air force question
 

Just trying to get a “general” feeling on how things work in the air force. So from what vague information that I have, depending on how someone does in academics and actual flying in UPT, the top in class get to choose their aircraft preference?

My guess is that the fighters, 15 and 16’s are top choices, am I right? Could someone please try to list the usual picks that typically go first and the usual picks that are typically last on peoples choices, and the situation where someone dose not or is not given a choice, just assigned to a specific airframe.

How long is the obligation or plane lock before you can switch to a different plane? I imagine that a fighter guy/gal can later on move to a heavy, but can the heavy move to a fighter later on as well?

Finally, an enlistee can retire after 20 years, is this same with officers, especially pilots or is there a different requirement?

As usual, any answer or attempts to answer these questions will be greatly appreciated.

C.H.

Quick answers before I go fly...

1. Been a long time since was an IP in UPT...I'll have to take a pass here.
Used to be that the top 10% got there first choice...I also saw the top 10% take heavies once or twice...wait for someone who has more recent experience at UPT to answer this one for you

2. Changes from heavies to fighters or vice versa can be done but it is extremely rare. (I have seen it done though)

3. Officers can retire at 20 no question there. I'll be retiring at 20 myself in a year.

UPT, also called SUPT, now involves the T-6 as the primary trainer. (The tweets will all be gone pretty soon.) Everyone flies the T-6 during the first 6 months of pilot training. At the end you'll be rank ordered based on flying skills demonstated in daily training rides, checkrides, and you will get a commander's rating of your attitiude and aptitude. You'll track select fighter/ bombers, heavies, C-130s, or helicopters. The vast majority of guys will go either fighter/bomber or heavies. The fighter/bomber guys will go and fly the T-38 for the rest of SUPT and the heavy guys will fly the T-1, which is a Beech 400. Each track stratifies the respective students. The T-38 guys generally select F-15s, F-16s, and A-10s in that order. I have not heard of any F-22s being available yet, but they will be soon. The T-1 guys generally select C-17s, KC-10s, C-5s, KC-135s, E-3, E-8, RC-135s in that order. This is a generalization and often does not go this way. In my class our top guy chose KC-135s and the second guy chose C-5s. At the track select we had 6 fighter/bomber slots and 16 students. The last T-38 selectee was #11 overall.

What happens in most classes is that there will be 2-3 guys that are head and shoulders better than everyone else and 2-3 guys that really struggle to complete the program. The rest are extremely close in their scores and the difference between the middle of the pack fighter selectee and the middle of the pack heavy pilot is not much.

There used to be a program for heavy pilots to crossflow into fighters but it ended in '99 I think. Most folks do not ever change airplanes, but it is not uncommon to move from one heavy to another. Fighter pilots can apply to fly the B-2 but I have never heard of any coming to a "real" heavy. Generally a heavy pilot can expect to be in an actual flying job for 9-12 years while the fighter/bomber guys very seldom get more than 3 consecutive years in a fighter. They often are forced to take Predator/UAV, Army liason, or UPT IP assignments.

Meanwhile guys being sent to UPT from Air Force Reserve or Air National Guard units will fly whichever aircraft their respective units have after graduating.

If your goal is to become an airline pilot i would be cautious of the USAF. It is not an easy life! Nothing compared to the grunts on the ground, but it is no cakewalk. You can anticipate being gone at least half the time for months on end. When deployed you can expect to be in places that make the Motel 6 in Peoria, IL seem like Heaven. The only thing that got me through my service committment was that I believed that what we were doing was important. I got burned out after 4 years straight of over 200 days per year deployed and decided to get out. All I am saying is that make sure you join for the right reasons because the USAF will most likely get every pennies worth out of you.

What he said.....

L'il J covered most of it. AFRES is having a slow go right now at upgrades to aircraft commander in some airframes post SUPT. The military time is as good as part 121 time, BUT- you should have a track to getting that magic 1500 or so hours in command to compete for a major airline job if you so desire. Not all units will hire off the street to SUPT, either- timing is everything.

How old are you? Some states are great for college studs in Reserves or ANG positions, just keep you nose clean until a shot comes along at SUPT. Would always rather fly with a great bunch of bros in a clunker airframe (assuming multi turbine for heavies and anything if you go into fighters) rather than fly a great airframe w/ a bunch of tools- have seen both!

Best of luck!

Go find a guard or reserve unit to hire you and send you to SUPT. MUCH less pain long term.

http://www.baseops.net/

C.H., here's a good site to check if you haven't yet. Try the "military pilot" section.

Zach

...to add on - From my UPT assignment night (a few years dated though)
lower third of the class: AWACs, RCs, or some other 707 variant
mid third 135s OCONUS then CONUS
top third KC-10s, C-21s, C-17s

we lost two in the middle of our class (track night) to helos...they were closer to the bottom third if I remember.

and for crying out loud, do the smart thing and get a guard/reserve slot

I really appreciate all the info and inputs guys, thanks a lot. But I was wondering if you guys could elaborate more on the reason why it would be a smart thing to go the reserve or guard route, and please try to be as specific as possible seeing how I am very much an outsider looking in when it comes to the whole military aviation world.

Once again, thanks in advance.

C.H.

Simple. If you are active duty AF you will be out of the civilian job market for a minimum of 11-12 years (unless you get out early and that is not something to bank on). If you are guard/reserve, if you have the hours, you are back in the airline job hunt 2-4 years after you start officer training.