Becoming an Aviator

Becoming a Navy pilot is a competitive field to get into. It all starts in school. First, you have to be dedicated and receive good grades.

After graduating from college Adam attended Officer Candidate School (OCS) in Pensacola, Florida, known to many as the "Cradle of Naval Aviation." This was a 13 week school that prepared him to undergo the transformation from civilian life to military life.

At OCS he learned many things including:

• Teamwork
• Naval History
• Seamanship
• Military Law
• Weapon Usage
• Physical Fitness
• Leadership

OCS is for those who are not already commissioned officers or those who have not graduated from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

Upon successfully completing OCS, Adam attended a school called Aviation Pre Indoctrination or Advanced Pilot Indoctrination (API) also located in Pensacola, Fl. There he spent six weeks learning about topics such as:

• Meteorology
• Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR's)
• Aerodynamics
• Flight Physiology
• Land and Water Survival

The end of API marked the beginning of flight training for Adam. He then chose to attend primary flight training in Corpus Christi, Texas where he was trained on the T-34, a fixed wing aircraft.
During primary flight training, Adam learned how to:

• Talk on the radios
• Solo
• Fly in formation
• Perform aerobatics

Primary flight training was the most important step in determining his career path in the navy. After primary, Adam went onto intermediate and advanced flight training. He selected the helicopter pipeline where he underwent advanced flight training in NAS Whiting Field in Florida.

After about two years of successful training Adam received the coveted "Wings of Gold."