So you want to be a pilot!

Many, many times over the last few years in this hobby I have been asked about the road to becoming a military pilot. For the most part the question comes from our younger crowd. They are obviously enthused with flying these great combat simulations and yearn for the real thing. How many of us growing up asked ourselves this very question? Or you just dreamed about becoming a pilot, any kind of pilot, someday. I really don't remember how old I was when I started telling folks I wanted to be a pilot. I know I was really little though, probably three or four. My interest came from inside, there was really no one in my family connected with aviation in any way. This spark grew into a fire over the years and I never let it die. I think I was about 14 when I finally went for a ride at a local airport and from then on the hook was set. I knew this would be my lifelong obsession. At some point late in high school I began to form my own opinions and through my fathers love of history learned much more than the average teenager about our history here in the states. I learned of the sacrifices through many wars of those who had died to help make this country free and allow me to choose how I wanted to live my life. I became a fierce patriot, and I still hold these beliefs today.

Sometime during the last two years of high school I decided it was my duty to serve my country. This desire coupled with my love of aviation cemented the path for me. I had to be a fighter pilot. I wanted to strap a sleek, powerful, deadly jet to my butt and deal death to all enemies. I was young and bulletproof. Luckily I lived through this stage of my life. I was pretty much a wild man, doing everything to extreme. I concentrated very hard on my goal of someday commanding a military fighter in defense of my country.

The desire to succeed supplanted almost everything else except for a few side diversions into sports and girls. This goal was the one thing that kept me going. It always sat in my subconscious, whenever something got difficult or frustrating, I would focus on it to get me through. You would be surprised what you can make yourself do when you really and truly want something. This is what I focus on more than anything else when I counsel those who are interested in this career. You really have to want it in order to get through a lot of the hoops you are going to have to jump through to achieve your goal.

It's been a while since I began my journey to the cockpit of an F-18, but a lot of the process is similar today. First and foremost you have to get physically fit. Participating in school and extra curricular sports will help you maintain your physical and mental health. It's not too difficult to negotiate the physical training, but it helps to be prepared. When the time comes you won't have to worry about performing. The other aspect of sports which helps is leadership and teamwork. This is important during the application process as these qualities are sought in an officer. Make sure you keep up your school work and get decent grades, you don't have to be an A student, but it helps to show you can do all these things and excel in school too. I get a lot of questions about courses to take during school but I honestly don't think it matters a whole lot. I knew many guys with business, law, and arts degrees. I wanted to fly badly enough though and sought out a college that allowed me to learn to fly as part of my degree. I received a B.S. in aeronautical science upon graduation. My flying experience during school helped a great deal in my initial flight training. Any flight experience you receive will help if selected for pilot training with any service. Just realize they are going to train you "The Navy or Air Force way" once you get there. Have an open mind and a positive attitude and you won't have a problem. Clubs and school politics won't hurt on your resume either. You should consider these things throughout high school and college, the sooner you get active the better.

Once you have made the decision do some shopping. All the services offer different programs and they change pretty frequently. Step in to your neighborhood recruiting station and have a chat with the men and women there. You need to get up to speed on the pipeline into the system and think about what's right for you. The recruiters will be more than happy to help and there is a lot of information on line too. Once you make this decision stick to it. I'm really proud to have been able to serve my country and protect the freedom's we all take for granted. There are very few things I cherish more than my Navy wings of gold. The experience of landing and taking off of a mighty carrier is one I will never forget and being a member of the tailhook community is something I enjoy flaunting.

It's not a career choice for everyone, but it will provide you with invaluable experience that you can carry with you your whole life. As a Navy trained pilot and officer many doors have been opened to me since I left active duty because of this. I wouldn't trade it for anything, and I highly recommend it to anyone willing to take the challenge.

This always brings to mind one of my favorite quotes from Theodore Roosevelt:

"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer too much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory or defeat"

Nothing beats the feeling of flying a modern day fighter. It's as if the jet becomes an extension of your body allowing you to do things most people will never experience. If you have the chance, don't pass it up. You won't regret it!

Jim "Hornit" Campisi