Some of mine as well. I went to Kadena straight out of UPT and had a MF'in blast until I went to AC school. Not the highlight of my flying career, but certainly an outstanding way to start. I wouldn't trade that time or those hours for any amount of PIC time or any seniority number in the world.

 

Being a FAIP is not an anchor if you are a good pilot in any MWS. In the F-15E community most FAIPs do very well. For example, I was a fully qualified IP in the F-15E after 2 1/4 years on my first Ops assignment. I know of some FAIPs that left their first assignment as 2 Ship Flight Leads... so I guess its merit based. I upgraded to 2 ship, 4 ship and IP based on my skills... due to the stick/rudder skills I learned during my time as a FAIP. I also was a solid briefer and instructor because of my time as a FAIP. Being a FAIP will not negatively impact your career... being a crappy pilot will.

 

ditto, I have rarely seen a FAIP (especially tweet guys) with crappy hands. T-1 guys seem to do real well also.

 

Volunteer to be a FAIP if, and ONLY if, you WANT to teach.

(let me say that again...)

Volunteer to be a FAIP if, AND ONLY IF, YOU WANT TO TEACH.

If you don't want to teach, you will likely not do your best--thus your follow on assignment won't pan out like you hope.

Besides, trying to predict what the "hot" carreer path will be 3-4 years down the road is a waste of time.

 

Fly6584,

I was never a FAIP, but listen to me very carefully!! Joined the AF in 85, going to fly an F-15!!! Got a C-141 instead (Washed out 65% of my UPT class so I was happy to get wings!) If I knew I would end up in a C-141 I would have stayed in Law school, but within 18 months of arriving at my base, I was flying a combat mission invading Panama, flew into the Soviet Union, when they were still the Bad guys! and had women from all corners of the globe!!! It was a Blast...still is (C-17)
Fast Forward to 1994
Got hired at one of my LAST CHOICE Airlines (the C-141 was a last choice as well) The airline that hired me was UPS!!!!!! It is a BLAST!!! making the big bucks, driving a Vette! Hot Wife, cool kids, life is good!!!
The MORAL of the STORY????
Throw out that dumb excel spread sheet thingy, stop trying to predict the future, cause you can't and do what you want...and even when things don't go your way roll with the punches....
Good Luck in Tone's
Vito

 

You picked perhaps the least important thing out of my sentence. Sure landings and approaches of the past are history. The reality is, being a UPT instructor is highly desired. Airlines (in the past) used to count the time more (a factor was used).

You get to log IP PIC time straight out of UPT while everyone else is doing the SIC gig while trying to avoid the dreaded "other" time. After FAIP life, when you finally get to your MWS, you don't spend two or three years playing gear Biotch. Thus, after your commitment, you have around 1500 more hours of PIC and IP time than the average USAF bubba.

Does that make it clear?

Every FAIP I've known (in my peer group) were hired and flying in the airlines before the rest of us.

-Fatty

 

FWIW, that is a VERY atypical UPT washout rate for a particular class. What class, what base?

 

Again, caveat that statement with that it doesn't apply to guys going to fighters, who will be logging PIC turbine their entire career after their initial Form 8.

Any "problems" with FAIPs in the fighter pipeline occurs only during the initial operational assignment -- where your year-group peers will have lots of MWS hours and be flight leads/instructors, while you will still be a wingman. It's an ego hit more than anything. If you can tolerate being "behind" your year group peers, then this is a non-issue.

After your 2nd and 3rd flying tours -- approaching your Major's board -- fighter FAIPs will be basically on equal footing with their fighter non-FAIP peers. The straight-to-MWS guys will have mostly all gone to an ALFA tour and gotten their AETC IP hours while you're on your second ops tour catching up as an IP/SEFE.

When it comes time to go to the airline interview after the 10-year hitch is up, all fighter dudes will all generally be equal -- somewhere right around (probably above, but it depends on your MWS) those 1,000 and 1,500 hour turbine PIC mins to apply.

 

I wasn't in his class, but mine had a 47% washout/wash-back rate. Started with 34, graduated 18 of the original 34 on time, plus we had 8 guys who washed back to our class and graduated with us. I lost track of the guys who washed back from our class to other classes, so many of them probably graduated as well.

1988, Willie ... a moment of silence for the great Williams AFB.

 

Hacker15E

Columbus 87-04 started with about 63 studs ended up with 29. 4 of which were wash-backs so only 25 of the original class graduated. I believe 87-05 had a higher rate! Did Some Research and found out that 87-03,4,5 had the highest wash-out rates since WWII. The standard rate was 50%. Our commander told us on the first day, "look to your left and right, one of you are guarenteed to be gone!" Another IP once told me,
"I'm not here to teach you to fly "I'm here to wash your sorry ass out"
It wasn't as mean as it sounds...It was in the middle of the big Reagan military build-up and classes were very large..the airlines weren't hiring yet so they had they're pick.....
later,
Vito