First, congrats on your selection. Obviously you're fired up and rightly so.
Originally Posted by
kukailimoku
I was recently selected by the 199th in Hawaii to fly F22s in the ANG.
Not to pour cold water on this whole thing too much, but let's try to keep things in perspective. You were selected to attend OTS, UPT (UFT, whatever they call it now) and IFF. Upon successful completion of all that training, THEN train to become an F22 pilot. So, you've got a few milestones to reach before you're flying F22s in the ANG.
I would suggest you focus on the near term goal of successfully completing OTS before you worry about the next phase. Keep doing that as you move through training. Wasting much time on the F-22 phase of your training at this point isn't going to be productive. You've got some very busy years ahead of you before that even becomes a factor.
Originally Posted by
kukailimoku
What can I be doing now, during the 6-12 month lull before OTS, to better myself and further my career as both an officer and pilot?
Take care of yourself. Make sure you're in top physical condition and avoid doing things that might risk your medical clearance as an AF pilot. If you have your PPL, maybe fly a small amount to remain current and comfortable in the aircraft. Don't go crazy as there will be a point where an abundance of civilian hours probably won't really help. If no PPL, at least get someone to take you through initial solo. If you can get into an acrobatic capable aircraft, spending a few hours training on some basics probably will help you.
Originally Posted by
kukailimoku
Is there anything in particular I should know regarding my future airframe in relation to how it can affect my overall aviation career? (e.g. does the multi time count toward requirements, etc.)
Dude, if you're worrying about meeting hiring minimums for an airline job at this stage of the game, you have got your priorities totally out of whack. I don't know what the 199th does about "seasoning" for new guard babies, but my guess is you are going to spend at least the next 5 years minimum doing nothing but trying to become the absolute best F-22 pilot you can be. That will be a full time job and will get you to the point where you probably won't kill yourself or someone else. Full time fighter pilots (whether active duty or ANG) take YEARS after finishing initial training in their weapon system to be a fully capable, experienced and lethal addition to their squadron. Once you have a set of AF wings on your chest, that needs to be your one and only mission.
Many part time ANG fighter pilots have 10+ years of experience and thousands of hours flying their fighter before they become traditional guardsmen flying part time. It's because of that experience that they are able to leave the cockpit for a few weeks, fly an airline job and then return with some capability to bring their A-game to the fighter.
So, just a word of caution. Don't be in too big a hurry to put any other priorities ahead of becoming the best officer, then student pilot, IFF pilot and fighter pilot you can be for the foreseeable future.
Good luck.