a school with ROTC or that lets you do Marine PLC (Florida Polytechnic may let you). For Air Force ROTC, you'll need three years in the program, and you might need an extra year if necessary. While OTS and OCS are possible after graduation if you don't do ROTC or PLC, both ROTC and PLC offer much better chances.

Good grades and physical fitness are important for pilot selection. Staying focused on your goals while enjoying college will help you succeed.

There is some luck involved, as the need for pilots can change. Only the top students in pilot training get to fly fighters. Even if that doesn't happen, there are other exciting roles, like flying air refueling tankers (what I fly). The Air Force does a great job matching you with the right type of aircraft and community of fellow pilots.

You can still be a "Top Gun" without flying fighters. The Air Force offers the Weapons Instructor Course, similar to Top Gun, and it's open to pilots of bombers, cargo planes, tankers, helicopters, and more.

While becoming a fighter pilot involves some luck, I truly believe that with hard work, almost anyone can become a military pilot. If you're ready to put in the effort, I believe you can achieve it too!

Alec recommends the following next steps:

Get accepted to a school with Navy or Air Force ROTC or a school that lets you participate in Marine PLC.
Get good grades, stay in shape, and study for the standardized tests each military service requiries.
If you can, try to get a few flight hours at a local airport. If you can't, it's not the end of the world.
Work hard in pilot training, but understand some things may be out of your control.
Enjoy the airplane you get, work hard to be the best at flying it, and you will see opportunities open up to you!
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Robert’s Answer

First off, congratulations on starting the journey towards a degree in aerospace engineering! That alone is worthy of praise as we need more skilled engineers every day. Focus on accomplishing that goal as the course study should be quite difficult if you are in the right program. Recognize that most of your engineering classes are really, at their core, teaching you how to learn new and complicated things. You might not utilize everything you learn directly, but you will use the ability to learn new things every day of your life if you go into the world of aerospace engineering or pursuing your top gun goal. If you can be near the top of your class, you should have no problems getting your foot in the door for military officer recruitment as noted in the other comments. However, you can also look into a spot within one of the Air National Guard bases around the country. I hired and mentored an under graduate AE student for our co-op program years ago who went on to get a great research job right out of college and then within 3 years she was recruited into the Air National Guard to fly F15s. While it wasn't "Top Gun", she had the opportunity to fly some amazing jets without any prior ROTC experience. It takes an incredible amount of hard work and dedication but it can be accomplished. Best wishes!

Robert recommends the following next steps:

Focus on you current studies
Find co-op jobs or internships to see the real world of engineering
Look into post-grad military recruitment
Look into National Guard flight options
Consider staying in the world of Aerospace Engineering long term
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Sundar’s Answer

To become a top gun pilot, you don't need an engineering degree. You just need to be in good physical shape and have 20/20 vision. Follow the requirements set by aviation schools to become a top gun pilot. It's challenging to first become an engineer and then a fighter pilot because it takes more time, but it's possible. An engineering degree can give you more knowledge about avionics and flight science. You can complete your aerospace engineering degree and then become a top gun fighter pilot.
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