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What U.S. Army Flight School is Like
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ส.ค. 2024
- What US Army Flight School is Like.
You all always ask the process of getting into flight school and what its like. In this video I share my flight school experience. Flight school, isn't something I'd consider fun. Its extremely challenging, and I think if you ask anyone who has recently graduated the course, if they would go back, they would say no.
I share my experience and rating of each portion of flight school, with what came easy for me as well as the challenging portions.
let me know if you have any questions or any videos you like to see me make!
Intro: 00:00
Getting to Flight School: 00:28
BOLC: 00:45
Common Core 1:20
Instruments 7:13
BWS 8:16
Selection 9:01
Advanced Airframe 10:35
I was commissioned a Warrant Officer in 1971, you are commissioned before you graduate from flight school. Flight school was a picnic, before my tour in Vietnam! You develop better skills, reactions and confidence, once you are being shot at.
Graduated Army flight school in 1977. Warrant officer school and flight school were combined. It was the hardest thing I have ever done. I remember thinking I must have died and gone to an insane asylum. We started with 33 guys and 8 of us graduated. Today I am a physician and becoming a doctor was a walk in the park compared to Army flight school. The experience changed me and I knew if did that I could do anything. Today my most valued possession are my original wings I have kept since 1977. They only cost a dollar then but they are priceless to me. How we did OCS and 200 plus flight hours together in 10 months still is amazing. I am proud to say that I was an Army Aviator.
Well, they sure pour a lot of information into your head in a very very short period of time. I spent 45 years flying both airplanes and helicopters for a living. The hardest part of learning to fly for me was how to read the question the FAA would ask on the written exams. It took a while. Back then before the freedom of information act, they didn't publish the Exam questions. We use to get Exam Test Guilds from a Company called Acme School of Aeronautics Fort Worth Meacham Field Fort Worth, Tx. It was a school run by retired USAF Colonels and one of them handed a photographic memory he would go every so often take an FAA exam flunk it with a score of 69 then write the questions from memory and make a study guide. Like you, I found the Instrument flying part to be the most enjoyable. I started in airplanes and ended up in helicopters then back to airplanes.
Wow! It’s tough now, but it sounds like it was even more difficult in the past!
@@damion_bailey Yeah, you really had to really study and study a lot back then 70% was passing and a 78% was considered a good grade, if you got an 80 % it was rare and any thing over 85 the Feds suspect you of cheating. No calculators can be brought into the testing room and the GADO, now FSDO. They gave you two pencils and to sheets of paper to do the math problems and they would collect those after the test.. I forgot to say well done youngman on getting thru Army Rotorwing Flight School that is no small thing.
Got my Private Pilot's License at Acme in "72". Brand new 150s and paid a total of $900 bucks for flight and cram exam ground school.
Mind if I Facebook, you!
Army flight school changed my life forever! I enlisted in 1969 and finished my 47 year career with 26,000 accident free hours, encompassing, military, flight test, corporate and airline flying. Enjoyed everyday in the pointed end of the aluminum tube👨✈️Enjoy, as TIME travels faster than a jet👨✈️
This yahoo doesn’t get what “flight school” was all about. This is a whiny ass post.
I worked as an I.P. At Ft.Rucker for 28 yrs. and found this video to be very informative.
I worked in PRIMARY (Common core) which was quite a hard course to teach because the students were trying to kill you on a daily basis! The students were basically “fresh of the bus” but after ten weeks of “near death experiences” they were excellent pilots. INSTRUMENTS was a lot easier for the students and I.Ps because the student already knew how to fly now they had to learn to navigate.
Learning to fly a helicopter is like juggling 10 balls in the air, tap dancing and singing the National Anthem and all in the dark while naked in a snow storm!
John Raeburn
Wow! And thank you!
holy crap. Helicopters obviously are for the very smart and well read students with a comprehension level off the charts, and a good test-taker skills won't hurt, and memorization has to be spot-on. Forgetting something with short-term memory loss could be devastating. High IQ individuals is a must. I have so much respect for this student and his abilities, WOW, just WOW!
