AFAST

All cadets wishing to branch Aviation are required to take the AFAST. The AFAST is the Army Flight Aptitude Selection Test which is taken during the junior year before going to LDAC. The test is like no other test you have ever taken. The Army provides DA Pam 611–256–2 to all test takers to help familiarize them with the test but it is a limited overview. The AFAST is composed of a number of subtests. The first subtest is instrument comprehension. Given an artificial horizon gauge and a compass, the test taker must select which of the five plane silhouettes matches the readings on the gauges. The practice tests have very crude drawings, the silhouettes on the actual AFAST are much clearer. The second subtest is the complex movements test. You will be shown a dot in a circle and a point indicating where it originated. Using curved lines of varying widths you must indicate how far and in what direction the dot was moved to bring it into the circle. You MUST practice this ahead of time. The movement designators can be confusing and you only have ten seconds to answer each question! The third subtest you will be given is basic helicopter and flight knowledge. You need to know your stuff but it is pretty basic. To prepare for my AFAST I read the free FAA Rotorcraft Flying Handbook. Another recommended resource is the Principles of Helicopter Flight. The fourth subtest is the cyclic orientation test. You will be given a series of three views from a helicopter cockpit and must choose which cyclic orientation would cause a helicopter to move in that direction. The fifth and final subtest is called the mechanical functions test. This evaluates your knowledge of basic physics via a wide variety of problems. It is highly recommended that you obtain a AFAST study guide and complete a practice test or two before you take your AFAST. Probably the best study book is Peterson's. You can get the 6th edition on Amazon or get the newer edition for 1/3 the price directly from Peterson's. You  must obtain a 90 to pass your AFAST and can score up to 170. Once you have passed you are not allowed to retake the test for a better score. If you fail there is a six month wait for one, and only one, re-test opportunity. Once you pass the AFAST you will be put in the system for a flight physical when you attend LDAC the coming summer.

Junior (MS3) Year

This is it, the big year that will either make or break your ROTC career. If you prepared well it will be relatively easy. If you slacked off in previous years you may end up struggling. There are a lot of things in general to do this year; along with a few special requirements for those hoping to branch Aviation. Again, it can not be reiterated enough, keep up the GPA and the PT scores; however, there are additional factors at play this year. Cadets in their MS3 year are evaluated in different leadership positions throughout the school year and attend a month long Leadership Development and Assessment Course (LDAC) at Fort Lewis, WA over the summer where they are give additional evaluation. Key areas tested at camp include: leadership in varying positions in garrison and on missions, physical fitness test, and land navigation written and practical tests. Prior to leaving for camp, cadets make decisions concerning which branch they want and later, at the beginning of their senior year, they get a chance to see how they did at LDAC and can make any last minute changes. At the end of camp cadets are given an overall "E", "S", or "N". Getting an overall "E" is not  a requirement to branch aviation but it certainly helps! Cadets wishing to branch Aviation must take an Army Flight Aptitude Selection Test (AFAST) prior to LDAC. This is usually given at the end of the first semester in order to allow time for a retest if necessary. Not taking or failing to pass the AFAST will automatically eliminate a cadet from Aviation. This is a broad overview and there are a lot of details to many of these activities. I will cover the details in greater detail in later posts.