“How do I become a fighter pilot…?”

While ChristianFighterPilot.com has seen recognition among jurists, activists, soldiers, civilians, Christians and atheists from all points of view, it also remains a source of information for those asking some more basic questions:

How do I become a fighter pilot in the Air Force/Navy/Marines?

Questions on becoming a fighter pilot, from medical qualifications to the pilot lifestyle, remain one of the most often addressed topics (as are questions on fighter pilot lingo).  Much of the answer is available in the FAQ (and new questions are added as they are asked).  Believe it or not, there are actually few reliable sources of information on how to become a fighter pilot.  Even the official military sites can be confusing, incomplete, or contradictory, often because the information changes faster than the websites.

An internet search for “become a fighter pilot” will likely find the website of Marine fighter pilot Ed Rush, who has made a virtual living answering this question. His website, http://www.becomefighterpilot.com/, features teases of dramatic “top secret” ways to virtually guarantee being selected as a fighter pilot.  He sells a “fighter pilot power pack” (the “current” price is $97) that claims to have the “tips and tricks” to give his customers an advantage over everyone else.

At the risk of undermining his business, there’s probably little in the “power pack” that isn’t free somewhere else, including the vast expanse of the internet or the local Air Force base (government information of that nature is public domain).  Not only are many of the questions answered on this website, but many young fighter pilots run blogs on their daily lives through training and becoming a fighter pilot.  Any such person would be more than willing to talk to aspiring fighter-pilots-to-be.  (There’s no more interesting topic to a fighter pilot than himself, after all.)

Notably, some that have purchased the “power pack” have said it is largely motivational confidence-building rather than a corner on the market of information.  Even testimonials on the website focus on the “confidence” factor, indicating Rush’s motivational speaking may be the unique factor at play.

Granted, it is enticing for someone who wants to be a pilot to get materials with “all the answers.”  Granted, there are very few places where that information is conglomerated.  And to be clear, there is no reason to doubt the authenticity of the information nor the integrity of the vendor; there is also nothing wrong with earning revenue from one’s work.  There is certainly a market for the information, and if it was a $15 book, it might even be commendable.  However, a $97 (or more) “Power Pack” with “highly specialized insider information” seems not only exaggerated, but oversold.

The degree to which it is aggressively marketed begs skepticism.  Based on his marketing techniques and associates, Rush appears to be a part of the Glazer-Kennedy school of marketing, which has a colored reputation.  For example, hyperbolic language promises great return for small investment; in addition, some of the testimonials on Rush’s website contain verbatim content from his own “testimonial templates.”  In fact, the price and hype of the website have led to several internet forum users asking “is this for real or a scam?”

It is not a scam in that Rush is a fighter pilot, and the material received does appear to be as advertised (that is, content on how to become a fighter pilot).  The only question is if the value of the product is reflected in the price (and if it lives up to the advertised hype); that is purely a matter of each person’s opinion.  One user received it as a gift and asked that it be returned; at least two others ordered it themselves and found that it was apparently worth the money.  Some aspiring fighter pilots have asked the question here before, and the answer remains that ChristianFighterPilot.com cannot find sufficient reason to recommend Ed Rush’s “fighter pilot power pack” as a resource.

Young dreamers will continue to wonder how they can be fighter pilots, firefighters, astronauts, or President of the United States.  They will probably use the internet more than the telephone, and Amazon more than their local bookstore.  With respect to those searchers, the goal of ChristianFighterPilot.com is to provide a source of ready information and a place that they can ask questions to get the answers they need.  This includes those who ask how a Christian can be a fighter pilot, as well as those who just ask “How do I become a fighter pilot?”

(Besides his “fighter pilot power pack,” Rush also has speaking businesses for marketingperformance consulting, and productivity, all of which use much of the same language and sales-pitch as the fighter pilot site. He also has an infrequently updated website for “Mach 1 Ministries“, as a “speaker, author, and fighter pilot.”)