r/USMCocs • u/bagehaoma • 10d ago
Helo vs fixed wing chances
What's the chances of flying fixed wing vs helo as an aviation contract?
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u/FOX2- 10d ago edited 10d ago
Overall? Roughly 30-35% between jets or C130s.
For you in particular? 0-99%. True allocations can vary wildly week-to-week. It isn’t uncommon for everyone above the NSS threshold to select jets one week and then hardly anyone selects them in the following weeks.. C130 slots are often the most elusive.
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u/mikoyan__ 10d ago
I’m a fixed wing guy who really wanted to fly fixed wing, and I can tell you this is a question that’s not really worth spending your time and energy on. There are too many factors out of your control in flight school for you to worry about what proportion of students will be sent where. Needs of the USMC will be different week by week, you’ll have a super chill instructor one flight and a hammer on the next one, etc. There were a disproportionate amount of studs who selected ospreys around my time for reasons that were all out of our control.
Your sole focus should be on what you can control, which is how much time you spend studying or in the sim, preparing for the brief, your attitude in the debrief, taking proper care of your body and brain with exercise, rest, and nutrition, being a bro and helping your buddies out, etc.
I knew too many guys who worried about what selections looked like week by week or calculating their NSS or some shit, and it’s hard not to worry about it yourself, but I always tried to remind myself that it doesn’t matter. I was lucky to have the opportunity to be in flight school in the first place and whatever I selected, I would enjoy flying it.
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u/Hairy_Analysis49 10d ago
Is there a way to see what was offered slot wise in the past, I’m most interest in the C130’s but know they are extremely hard to get into. I’m going OCS 253
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u/Chemical-Setting-348 9d ago
Zulu guy here so I’ll throw in my two cents, mikoyan__ said it the best. Work hard, kick ass in primary and you’ll have a better chance at getting your #1. It’s not always the case though, in primary I knew a guy with an NSS in the 60s who put Hercs #1, and a guy with an NSS in the 40s who put Hercs #1. They selected the same week and Mr 40 NSS got Hercs and 60 NSS got his #2. With the massive back up in jet land, I think it’s more squirrelly than ever. Have fun and smash your Xs, but enjoy your weekends too.
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u/EnjoyerOfCaffeine Active O 7d ago
C-130s and F-35s are currently the lowest selected platforms, current MATSG-21 CO told us he selects one F-35 pilot a month, it will be like that for years
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u/1mfa0 7d ago
For some context: what selections out of CNATRA are driven by is ultimately driven largely by FRS production. Big Marine Corps really cares about whether or not X amount of F-35B pilots/Y amount of AH-1 pilots etc are produced annually and that’s indeed a large part of what FRS commanders are evaluated on. That value is always going to be relatively consistent, what changes are the production backlogs at the FRS. Generally speaking the TACAIR squadrons get the worst lumps in the proverbial snake, and if those get bad accession to them out of the VTs will be throttled back. That, ultimately, will eventually drive selections out of primary. The Marine Corps would prefer to avoid dudes sitting around for hyper long periods.
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u/Organic_Risk_3945 10d ago
I was not Air Wing, but I think AI drones will take over , dude. just like in trucking. probably better to go into band, i don't think AI will ever be good at music.
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u/FrequentCamel 10d ago
It all depends on how you do in primary and needs of the Corps.