Forum: Future F-16 crew

Hello all, I'm pretty new to all forums, let alone this one, but have been reading around and found some great information already. I got my AFOQT test results back yesterday and they were:

Pilot: 97
Navigator: 79
Acad. Aptitude: 71
Verbal: 65
Quantitative: 70

Just wondering what you all thought of these scores, and any other tips you all may have? I'm hoping to get the TBAS done rather soon, and I have 170 hours right now, [Link pending approval] [Link pending approval] else I should try to get? Money is somewhat tight for me, but would it be worth it to squeeze in a few more flight hours?

Thanks in advance for all the help.
-Kenny

F-16.net Sponsor

Forum Veteran Joined: Jul 01, 2007 - 07:22 PM Posts: 620

The scores are fine and the flight time really doesn't matter much. Focus on having fun now since that all ends when you leave for training.

Competition is extremely tough. Your Flight Hours mean nothing, it is more or less the difference in ratings. IFR, Commercial, etc. However, 49% of last year's selects did not even have a PPL. Your PCSM score will tell you how many more flight hours you will need to increase it. Lets say you have a PCSM score of 90, it will say "25 more flight hours = 92", or something along those lines. It usually is such a small jump for a very large amount of hours. Considering your AFOQT scores and flight time already, as long as you dont flake on the TBAS test, your PCSM score will likely be high. I got a 98 on it with only 80 or so flight hours and a 99 AFOQT pilot score. And I really thought I failed bad on the last half of the test.. maybe I did, maybe I didnt--its all in the software formulas.

Best thing you can do now is work on your personal statement and LORs. Good luck.

Thanks for the tips guys, I know it's going to be extremely tough, and I'm just barely beginning too, but it's what I want, and I'll work as hard as I need to to get there. I was actually wondering about the LOR'[Link pending approval] is more desirable? People that are already in the military, my flight instructor, FAA examiners I know, my Pastor, etc? All of these people have offered to write me a LOR recently, should I take every one I can get and let them decide who's means the most? Or do I need to have those select few already chosen?

Thanks

While I can't reference the source, I remember the Flight Hours/PCSM score breakdown well enough to make a decent estimate I think. You'd have to get ~201 hours to get another point, and this would also max out the number of points you can get from flight hours. Totally not worth it, if you're just buying hours to boost your score, 170 hours is plenty more than most.

Alright, yea my flight time will still go up, but due to funds I've been trying to space out my flying so I can fly at a regular pace. I don't see myself getting to 201 hours anytime real soon though, ha.

Unfortunately your PCSM score is a smallish piece of the equation. GPA/Commander ranking is far more important. I smoked my PFAs and had a 97 PCSM. [Link pending approval] GPA and 96 pilot section/94 Nav section on AFOQT. All these things added together and I still didn't get a pilot slot initially. I got CSO with a pilot alternate designation, which not all of our CSOs got. Guess i barely missed the cutoff. Luckily I got a call around last Christmas that said I'd been bumped up. Now I head to Whiting in the late Septmebe after ASBC in August. My advice, kick a$$ in your job in the wing no matter how mundane, show you can be a selfless team player and keep your grades up. Sometimes it feels like luck of the draw, and sometimes it looks like there is a direct correlation. And as far as flying goes, if you have the cash then ya go ahead. But dont kill yourself getting more hours. On paper, it will not help you. Marginal returns on points for a whole bunch of hours. In execution (read IFS) it miiiight help. But it cant hurt. Hope this helps.

As of right now I am still a civilian, no military experience, so I'm not too familiar with some of those acronyms you used there, ha. I did just finish my TBAS and received a 99 PCSM, and have a [Link pending approval] GPA. I realize the numbers aren't good enough on their own, and I have been doing things such as volunteering, working to raise my GPA, etc. Is there any other advice you have for a civilian to help with my "whole person" concept?

Forum: Future F-16 crew

Newbie - Got my AFOQT test results in, any tips?