ANG4Me

Hello everyone, I've been lurking around the forum for a while and finally got an email acceptable to join the forum so at last I can ask questions myself!
I am 21 looking to pursue a career as an airline pilot as well as a military career flying F-16s for the ANG. I have about two years left towards my BS in Aviation and am just starting flight school.
First off, I am aware of the much supported route of getting a job with a regional, then joining so the 2-3 years spent training are working for you back home as well. However because I am paying for my ratings on my own I thought of a possible different route, and wanted some feed back (Pros, cons, and comparisons). I thought to Start applying after achieving my PPL. So finally here come the questions.(THESE ALL PERTAIN TO THE ANG)

1- would my BS and PPL be even close to enough qualifications in order to be competitive. The Recruiters say yes, but I still don't see how. If no, what else to i need to work on (community service, networking ect)?

2- If we assume I DID get a slot, how much of my training in UPT advance me towards getting my instrument rating and commercial license? would i still need to pay for more training or certifications afterwards?

3- How do I find out when and where slots become available? also related, where can i find info as to which bases in Cali. have a Fighter Pilot unit?

4- Is there somewhere I can go to see the packets of those who were selected in the past few years?

5- When enlisting, is it a sure thing where you will be stationed and what job you will performing perfore hand? As in, its on paper before i commit? ( I am also thinking of joining now, and finishing schooling as soon as i come back from training, i.e. I would NEED to be stationed at the local base to do so)

6- Lastly, In the ANG do pilots ever get re assigned, like moved involentarily to a different base during their period of service.


Thank you! And I apologize if any of these questions have already been answering. I surely looked for the answers first, and direction to any previous threads answering like questions would also be appreciated!!

Slice

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Dirtdiver

My info is dated, as I joined the AF 28 years ago and retired from AFRES 5 years ago, but here goes:


It's a long process (took me over a year) and you'll be competing against hundreds of qualified applicants for every slot. Don't give up, but you may want to expand your target beyond F-16 to a CAL ANG. Just don't let the reqruiter talk you into a nav slot!

ANG4Me

Would you guys say that joining up now and taking a different job before applying for pilot slots would help my chances? Don't get me wrong, I WOULD like to join right now, but I don't want to risk not being able to graduate or postponing graduation as a result of taking time off school for training if its not going to help my chances.

Dirtdiver

Going in enlisted to the unit you want to fly for may help. Strangely though, going in as an officer may hurt you. There's a separate board to select O's wanting a flying slot, and it's usually been easier to get a UPT slot from off the street than a lateral transfer. That's why I advised DO NOT take a nav slot. I don't have anything against navs, I have several friends that are navs (wouldn't want my daughter to date one!)

ANG4Me

I actually meant enlisting to a rescue wing base which is closer to where i live now and going is as a pararescuer or something of that nature. (non officer) and if/when getting a pilot slot transfering there? Is the board still different then?

hindsight2020

The answer is that it won't hurt you but it won't help you fundamentally either. The opportunity cost of enlisting is delaying the completion of a college degree between deployment, training and exercises, count on it. In my opinion it's not worth it, so no I wouldn't enlist.

As to the process, I spent 2.5 years actively pursuing a Guard slot and was unsuccessful, eventually I became aware of the Air Force Reserves and got in through them. The Guard fighter world is way more clickish than the Reserves, though the Reserves fighter world is virtually non-existent in numbers. In the Guard quals matter but social compatibility and connections matter more. This is true of the Reserves but to a lesser extent, and lateral mobility in the Reserves is way more common than in the Guard. There's also better money pots in the Reserves in my biased opinion. Good luck, I was you 7 years ago, which is why it took me longer to get in, as all I did was apply to F-16 units. Had I courted C-130/KC-135 units from the beginning I submit I would have probably gotten a head nod sooner. Not making adjudications, just stating the facts.

As to F-16s or bust, I gave up that dream and in hindsight it worked out. Flying an F-16 would have been awesome for a while but the bro-check culture would have rubbed me the wrong way after a while and there's not as much opportunities to bum as a wingman in a Guard unit. Would love to fly A-10s that's for sure, -38s were a blast in UPT I won't lie, but I guess in this day and age with the fighter game drawing to a sunset I was statistically born a little too late to the party. As it stands the universe tends to unravel in mysterious ways, so I encourage you to apply away and see what happens. Good luck to you.

crewdawg

Yes, yes and yes. First off, you need the degree to go to training. Having some flight time, if nothing else, helps boost your PCSM score. It also shows that you at least have an interest in flying. Community service is always a great thing, now don't go crazy, but some here and there is always good (not to mention the personal rewards). Networking is a great, if you don't know someone....make friends.

After training, you take a MIL competency exam (MCA) and get your Commercial, Multi-engine, Instrument airplane land. 38's have a centerline thrust restriction (not a big deal to remove), T-1 guys also get a BE-40/MU300 type or something close to that. Slice, if I remember correctly, you won't have single-engine privileges on your commercial certificate. There may be some way to add this if you fly the T-6....not sure how that works.

Start calling the bases and ask to talk to someone in charge of the pilot hiring board. If a recruiter tries to make you enlist, call OPS and talk to a pilot, they will get you in touch with the right person. Air National Guard - Home has a list of all the guard units in the nation.

Not that I have ever seen. If they send you information on how to put you packet together, do it just as instructed. If they want a only a paperclip holding it together, then do it. This may be your first test, don't get fancy just do what they ask.

Yes, in the guard you will enlist into a particular career field.

Slice

I'm willing to bet he'd get a Comm SE these days with the T-6 and is why I said it. The exception would be Sheppard. I think the Tweet still flies there.

blastoff

Affirmative, you get a COMM SEL if you fly the T-6.