This is exactly why the US Military takes only the best of the best, and why the US military has a high win to loss ratio when it comes to head-to-head battles. The failure comes when you have politicians making strategic decisions. Thanks so much for your detailed video, and thanks for your service!
Thank God we have young men and women who are as smart and dedicated as you. I applaud you Damon.
Anyone looks on here and sees the young people in college that are asks on the street who our first president is and can’t answer it’s easy to say we’re doomed. Then I see a video of yours and I believe we have a chance. Thank you. God Bless you 👍🏼
I was so blessed in being able to attend flight school in 79. Th-55, UH-1H, and OH-58. Flew rotary wing as an Instructor for 7 years. Selected for fixed wing in 86 flying RC-12 and C-12s until retirement. Follow on career was with the FAA retiring in 2017.
OMG! I remember going through army CID school at Ft. McClellan as a U.S. Marine in 1989. We memorized a one inch thick manual among the many other things we did. When I say “memorized “ I mean every single word! I don’t know now how this is possible because now I can’t remember why I went downstairs or into the next room! 😂 Thank you for your story and thank you for your service. When I learned to fly at the age of 17 my uncle who was a fighter pilot during WW II gave me perhaps one of the most important pieces of advice I have ever received. He said “remember this two rules in flying One: You never have to take take off! Two: you always have to land!” Keep the sun at your back brother.
All I can say is... impressive! Can't imagine the intellectual commitment this program requires. Military aviators are IMPRESSIVE! I flew LE helo back in the 90s. Mundane, comparatively. Thank you, and to all those before you and all those to come!
I was an IP for 3 years at Rucker back in the 90s in B Co, 1-212th for Scout track. Brought back some memories.
As a civilian pilot, my instrument training was also my favorite. As you said, point A to point B with no ground reference was very satisfying.
Man the army is wild. In Navy flight school we just showed up, they briefed us, and we sent it and then partied….
My son went from Pensacola NAS to JPATS at Vance AFB and flunked out there at Vance AFB. He said: "If I could have stayed at Pensacola NAS, I would have graduated. The Air Force hated us Navy guys and seldom gave us an honest break!" 🥸
I was looking forward to a SERE school description 😂
I graduated IERW Flight school in Dec 1991 as a WO1. Went to OCS in 93 and got commissioned. Went back to Ft. Rucker to the UH-60 AQC and later the MTP course. 😊
I went through in 83. TH55 -> UH1H -> OH58 scout track. I remember the endless studying. Ugh... But the final few weeks of tactical flying where you put it all together with another student flying copilot was awesome fun.
I did the same. 81-45 Royal Blue. I was 19 on blackday, and breezed through until Scouts. Memorizing A and C models, Contact, Tactics then the Full-Face Goggles kicked my butt.
@@Delatta1961 OMG, Full-faced goggles. I thought they were going to ask me to fly blindfolded next. Scout trac graduated in January '83.
I was brown flight 83-27 on the warrant side and graduated 40 years ago last week (1/19/84)
Daily questions. I didn’t have PTSD until you mentioned this. Thanks (joking, of course.)
Awesome video Damion!!
I graduated with Red Fight, Class 87-15.
Still flying 35 years later. Rucker is still the best training I've received in all those years.
Keep it up and God Bless!!=)
🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾
This is the best video I’ve found. Thank you so much!! It’s amazing to see other pilots of color succeeding 🙏🏽
Glad to hear it!
I really hate being called a colored person. I can't believe racism is still being propagated in this country.
@copperwopper are you a pilot?
Army Flight School. The school that teaches you just enough to be a danger to everyone on the aircraft unless you get a good CE that keeps your asses in check.
