Employer Perspective: Learn to Fly with the Marine Corps
The Marine Corps Officer Selection Team will be represented at the Internship Fair, Tuesday, January 27th for students who would like more information regarding Marine Corps flight programs.
With the implementation of five new aircraft to the Marine Corps aviation inventory, the demand for pilots in the Marine Corps has significantly increased. For college students and graduates who have ever thought of soaring through the skies at 500 miles per hour, now may be the ideal time to apply for a seat at flight school.
According to Marine Corps aviator Major Scott Shuster, who has over 2,000 hours flying four different military aircraft, the thrill of flying a tactical jet is like no other.
“I’m utilizing my skills as an aviators for more than just flying from A to B,” said Major Shuster. “In the Marines, I’m pushing that aircraft and myself to our physical and mental limits.”
What many students don’t know is that prior flight experience is not required to receive a guaranteed aviation contract in the Marine Corps. To qualify for a guaranteed flight contract, applicants need to have eyesight 20/30 or better. They also have to receive a passing score on the Aviation Standard Test Battery. Once someone applies and is selected for Officer Candidate School with these requirements met, they will be guaranteed a spot at flight school in Pensacola, FL once all their initial training is complete.
“Flight instructors at flight school educate someone with a basic college degree with no prior experience and they create the best pilots in the world,” Maj Shuster said. “You’re getting paid the whole time to learn to fly.”
Through a year and a half of training, flight students will fly roughly 400 hours, and by the time they wing, they’ll be proficient enough to land on an aircraft carrier, practice dog-fighting at 10,000 feet, and fly at 500 miles per hour at 500 feet navigating off of the terrain.
Marine pilots can exceed 2,000 hours in their first eight years, flying an average of 400 flight hours per year. Most importantly, these pilots are flying in support of U.S. Marines, whether that means providing transport, dropping off equipment, or ensuring the safety of ground troops.
“If you did the bare minimum time as a Marine Corps pilot, you will have exponentially greater experience on all levels,” said Capt Larry Satterfield, an EA-6B aviator with over 1,000 hours in six different aircraft. “Your stress management, your decision making, the credibility of being a Marine pilot; that weighs far more in an employer’s eyes than what school you went to.”
In the next five years, the Joint Strike Fighter, the Marines’ new vertical take off jet aircraft will begin entering the fleet. The Osprey, the military’s only tilt-rotor aircraft, has performed successfully on deployment. Also, new upgrades for the Huey and Cobra will also be online.
Prior to attending flight school, Marine officers attend Officer Candidate School, which Inc., Magazine deemed as the “premiere leadership school in the country.”
The Marine Corps Officer Selection Team will be represented at the Internship Fair, Tuesday, January 27th for students who would like more information regarding Marine Corps flight programs, or they can contact Officer Selection Station Corvallis at (541) 758-0835 or email Capt Satterfield at satterfieldll@marines.usmc.mil.
