Originally Posted by
Short Bus Drive
This is a serious question. NOT trying to start an argument, or new thread. But, how many hours does a "new" military pilot have (or HAVE to have) to do a "mission" (or whatever it's called) in the cockpit alone? (not solo the aircraft)
Here were the mileposts for me:
Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT): 206.5
Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals (IFF): 20.9
F-15E Formal Training Unit (FTU): 79.2
Mission Qualification Training (MQT): 20.2
Total: 326.8
So, by comparison, we're talking about 206.5 to get what equates to a Comm/Multi/Instrument. The IFF and FTU basically equate to your company's initial training and a type rating there at 100.1 additional hours. The MQT is essentially the equivalent to IOE at an airline for an additional 20 hours.
So, there you have it...qualified to fly as a wingman (e.g first officer) at about 325 hours. It's at least another 300 hours to qualify for your upgrade to flight lead.