Thanks for the video, Damion. I don't remember the intensity in ORWAC 70-24, but we were all going to Vietnam so were invested. I loved the TH-55 at Ft. Wolters, but I had flow Cubs before ROTC. I was the first ROTC cadet to get a CPL with the 36 hours allowed for the ROTC flight program. We had some civilian instructors at Wolters, as some here mention. Mine had been a crop duster. I tried to wack the little stinger off by trying to three point full stall the Matel Messerschmitt in autorotation to the ground a couple of times. Ronnie Westmoreland, on the third, waited until I flaired and then yelled, "wheel landing, dammit." I had no problem after that.
We had two black officers in 70-24. One, Herb Skinner, showed up at 93 rd Evacuation Hospital, where I was after being shot down in a Cobra. He was just in country and wanted advice on where to go. I told him First of the Ninth Air Cav was the place to be. He ended up in Echo Troop and was shot down in Loaches five times the first week. Our patch said, "The boldest cavalrymen the world has ever known." Thanks again, Damion.
I'm an Army Aviator who graduated flight school seven years ago, and I still can't hardly believe I pulled it off. Best thing I can say about how the Army does things is that short of you being an absolute catastrophe in the cockpit, you've a near inexhaustible amount of do-overs. "If you don't do it right, just do it again." - some IP somewhere.
Light Blue Class 86-12. Every now and then all the stars align, and you get a series of top notch instructors. I watched many struggle and some get recycled but I was fortunate in that it all came very easy to me. I miss the days of having almost no responsibilities except hitting the class room followed by converting gas to noise. Back in those days, civilian airfields would give you freebies if you refueled. One field had bikini clad golf cart gals pick you up to go to flight ops. Friday nights at the O club with about a 4 to one guy to girl ratio as the locals were always on the hunt. Out of a class of 120, so many have crossed to Valhalla.
Great video. Im currently on my way to finishing the Apache course. I completely agree that once you start understanding the systems, you are no longer doing rope memorization. It can be difficult to keep up with study once you become comfortable with the EPs and systems. Gotta find the motivation.
Don’t forget about PT Test During various Training periods. Rucker is not a place for being Fat or failing a PT Test. Did WOC in 1985, we lived in the barracks in Flight School. WOC’s Had to be janitors & study at the same time, having Officer Expenses on SGT pay. WO1 was pinned on at Winging Graduation. The Vietnam Era IP’s were very quick tempered & Intolerant to student mistakes. On Weather Day’s the IP doing Class Briefing would smoke you with Dash-10, 95-1, FAA & etc, questions. Class 86-5 Navy Blue Hat’s & Retired CW3 USAR
-10? Emergency procedures ect ect ect. All while cleaning stairs, toilets and painting rocks.
I always wanted to do this. I’m too old now. I’ll have to go the civilian route. I’m glad you get to do it and are living your dream.
Have fun flying!
Thank you!
I’m with you on that
Awesome video. My dad was at fort Rutger before I was born. I grew up hearing helicopter stories and learned to fly as a kid in a lawn chair in the driveway with sticks in my hands!!
Can you do a video on explaining what a timeline would look like coming into the Guard as a civilian, going through OCS or WOCS, then flight school and what happens coming back to your unit? I am looking at possibly the Air force route in the reserves and there is actually quite a lot of information on that route but harder to find for Army. A lot of the training pipeline aspects seemed very similar but curious as to some of the more specifics going into that timeline as a reservist and what happens after flight school. Much appreciated and glad I came across your video!
I’ve actually done this! I just need to upload it
@@damion_bailey have you uploaded the video yet?
Have you gotten any information about the street to seat program through the guard?
You are a bright Young man! I am telling my age, I started Army flight school at Fort Wolters TX in 1967! 😅
Very informative video. I went through when dinosaurs ruled the earth (worwac 67-11), so things have changed a bit, but the stress and learning curve looks like it remains constant.
Army Aviation is still Above the Best.
Can you explain a bit of the stress you went though, and did you know any other students who got weeded out or that just couldn't hack the amount of material that has to be absorbed? or did your entire class come through with flying colors? Also, you mention the "learning curve" , was that curve brutal, how absorbed / immersed were you? Were you allowed to fly every day if you wanted to so that you could learn and learn and learn?
