The UAV career pipeline is up and running for the USAF. If you apply for OTS you can select RPA (Remotely Piloted Aircraft) as a career field that you want to apply for. The number of RPAs getting dropped to UPT studs has dropped significantly since the RPA career field opened up. In fact a lot of the recent ones have been people who actually put it near the top of their dream sheet (why is beyond me haha).

There's some decent gouge on the training over at baseops.net; but for the most part it seems like if you are selected you go to IFS in Colorado and fly a Diamond DA-20 for about 40 hours, then after that you go off to where ever they do RPA training to get your instrument training and all of that.

If you really want to fly RPAs then I would highly suggest getting in touch with your local OTS recruiter, the Air Force I'm sure loves to have volunteers for the program, since most pilots absolutely hate them, haha.

 

I also have another question. If I were to go OTS route and then to flight training via Air Force. What base would I be transfered to for flight training. Are there multiple bases I might be sent to? Do I get an option to choose? Is there one base only?

I have a girlfriend that I want to bring with me, however with some bases requiring mandatory living on base. Im trying to figure out if Im able to live off base with my girlfriend while doing flight training. Any information would be great.

 

You won't have a choice in the matter, so it's not worth worrying about.

Harsh reality that you would do well to come to terms with: This is going to be hard on the girl. Dragging her along in GF status is going to be rough, for both of you. The good news is that if she puts up with that, she's probably OK wife material. The bad news is that anything but full understanding and total support is going to screw up your odds in training. Sounds like you're somewhat serious about this one. I would suggest...

1) If she's the one, get engaged then leave her home while you do training. That way you've put down your marker, she knows you're serious but she won't be a daily distraction to you. She'll be less lonely at home with family & friends than in a military town in BFE while you spend all your time training. If in the end it winds up being too hard for her, well you found out the cheap way, you can get store credit on that ring.

2) If you're not sure, break up with her. Let her know that it's for her own best interests and you're open to resuming things when you finish. If she waits around maybe she is a keeper.

Or if you're dead serious, and you're sure she is, marry her and leave her home until you get a feel for training. Bring her out if you think you both can manage.

Bottom line if she can't deal with some separation, she's probably a suitable military spouse (or airline spouse for that matter). Not talking out my butt here, BTDT (fortunately the one smart thing I did in my youth was to employ the engagement-ring-before-separation test...saved myself a lot of dough).

 

I don't know when Rick went thru UPT but when I went thru (99-00), then you were able to fill out a dream sheet where you wanted to go for UPT. The AF tried to work with you dream sheet. But remember it will still be whats best for the AF. UPT bases are Columbus AFB-Columbus MS, Vance AFB-Enid OK, Laughlin AFB-Del Rio TX, and if you are lucky ENJJPT at Shepard AFB-Wichita Falls TX.

 

If you bring your girl she needs to understand this year long program is like collage on steroids. Your first priority is UPT. You can't afford to screw it up. My bet advise is to study Sunday afternoon thru Thursday Night. On Friday go to the Officers club, or someplace you can let your hair down. Spend all day Saturday and Sunday morning with the family and then start the hit the books again. Repeat week after week until you receive those silver wings.

 

The training track begins at Pueblo, CO at an IFS school, then back to Randolph AFB for the remainder of training. The USMC is standing up this career field at the end of the summer. First handful of officers are projected to start training probably by Oct. Good luck with your decision.

 

I think your college could have used a little "juice".

 

does anyone know any UAV/UAS bases I could get possibly get a tour? I would like to see first hand what its like, Im getting free air fare through my intern with UAL so it doesnt matter how far it is.

I now have a commercial cert, been interning with UAL for awhile now, even did 40 hours in 737 sim training... got to see the whole commercial side of life and I'm not very "into" it. Hopefully someone can help me out with this so I can compare and make my long term career decision, I have about 3-4 months to decide which way to go.

 

Uhhh, Creech 30 min north of Las Vegas and AF(Cannon)stan in NM.

Good luck. I don't think you'll get a good tour due to the obvious security clearance stuff - but I'm sure you'll meet a lot of the pilots.

My advice wrxsteve would be to try and go do something aerobatic in a glider/decathalon/UPT - I think you'll dig it more than real life call of duty.

If you're serious about it, PM me and I can put you in touch with some of the guys that fly them.