I think that means 100 or more UPT grads...i.e. triple digits.

 

How many UPT grads are there total per year?

 

About 900-1,000 per year.

 

Correct, sorry I was unclear (darn publik skool edyoocation). Could be 100 grads, could be 200, we haven't been told total numbers yet.

 

Yeah I heard it's going to be 10-30% of all 09 classes so if 900-1000 graduate each year then 100-300 sounds like it will be possible. Heck an IP told me the other day that he read on the portal somewhere that in FY09 the Air Force needs a total of 550 new UAV "operators".

Looks like I've made up my mind about going Tones or 38's. Don't get me wrong it has always been my dream to be a fighter pilot and this has been a hard pill to swallow, but 1 UAV out of a class of 2-3 in 38's is too much of a chance for me to take considering the rest of what has been dropping in 38's isn't even that great (U-28's, PC-12's, NSA's, etc.). I'm going to be perfectly happy with my Tone and then I'd really like to go Tankers or FAIP.

So yeah if I had to do it all over again I'd definitely try to get on with a Reserve/Guard Fighter unit, but if I wasn't able to do that then I would still go Active Duty. Just wearing that flight suit every day, getting to fly whatever it may be (KC-10's, 135's, F-16's, C-17's, etc.), serving my country, and hopefully one day having those wings on my chest is enough for me to say it's worth it. Not to mention flying the T-6 is quite possibly the coolest thing I have ever done.

I did have my Formation Solo today so I'm pretty pumped about that so maybe you should catch me at a different time and I might give you a different opinion of UPT.

 

Congrats FLY6584,
One of the things that distinguish military flying from civilian is the oppurtunity to learn how to fly formation. Even having flown single seat for almost 20 years now, I still remember the thrill of flying solo formation in a Tweet the first time. It never gets old.
Good luck to you man.

 

I second the Congrats - FLY6584

Think hard about skipping the 38. As a former 38 IP I have to say the 38 is still my favorite jet (even after flying F-16's and B-1's). And don't discount the whole FAIP idea. Many old FAIP friends of mine (now in all manner of jets from fighter to heavies) say their FAIP tour was their favorite assignment (They just didn't reliaze it at the time). That being said flying a fighter is something I think you have to do if you have the chance. I gave up that chance once and fought ten years to get a second chance and I was extremely lucky I did - most don't.

Back to the original topic this thread was started on. I apologize now if I'm rehashing others info - was too lazy to read all the pages.

The guard is definetly where you want to end up- we get mondays off (in exchange for one sat/sun - do you need any others reasons beside that)

I went the AD route, now in the Gard (Go Gard!). I tend to side with the folks who recommend the guard. Going the AD route is just as risky these days with the UAV's/ALO/Staff tours, and all the bad deals the AD gets. Just do your research about the units you are interested in. I wouldn't let the BRAC thing scare you too much, sure it might happen but then you can usually just get picked up by another unit. We currently are like five part-timers short and looking at many guys whose units are on the choppin block.

 

Yeah, too bad everybody in UPT doesn't get to fly the T-38, like in the old days. Did it really save that much money to switch to the two-track system?

 

Don't know but it's saved a lot of washouts...weak swimmers are let through since they are going to crew aircraft. Not a knock on heavy drivers, just my observation on guys who wouldn't have made it through without the split track because they never would have soloed the -38.

 

Saved tons of hours on the T-38 fleet, too.