@@dabneyoffermein595
Our washout rate was substantial during preflight and primary training at Ft Wolters. When we got to Rucker, I don’t recall anyone washing out.
We flew 5 days a week. At Wolters, we might have had 2 weekend passes, but most weekends were spent on post. At Rucker, we spent most weekends at Panama City. Everyone knew that our next stop was Vietnam, so we sowed a few wild oats. Training at Rucker was serious business, as we all knew that we had better be ready for combat flying right after flight school. We graduated with just over 200 hours of flight time, with about 50 hours in Hueys as I recall, and most of us went directly to flying them in combat. I went straight to flying C model gunships in a Cav troop in Nam.
There were awesome experiences and also some disappointing ones. It's all rooted in the subjectivity of instructor pilots and students as well.
You forgot the most important part of leaning to fly, sounding cool on the radio. I think we called it Contact rather than common core (back when we flew primary in the TH-55) but yeah, it's a fire hose coming at you every day. But seriously, instrument flying was way too precise for me. I could not wait to get on to tactics phase where you just fly around and have fun, except learning to navigate on 1/100,000 paper maps at 90 knots, oh that was really hard at first. (ORWAC 4-84) (maybe 3-84 I don't remember)
Thanks for this. Never seen any content like this. I wanted to be an army Pilot at 18. Never got through and it really hurt but your videos have given me some sense of consolidation
Just made it to BI. Feels good.
Hell yeah, that was my favorite part. How do you like it?
I love instruments honestly. About to do my AI check. Got my first unsat for not bringing a flight plan to a tornado weather day 😂
I’m going through it right now boss! Just started. This video was very useful. Definitely nervous to start common core.
Hey thanks man! I appreciate it, I put a lot of time into these vids and the editing. So I’m so glad to hear it’s useful 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾
Hey man, I’d love to hear about your experience thus far! I’m free to communicate by whatever means you feel comfortable brother.. just really wanted to get on ground depiction of this whole process
also excited to hear about your experience, man. I'm currently in the works to reclass and would love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks so much for this video! I love the format and it was super informative! Keep doing what you’re doing!!
Thank you! I will! I have some pretty cool stuff coming up! Going through the dunker course in 2 weeks! 👀 should be a pretty cool video
I'm subbing to this channel. This is EXACTLY what i've been searching for. Keep making these videos Damion.
Just got selected for WOFT, this has me both extremely excited and terrified lmao
Good luck! That’s exciting! It’s a long bf tough road ahead, but well worth it when you come out on the other side 🙌🏾
Did you make it
@@patrickbranch9001 finished common core and about to start the UH-60 course. Almost done!
@@dudeman289 I just started the physical process but nerve is starting to get the best of me what were some of the main failures and dropouts that you’ve seen if you don’t mind me asking
@@patrickbranch9001 very few people get dropped, I think it’s mostly due to the selection process. If you get selected to attend flight school you are the type of person they are looking for, someone who is driven and possesses the skills needed to make it. Most people that don’t finish have some sort of freak medical issue that prevents them from flying. It honestly hasn’t been crazy difficult, just time consuming, the material isn’t hard to learn it’s the shear amount of it that is hard to digest. Flying is flying, some people take a bit more time to get the hang of it but everyone ends up at roughly the same skill level by the end.
Very interesting. L started flight school at Ft. Wolters in 1971. After Rucker, Hunter AAF (Cobra Hall) & a couple of schools, off to vietnam. My Primary instructor had flown "The Hump" in WWII & was very laid back but could fly the TH-55! Our class learned instruments in the TH-13T (Bell 47--recip_) This was interesting. Thanks.
So well done my man thankyou!
That was massively interesting.
Thanks for posting 👍
Hey I’m glad you didn’t speak negatively about Ozark and Daleville since those were my childhood homes, it’s ok to bad mouth Enterprise. Seriously, great job and you must know you are a role model. If I stayed in the Army I was going to become a Signal corp Warrant Officer and would end up training back ‘home’. 😂
great video man. Im ATC at rucker now applying for G2g
Very nice!
