So you wanna be a pilot?

Rated Categorization Updated: March 2010

What you need to know! Air Force Flyers

Overview  

    

Basic physical requirements Technical vs. Non-Technical Major Background Order of Merit (how it’s calculated) Encouraging Statistics TBAS details Final thoughts

Must Meet Physical Standards 

Vision Standard is Primary Restriction Acuity, 20/70 (20/400 nav) or better, correctible to 20/20  Normal color & depth perception 

 

See SSgt Fickes to double check eligibility Eye Surgery is an Option (LASIK or PRK) 

-8.00 diopters or better pre-op is required

If eligible, you can apply for a slot… scholarship & non-scholarship cadets, with or without a technical degree

Notes on Eye Surgery 

Recommended surgery date for four year cadets: winter break sophomore year or immediately after field training (5th years, see below) 4 year plan - Surgery performed NLT than Sep 1 of your JUNIOR year  4.5 or 5 year plan – Surgery performed NLT than Sep 1 of your SENIOR year 



FYI – It can take up to four months of various appointments until you are ready for surgery so get started early!



Does Technical Major Help Selection Chance?

To clarify, here are statistics from FY08 

Rated slots awarded: 778 Tech 306 (39.3%)  Non-Tech 472 (60.7%) 



Pilot only slots awarded: 525 Tech 222 (42.3%)  Non-Tech 303 (57.7%) 



Bottom line: Major has no influence on selection Pick a major that you’ll enjoy; excellence in all we do academically will be easy if you like what you’re doing  Word of caution: Technical programs at VT are outstanding and will require a fair amount of work 

Background 





Board Meets in late Feb/early Mar Historically 800+ Cadets Earn Aviation Jobs  520+ Pilots  260+ CSOs (formerly Navigators)  60+ ABMs Process  Be Medically/Physically Eligible  Volunteer  Compete by Order of Merit …HQ sets a cut-off point and everyone above the point gets picked

Quick Review of Order of Merit (100 point maximum score)     



RSS – Unit Commander Ranking – 50% PFA – Self explanatory – 10% GPA – Cumulative GPA – 15% Field Training – 10% PCSM – Pilot Candidate Selection Method – 15%

OM = (RSS * 5)+(PFT * 0.10)+(GPA * 3.75)+(F.T.)+(PCSM * 0.1516)

Review of Order of Merit

Relative Standing Score (RSS)  50% 

of OM equation

Unit commander ranking: Compared against those in AS class first, then against entire fiscal year class for categorization purposes  Cadre meet after every semester to determine ranking  Cumulative GPA - 45%  Cumulative Military Performance Average (CMPA) – 40% 





Includes meeting standards, volunteering, participation, motivation, leadership (don’t need to be Regimental Commander)

Cumulative Fitness Performance Average (CFPA) – 15% 

EVERY semester counts

Review of Order of Merit

RSS Continued 

Calculation (not based on thirds) [5*(1-R/C) + (.5/C)] + 5 where R is rank and C is class size  Ex: You finish 12th in your class out of 50 cadets. 

[5*(1-(12/50)) + (.5/50)] + 5 = 8.51 

Plugging into OM: OM = (8.51 * 5)+(PFT * 0.10)+(GPA * 3.75)+(F.T.)+(PCSM * 0.15)

Review of Order of Merit

Physical Fitness Assessment  10% 

of OM equation

Most recent PFA is the one entered Spring PFA will occur after board  Also a factor in UCR 



Plugging into OM: OM = (8.51 * 5)+(95 * 0.10)+(GPA * 3.75)+(F.T.)+(PCSM * 0.15)

Review of Order of Merit

Cumulative GPA  15%

of OM equation



Cumulative GPA from Freshman year till your aviation application is submitted



Plugging into OM: OM = (8.51 * 5)+(95 * 0.10)+(3.4 * 3.75)+(F.T.)+(PCSM * 0.15)

Review of Order of Merit

 10%    





Field Training

of OM equation

Distinguished Graduate - 10 Superior Performer 9 Top Third 7 Middle Third 6 Bottom Third 5

Plugging into OM: OM = (8.51 * 5)+(95 * 0.10)+(3.4 * 3.75)+(7)+(PCSM * 0.15)

Review of Order of Merit

Pilot Candidate Selection Method “PCSM”  

15% of OM equation 3 parts for pilot candidates  AFOQT Scores  Mins - P:25 N:10 P+N:50 V:15 Q:10  Take Test of Basic Aviation Skills (TBAS)  Hand-eye coordination test  Flying hours w/Certified Instructor help  Fly with CAP  A little helps …4 logged hrs adds 8 pts

Non-Pilot PCSM  TBAS

Not Necessary  Nav Section of AFOQT used for CSO Candidates  Academic Aptitude Section Used for ABM Candidates 

Plugging into OM: OM = (8.51 * 5)+(95 * 0.10)+(3.4 * 3.75)+(7)+(85 * 0.15) 

For a total of: 84.55 ! Is this good enough? See next slide…

Encouraging Categorization Factoids for Pilots AFROTC FY 08  791 competed  503 selected - 64% AFROTC FY 11  767 competed  491 selected - 64%  AVG OM 74.2  AVG GPA 3.27 – 2.85 Nav  AVG PFA 94.4 – 90.6 Nav

Encouraging Categorization Factoids (Cont.) Det 875 Results    

   

FY 06: 11 went for rated slot/12 selected (7 were pilot) FY07: 11/13 (7 were pilot) FY08: 18/21 (11 were pilot) FY09: 10/12 (6 were pilot) FY10: 19/19 (13 were pilot) FY11: 11/16 (4 were pilot) Pilot Order of Merit: High = 87.1; Low = 68.25 Nav: Low = 54.38

TBAS Details • Can be taken twice with 6 months time between tests (like the AFOQT). You’ll want to take it twice!

•Take at VMI During School Year • Contact C/Noffsinger ASAP to Schedule if categorizing this spring •First test, spring SO year. Second test, fall JR year. Or Spring JR/Fall SR if on 4.5 or 5 year plan •How do you know when you categorize? Spring Junior year if 4 years, Spring Senior year if 4.5 or 5 years.

Final Advice •“You” Become the Expert • If this is your dream… …understand how to attain it •Check various scores that make up your OM often to make sure you are on the right track. •Trust but verify information!!! •Sources (links typed exactly as I have them will get you there): •“wantscheck.com” (go to ‘pilot slot resources’ tab and click on ‘ROTC pilot slot’) •“baseops.net/afrotc” •“www.af.vt.edu”

Summary  

    

Basic physical requirements Technical vs. Non-Technical Major Background Order of Merit (how it’s calculated) Encouraging Statistics TBAS details Final thoughts