Originally Posted by
Deuce130
I wouldn't recommend being a FAIP. I was an IP in a MWS by the time a FAIP graduating at the same time showed up at the squadron as a co-pilot. It's hard to ever catch up. You might catch up by the time you're a major, maybe not. Some guys catch on to an ops unit, others never shake the UPT mindset. In my experience, one FAIP was awesome, two never went anywhere in my particular little corner of the AF. In addition, I vividly remember the MWS guys in my Tweet flight ridiculing the FAIPs as snot-nosed LTs who could barely find their way home from the area much less actually teach anyone to fly. Looking back on it as an IP/EP/WIC guy, I think they were right. That wasn't official policy, of course, but that's what they said at the bar. FWIW. Good luck.
P.S. You say you want to do your 10 and get out, but you can't predict the future. The commercial aviation industry is in a nose dive with no end in sight. Also, it's not so easy these days to walk off the street into a guard/reserve unit. As competition increases, more and more units resort to the "bro" network, which can be a tough network to break into, especially if your credentials aren't tight.
Originally Posted by
nwaf16dude
Concurr with Deuce...I've seen guys who handled it well, but it can be tough to go from being a stan/eval or check-section FAIP to wingman or co-pilot in a MWS. You'll be co-pilot or wingman to guys that are under you in age and rank until you get caught up. But you'll be too old to just concentrate on flying by then. You'll be at the age where you need to be a shop chief or flight commander while you're still trying to learn the new jet. Not to mention that you'll already be too old for WIC, if you wanted to do something like that.
I've heard the total opposite. A lot of my IP's including a couple 135 guys said if I FAIP first then go fly 135's I will upgrade to AC in a couple months(still flying with very strong/senior co's), make IP within 6 months to a year, then become an evaluator after about a year or so. To me that sounds like a pretty good deal. You're definitely maximizing PIC time and getting a lot of the PIC time early on in your career so if that Palace Chase opportunity presents itself down the road you'll be in better to take advantage of it compared to the guy who went straight to a MWS out of UPT spent 2-2.5 years trying to get to the left seat then when they finally get there they have very little time in the seat and then get sent to a white jet tour lose currency in their MWS, but do the ATC thing for 4 years and then they have to try and get back in a MWS not to mention if that 3rd tour is close to the end of your 10 year commitment and you go to a MWS and get qualified in that you will end up incurring an additional ADSC.
On the flip side I definitely agree with nwaf16dude concerning FAIPing as a fighter guy. I have also heard it really screws fighter guys because they do get so far behind and it takes them a while to upgrade to 2 ship FL then 4 ship FL then IP then evaluator and makes it much harder to get to WIC.
Personally I would be more than happy as a 9 year Major flying the line as an IP knowing I'll never make Lt Col. I know guard/reserve units are hit or miss, but with all the tanker units out there and as long as you aren't a d-bag I would imagine it shouldn't be too hard to get a slot considering you'll probably already be an IP/Evaluator in their MWS. Who knows though. I'm not too familiar with how the guard/reserves aside from them preferring dudes that have roots in the area who would actually like to settle down in that town and not move for the rest of their career.