Great vid! You’re a solid communicator !
Hey thank you! I’m trying to figure out this TH-cam thing. Vids will get better for sure
Excellent video Damion! I considered flight school in 1985 but was color blind. A fellow NCO went in '95. I believe he went the Apache route. Thanks.
Well done. Keep 'em flying!
Glad you got through it...I wked at KWA as a civilian under pt 95 army regs....ok flying a C 7A.4 yrs until global lost contract. Wouldn't ever inroll in any military flt traing program....never insist or volunteer for anything!
Great lessons- I will use some of this methodology as a CFI.
It was a little different in 87 when I finished flight school. We were E-5s throughout flight school. TH-55, Huey and then advanced aircraft. You couldn't think of flying fixed wing.
Congrats! Hard work pays off!
Great job. You nailed it. Same trials and tribulations since 1999
AWESOME video!! Thank you! Very well presented and very informative! I enjoyed it a lot.
I went through in '86. Loved it!
👍🏾Very informative and helpful information!
Salute and🫡Thanks!
Outstanding Sir, for taking the time to lay it out there and share your experiences. I have always been passionate about becoming an aviator through “green to gold” however constant deployments keep me ground pounding!
Hope to meet and collaborate with you some day, Hooah! to your channel - subscribed🇺🇸
1SG “Tiv”
Hey thank you! Glad you enjoyed it
Wish I went this route …I could’ve been an esteemed officer and helicopter pilot . If I could do it all over again I’d do this program .
Being the 1% here, it’s an awesome video thank you!!
Hey thank you! They’re going to get better!
Impressive! Doing something positive with your life. Good luck.😊
Very cool pilot👍🏾
Hey thank you!
The SERE part got me weak lmaooo but great video!!
very interesting - glad you shared!
Your instructor pilot can make you or break you. I saw perfectly good students get eliminated because they had a monster from Burnside Ott as their instructor. Most instructors are ok, but there will be one or 2 in each class that is a burned out Ahole and will abuse you once in the air.
GREAT JOB SOLDIER AND A HAND SALUTE
Great video.
Well done explaining the journey to become an Army Aviator.
Sounds like a walk in the park 😉
Haha
Your doing great young man. Apaches ,Blackhawks or Chinooks? Enjoy 👨✈️🇺🇸
thankyou so much man
No problem!
Because all these will save your lives...
Best of luck in the future
I went through Army Flight School in 06. The more prepared you are before you get there, the easier it is. I barely ever studied and flew through flight school with ease, but I was a rated helicopter pilot before I started flight school.
Learn aerodynamics, weather, regulations, etc…
Mahalo's for sharing bro!
At the end of OCS I tried to get into flight school. I took the physical required. The doctor told me to read the chart on the wall after my eyes had been dilated. I responded "what wall?". That was the end of my flight career!
Sounds about right..
Fuc.
TH-cam
I thought about applying to WOC school after Vietnam then heard about all the crap they put you through in the first 6 weeks of training.
WOW EXCELLENT EXCELLENT man
What I’ve learned from this video:
Flying is your hobby now.
You mentioned the C-12 briefly. Can you explain more on the C-12 route and how to get selected for that airframe. I know it’s competitive because of the limited number of slots. What things go into being #1 in your class?
More studying than you have ever imagined, for both academics and flight line. There is also a lot of luck when it come to getting an IP due to the subject nature of the grading for check rides. Then if you successfully place high in your class you need to hope there is a c12 available for you.
As someone who selected c-12, can confirm at the above comment. Luck and ungodly amounts of studying. I was rank 2 of everyone and still don’t know how
WTF this reminds me of the ATP fast track program. The difference is these instructors are at less than 300 hrs TT. At least the military instructors has much more time and instructional training.
Thank you for all your HARD work getting thought that TUFF school to fly Birds. 😊
One question I have, was there a different breed of people ( female including ) that wanted to fly Cobra gun ships, or was it just selection, who did better on EXAMS.
