Ok here we go bud.
First, how does one go into Army aviation?
You can go in different ways, enlisted or officer, maintenance or flight ops. Obviously you want to fly. You have to be a Warrant Officer or an Officer, Aviation Warrant Officers can be recruited from civilian or within enlisted ranks through WOFT program. Aviation Officers come in from ROTC and West Point, I have NEVER heard that OCS provides pilots to Army Aviation. OCS (Officer Candidate School) is a commissioning program for active duty enlisted and civilians holding a 4 year college degree. Through West Point and ROTC, AVN is the HARDEST branch to get selected to, expect to be the top of your class.
What exactly is a warrant officer?
Warrant Officers are technical and tactical leaders who specialize, throughout an entire career, in a specific technical area. The Army Warrant Officer Corps comprises less than three percent of the total Army. Although small in size, the level of responsibility is immense and only the very best will be selected to become Warrant Officers. Benefits include extended career opportunities, worldwide leadership assignments, and increased pay and retirement benefits.
So shortly, if you trained to be a pilot as a WO, you will become a pilot and stay a pilot.
What is the army looking for in a future pilot?
Of course the Army is looking some fine individuals who are leaders. It is hard for me to answer this question, a lot of factors come together when selecting a soldier for a flight position. His education, records, evals, physical abilities, awards, etc. The rate of drop-outs from flight school is almost non-existent. They train you to become a pilot.
Do you get to decide what type of Helicopter you get to fly?
In some cases. Depends on the slots open for that specific aircraft. When a class is midway through flight school, the slots will be shared among students, if there are only Chinook slots open, everyone will go Chinook. If there are a few Apaches, some Blackhawks, Kiowas and Chinooks, they will go according to the class standing, class leader can pick one of the Blackhawks and second might pick the Apache, so and so. Apaches come in one or two slots, there would be a million slotts open for Blackhawks and few slots for the rest. So in order to get Apache, better be top of class, that position at least gives you right to speak when the time comes. But they might come up and say "hey y'all going to Kiowa" You have NO SAY in that case! Enjoy.
What is the easiest way to become an apache pilot?
There is no way to become a pilot easy way, preiod. But you are asking what is the preferable route.
You have several options at this point. High School to Flight School! Man you gotta be the best student at your HS for that. No kidding there are some HI SPEED HS graduates are sitting in that Apache cockpit approximately 18 months after graduating HS. Ask you Army recruiter about HS to FS.
Second, of course, USMA at West Point. Third, ROTC, Fourth WOCS from civilian, fifth, joining Army rank as enlisted like I did and then turn in application for WOFT.
What are the requirements to become an apache pilot?
You need to clarify this a little bit bud. If you are top of class at flight school, you will have a say as to what airframe you want to fly. That is the only requirement for the Apache, if you want to learn the requirements to become a pilot in the Army, there are requirements for flight school which applies to everybody, such as to be US citizen, to be 18 to 32, have Secret Clearance, pass Army Physical Fitness Test, etc.
What should i do right now to prepare to become an apache or comanche pilot?
Sorry to be the bearer of BAD NEWS! Comanche Project has been cancelled. To much money has been wasted and the chopper was plagued with failures, unstoppable hydraulic leaks etc.
DO DARN good at HS, graduate with some award. Set the goal, I will become an Apache pilot, head that way, I wish I had decided earlier, I was hopping between Navy and AF before I even had to consider Army until I was 26, I wish I had done it way earlier.
If you become an Apache pilot, you will also be a fine soldier who will know every soldiering skills, not only a pilot.
