FLY6584

Just track selected a few weeks ago and ended up receiving a Tone. I was a bit disappointed at first because I really wanted 38's and knew I had a pretty good shot at them being in the top 5, but we only received 2 and our number one and number two guy got them. I'm definitely cool with it though. Honestly I think it is a much safer route to avoiding UAV's and ultimately maximizing your time in the cockpit.

Anyways all through Phase II my IP's always told me I had FAIP written all over me and thought I would make a great FAIP. Prior to starting UPT I never really even considered wanting to FAIP, but now I'm actually considering making it my number one choice.

I'm just looking for some advice on whether it's a wise decision or not. You see I'm thinking FAIPing sounds like a pretty safe way to avoid UAV's and hopefully guarantee yourself a MWS follow on with possibly 2 back to back ops tours or one ops tour followed by a schoolhouse tour ultimately maximizing your time in the cockpit and also maximizing your time in the left seat.

Honestly I'm about 99% sure I only want to do 10 years active duty right now and then I would like to go into the guard/reserves and pick up an airline gig. No I'm not planning my exit so early in my career, but I've seen what active duty is all about and I have absolutely no desire to do anything, but fly. I was definitely that guy on the first day of Phase I looking at the guard/reserve guys in my class thinking why in the hell did I not take that route. Haha. No really it's all good though. I'm just so happy that I have been given a chance to fly as a military aviator and wouldn't trade it for the world.

I know it's tough to plan your career in the military because we really have very little say on where we go, but I'm thinking I'd like to FAIP for the first 3 years then go fly 135's/KC-10's for the next 4 years then possibly teach at Altus or back to a UPT base for the last 4 years then try to get picked up by the 135 reserve unit that is in my hometown.

What do you all think? Once again I know I will have very little say in what I would like to do, but considering FAIPing is not usually at the top of everyone's list and there are a ton of tankers I figure I would have pretty good shot at making most of that happen.

I definitely would like to get out in the fight as soon as possible, but I also have other reasons for wanting to FAIP like my wife is still working on her Masters and getting her career started and I don't really want to rush her considering she has a really good job prospect opening up in the same town as my UPT base and that would definitely make it easier to get her career started if she took that opportunity to get into the field and gain experience.

Honestly I also had an absolute blast in Phase II. Yeah sure there were some parts that I didn't like, but overall I definitely enjoyed myself and I think I could definitely enjoy it for 3 more years and I think I would make a pretty decent IP.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I still haven't decided whether I would like to FAIP T-6's or T-1's. I've heard you get more time in Tones and it's obviously better time being twin engine jet time, but I'm thinking teaching Phase II would be a lot more fun and rewarding getting to see students go from barely being able to taxi an aircraft to flying within 10ft of another aircraft solo in about 4 months.

Thanks!

tjav8b

Don't you want to see what being in a fleet squadron is all about? Go on a deployment and see the world? Fly a more complex aircraft? FAIP one year...go for it. Three years...no way! You can always come back and instruct not to mention the studs will give you credibility.

Slice

There's no fleet in the AF. Don't take AF career advice from a Marine. Take the FAIP tour, it'll be better for your marriage and most likely give you two ops tours back to back.

FLY6584

Yeah that's the problem I have with it. If you FAIP you miss out on the "Lt Good Deal" that all my IP's told me about of being a Co and flying right seat with with very little responsibility except for flying your a$$ off and deploying. A good friend of mine is a co on KC-10's right now and he is having a blast. Trust me it's definitely a hard decision. I'm just trying to do what's best for my both my wife and I and to be honest FAIPing looks like a lot of fun and most all of the FAIP's at my base receive a ton of respect.

LivingInMEM

Of course, it sounds like you'll pick pretty high on the list right now based on UPT performance. Once you're in the FAIP pool, who knows where you'll shake out as far as preferences go - could be that you **** off the CC over the next 3 years and get that UAV anyway.

There is no crystal ball, but bird in the hand.....

(Not to mention that I am opposed to the whole FAIP program, anyway. Anybody that can be a good FAIP can be an even better instructor after flying in the "fleet" for an assignement or two.)

FLY6584

Haha.

I know anythings possible, but do you think a guy that FAIPs then does one ops tour has a chance of receiving a staff tour after that or do they try to at least give you two ops/one white jet or one ops/two white jet tours prior to them sending you to the desk? I know ALO's and UAV's would be a possibility, but is a traditional staff tour a possibility early on in your career like that?

LivingInMEM

Don't want to sound harsh, but if that was your number one concern you should not have joined the USAF. We need pilots who are able to focus on the mission - do a few operational assignments and then you will have earned the right to take a stateside "good deal" (shore duty as the Navy calls it) to take care of the family. The first couple of assignments are where you learn the most - and the quality of the USAF has not gone up now that we're more kindler, gentler, and focused on the family. They don't call it a sacrifice for nothing.

Slice

Who knows? A lot can change in the AF by the time your next assignment rolls around. You have to make the best choice you can based on the reality at the time of your drop.

FLY6584

Yeah that scares me too. During my final feedback in Phase II my flight commander told me that "I definitely don't like to kiss a$$", but my peers ranked me high and I had great scores so I ended up still ranking high. He definitely said playing the game wasn't my strong point and that's something I should work on. He was cool about it though and liked that I was a no bs "straight shooter", but made it clear to try and change that in Phase III.

So yeah that might not help me receive a good assignment out of my FAIP tour and is ultimately one of the big reasons why I don't plan on doing 20 years of AD. Honestly I joined the Air Force to fly fighters and kill as many f'ng terrorists as I could, but now that I won't be able to do that I think I'd rather at least pass gas to the guys that are dropping the bombs, have a ton of fun along the way, and not give a damn about SOS, OPR bullets, or any of that BS for the next 10 years then hopefully a guard/reserve unit would like to take me on as part of their team. I know it's the wrong attitude to have and everyone should be a "company' man, but I just can't buy into it. Sorry, I digress...

Slice

I'd call 4 years in Vance a sacrifice. He didn't create the FAIP tour and the AF didn't create it for 'family'. You don't get many choices in the military. When offered one or more, do what's best for you. You're still contributing to the fight whether your dropping bombs, hauling MRE's, or producing more pilots for the CAF.