I know you said it's a 9-5, but just curious, are you still doing the usual 0530 rollcall formation and morning PT? I'd imagine you do, but just want to be sure and try to prepare for the sleep schedule and studying.
That's typical of any Army school to include everyone's first 8 weeks getting oriented to the Military. Your taught the basics and training & experience is placed upon your 1st duty station.
Hey sir, I’ve got a couple questions if you don’t mind;
How long was Common Core?
Were you allowed to drive your own vehicle in Common Core instead of rushing to catch the bus?
Where do you prefer to stay on post? Do you have a roommate??
How was living on post? How’s the gym, DFAC?
common core is about 22-24 weeks
you are allowed pov
definitely stay on post, Bowden terrace if you got family
Great instructor pilots will stay in the hanger for as longggg as you need, until the wife text's him... lolz
Signing a 12 year contract is fucking crazy. No1 ANYONE should do that
Where do you prefer to stay on post? did you have a roommate??
How was living on post? How’s the gym, DFAC? lol did you have time to go to the gym?
I stayed on post and lived by myself. The gym is good, we never ever use the DFAC. Other food options are available on and off post.. some people have time to fit the gym in. I didn’t, I was too busy trying to study 🤣
Lol thanks Capt! Currently prepping for my physical then I should be board ready
Can you actually memorize that many paragraphs everyday? I’m having a hard time believing that is really possible.
If you get to flight school (this is regarding the Warrant Officer pipeline) and wash out for some reason (I know very few do, because once you make it there, it's in their best interest to make sure you finish and become a pilot), do you still owe the Army 10 years, or do you go back to civilian life?
So they switched up the order of stuff finally and front-loaded SERE I see
Just want to make sure this is for WOFT or a flight program via OCS? Thank you sir. I’m working on WOFT as a civ. I’m looking for a good recruiting station if you know. I am studying ASVAB, training ACFT, SIFT, am healthy (yearly physical on Wednesday), and am a college grad (public administration). Any other insight would be extremely helpful. Thank you sir.
I have another vid in putting together for the warrant officer route. Currently editing
@@damion_bailey thank you sir understood and looking forward to it
Dont do it. U will hate it
Do you know of any study guides for common core or any literature(Quizlet, etc.) I can read before going to flight school? Or tips for memorization. I work with formulas and numbers so memorizing words and facts isn't my strong suit.
Regarding getting a paragraph wrong, have you seen people get kicked out for not being good at memorizing the information? Or what happens if someone messes up in class?
Do you get to have your phone during this flight school. Or do the confiscate it for the duration
You can have your phone, just no taking photos or videos during flight
Confiscation of cell phones is more of a Basic Training or Bootcamp thing. After that, the military is a job like every other job. They just expect you to act like an adult and professional soldier.
Juuuuust a few more months on hold before things get going... Right?
What do you mean?
@@damion_bailey I'm active, been enjoying the hold experience.
Is there an option to switch aircrafts later in your career ?
For example if I started off as a Chinook pilot could switch to C-12 in later year ?
There is! It’s not easy, but also not impossible. Typically the army doesn’t want you to switch unless it’s for good reason. I’ve seen it done more than a handful of times
When did you go to flight school? I went in 1995. Time goes by so fast.
Navy doesn't do daily questions, just 1 on 1 briefs before every flight for knowledge. But man, that sounds terrible.
Navy P-3 guy.. what helo's are you flying thru the diff phases, as you progress, diff models, more power (yay).
Does Army flight school teach you to fly both fixed wing & rotary simultaneously? Or only one?
Only rotary wing in army flight school. Other branches reach their pilots to do both though
What to ask for as I go to the army office to be a pilot
Been there. Did that. Might have been easier in 1967.
Just got accepted and commissioned, Should be going to Rucker in the fall next year. Do you recommend anything i should do now before i go, i plan on going commercial at some point and not sure how to get a jump in that? I have bear ATP but god that’s expensive.
If it takes so long for flight school what happened in Vietnam when the average guy done short tume