1) My goal for the past 5-6 years has been to be an Air Force Pilot, unfortunately my parents have to say otherwise. Anyway, I'm finally 18 and I have a question, I know that the cutoff limit for being a pilot is 29, so is it possible for me to go to college for 4 years, and then join AFROTC without actually being in college or while I'm in my graduate program?
2) The other question is, does anybody here have or know anybody that has any valuable insight from experience maybe, how rewarding is it to be a pilot, and how hard was your journey? If you're going to sugarcoat your answer, don't bother answering. I understand its difficult but I would still like to see what I might be up against in the future.
Straight up, your a big boy now. If you want to be an AF pilot, find out all the specifics (this place is a great start) and work hard for it.
The best route for getting a pilot slot is the Academy. The second is ROTC. OTS is hard to get a slot. The difference between ROTC and OTS is that you did the extras and all while in college in an ROTC detachment (scholarship or not, its the same thing). OTS just means you got trained up after you got your college.
If you want honest experience, go the the real AF boards and "It's All About the Flying". I work with pilots every day at work (as I fly but don't pilot the aircraft) and it's not easy to get into. You have to stand out and really show that you have the stuff. The training days are difficult, flights can be stressful, and even doing things like survival training can be a real kick in the face. Depending on how well you do will determine if you are on Command and Control Platforms (AWACS, JSTARS, Rivet Joint...), Fighters (F-15, F-18), Attack (A-10 soon to be replaced by the F/A-35), cargo (C-130, C-14, etc...), Spec Ops (helos, AC-130's) and that will really determine how your experience is. Each have distinctly different missions, lifestyles, training, and experiences. There is no cookie cutter answer. I will say, it isn't easy, but it can be extremely rewarding.
