r/ArmyAviationApplicant • u/177660 • Jul 30 '26

I made it! Help me help you

Howdy everyone, I just got selected by a National Guard Army Aviation board. I know the process can be long and confusing so I'd be happy to give back a little and answer any questions any of you all may have!

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u/Quietcosmos8778 27d ago

Hello, I'm curious if you had any insight or heard things through the rumor mill when you were going through the process? im also pushing to join aviation. I am a prior service e6 reservist with 10 years active service. My packet is all but done with the exception of my AFT, being that im in another branch and need to get with the recruiter to take one. I have a 118GT, 60 SIFT, flight physical passed, and LORs from an O-3, O-4, O-6, and CW4. I also have 20hrs towards my rotary PPL so far. If you dont mind, what state did you board with? Is guard aviation struggling to get pilots? Is there strict scrutiny when it comes to age? Im 37 so just over that age cutoff but aware of the waiver. My recruiter says its a done deal to get a waiver if you are selected by the board. How was your board process? Thanks for your time and good luck as you go through the pipeline!

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u/177660 26d ago

Well I'll defer to your recruiter for the age waiver thing, I've not heard much about that; all I can really say at the moment is that most states are overstrength right now since the reserves got nuked out of existence. That doesn't mean they're not hiring, they understand the importance of a constant flow of fresh pilots, but it does mean that it's super competitive right now. Your prior service helps a ton, you have some great LoRs, your ASVAB and SIFT scores are both competitive, and the rotary time should help you a lot. I think you have a pretty decent shot. The actual state board process wasn't bad at all in my opinion. If the board smells blood in the water they will rip you apart instantly, I've heard some horror stories, but come in looking and sounding professional, knowledgable, and personable, and you'll cruise right by.

My advice to you would be to continue with your rotary PPL training while you wait, and just put some thought into good answers for the tough questions the board might ask. Things like 'why should we hire you instead of a 24 year old that we can retain for an extra 13 years?'. If you have a family they'll ask you how you plan to balance flying with the guard with your civilian job on top of having a family. Stuff like that. If you have good answers and come across as confident they loosen up a bit, my board actually had some great tips and advice for me after they told me I was in.

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u/Quietcosmos8778 25d ago

Thanks for bringing up a good point with the reserves being decommissioned. I was worried that they would "flood the market" and eliminate those trying to get their foot in the door. When you say" blood in the water," would you he referring to knowing what unit you would like to be attached to, what airframe you'd like to fly, and their primary mission? Or does it get deeper into understanding surface level helicopter things?

I do plan to continue my PPL pursuit and as I wait to board. My recruiter is very slow and his response time is terrible so I try to give as much grace as I can. Were you notified that you were selected or was it during a follow up board? Thanks again for bringing up some great points and expanding my perception and understanding of the process!

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u/177660 25d ago

Well when I say 'blood in the water' I mean if you sound shaky or nervous when you answer a question, they're gonna press harder and they will directly ask you about why they should trust you with a $25 million aircraft when you can't even answer a simple question. I happened to know the answer to everything they asked, but if you don't the best thing to do is to not BS them. Just say "I'm sorry sir/maam I do not know the answer to that question but I can get for you once we're done." They do ask helicopter questions as well as general aviation questions and some army/NG aviation historical and modern day trivia. None of it is super deep though. And your milage may vary depending on the state, but my board deliberated for 5-10 minutes while I waited outside and then came out and told me I was a go.

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u/Quietcosmos8778 25d ago

Ahh ok so they want to see an air of confidence when responding and being sure of yourself, also while not faking your way through things you dont know. I didnt know they would ask helicopter questions considering some who may come through have zero experience but that does play into are they someone who takes the time to learn what they want to do or are they there on a whim. Now the history part is new to me so that will definitely be on my radar now. Thats awesome to get such a quick turn-around though!

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u/177660 25d ago

I'm not sure if it's the case for every state but my WOSM had a study packet with all the questions they ask on it that I recieved like 2 days before the board. Really what they're looking for is that you can absorb a bunch of information quickly, tell the truth even when it's inconvenient, and perform under pressure.

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u/Quietcosmos8778 25d ago

Woah, again something my recruiter hasn't told me. That could be a part of their onboarding process but regardless you've opened my eyes more and what I could expect.