EvilEagle

Thread revival Anyone have experience with or know anyone at Billings Flying Service?

I'd add this: Why do you think you want to fly fighters? What do you know about the lifestyle? If you go into flying fighters with another goal in mind (astronaut) you will likely be a Sh!tty fighter pilot. TPS guys are typically not the killers in the squadron; they are normally the huge nerds. There's always an exception but you know yourself. Are you a linebacker or a punter? Going in late to the game with very specific (and hard to get) goals is a tough road. Realize there's a decent chance that if you go AD, you are going to end up with multiple years not touching an airplane and doing a job that pilots don't think of as "fun". Then you'll have to take a year off to go to school (probably twice) and start all over on your upgrades. Your 30's should be fun, being a wingman is *kinda* fun at the time but it's a thrash. All that being said, yes typically if you are the top of the class in AD, you get what you want. Age doesn't really matter last I checked. Good luck

Taz was one of my B course students. It was awesome to watch him get better and grow in the community over the years. He's missed.

My .02: find a new dream. If you aren't sure, you likely won't ever be. This will be a mental obstacle you don't need when trying to become a fighter pilot. Trust me, no matter how much research you've done, you have no idea what being a fighter pilot is really like. The good news is that since you really just think you'd like to be one, you have time to find something else you think you'd really like to do. I never asked myself whether I'd like being a fighter pilot until I had been one for more than 10 years. It's a real pain in the @$$. If you are questioning it now, just go find something else to be passionate about; there are a TON of cool careers out there. Good luck.

Careful guys - lots of people throwing around WOMs here. I'm an airline guy and I was a commander so I've dealt with both sides. Only specific types of orders are exempt and they will say "These orders are exempt from USERRA" right on them. There are waivers for anything but in general: Training orders (UPT, SERE, B-course, FWIC, etc) Seasoning orders (post b-course or TX course if unit is transitioning) Involuntary mobilization That's it. Your 10 year UPT commitment is most definitely NOT USERRA exempt. You can't stay full time for 10 years and come back to your airline job without working a bunch of non-standard stuff. You have a 10 year commitment, but don't have to be full time. Most guys go back to the airline post-seasoning orders.

The "I'll have you banned" part was my favorite BTW. Jaysus..... big talk for someone who's been on the board less than 2 years.

I said all scores matter as in when I sit on hiring boards I look at every score from the tests. If Pilot and Nav scores are great and the rest suck, I assume the applicant is lazy unless he/she has some reason that the rest of the tests didn't go well. Were you being sarcastic or did you really think I was stooping to the political garbage level?

Bad advice - all scores matter. A 44 isn't the end of the world, but I'd be asking about it if I was sitting on your board. Go rush the units you want to apply to and see how it goes.

I am officially a has-been. My fini flight was this morning, retirement ceremony this afternoon. Bittersweet to say the least. Getting out of that jet for the last time was a bigger deal than I was expecting. It's been a good ride - 21 years in and 18.5 of the last 19 flying the Mighty-Mighty (quick MC-12 stint in AFG back in '11). I haven't been posting much, but it's about to get a lot less. Thanks to all the warriors out there; keep fighting the good fight. Now I'm one of those guys that thank you for your service. I probably won't buy you lunch though - I'm still a cheap-ass airline pilot. Do your best to keep this place following it's roots - helping people in the fight (or trying to get there). Hasta-la-bye-bye. Evil

Have you visited the units you are applying to? If you only call, your app goes in the round-file.

Late to the fight here, but I have used the mini and find it to be perfect for GA. An air or pro would block too much crap IMO. If you can handle the feeling of earplugs, check out Clarity Aloft or Halo QT. I've been using Halo's for GA (non-warbird) flying for the last 8 years or so. They are great, no batteries to change and super light.

I'm not saying that they should have the same knowledge base as a C model IP. I was commenting on their lack of desire to learn, admit their mistakes or even consider they had something more to learn in the first place after being shown proof they were wrong. (again, not all but.... nearly all)

We wouldn't fight a strike Eagle in a clean C model - that's just not even sporting. I disagree that it would be like me calling a fight in the back of a fighting falcon (I've done that too). The control zone is the control zone, a wez is a wez; potential energy, bandit maneuver options based on said energy/jet capabilities and fight history are pillars of aerial combat that don't really change from jet to jet. (ie A C model has the same wez available to it when fighting an E model or a 16 & vice versa). If you think that BFM and the lessons taught in mastering that art form aren't useful in the rest of tactical aviation "nowadays" I'd say you are part of the problem. The ANG doesn't just do coastal defense. Honestly I'm shocked that anyone in the USAF thinks that's all the ANG does. Have you been living under a rock for the last 20 years?

When I was at Mtn Home, we started a thing to have all the new IWSO's and soon-to-be-IWSO's come over and ride in our D model for some more advanced BFM concepts. I think I did about 9 or 10 of those rides. Not one had a clue, they all said to do the wrong thing constantly. They would argue with me when I wasn't their voice-activated auto pilot. In the debrief, most of them were very cool and got some good learning out of it. A few of them might-as-well have crossed their arms, stomped their feet and put their fingers in their ears when I was trying to teach. Ah well.... I've never had to fly with WSO's. That one small window to the community was enough for me. It's not an opinion for the ANG. We don't have the money to fund enough pilots for our current jets. There simply isn't enough money to have twice as many officers; it's not like AD where they just say "we're doing this" and let the money people figure it out. I'll be completely shocked if the ANG starts flying with WSO's again even if AD force-feeds WSO's into a/a squadrons.

I can't wait for all the WSO's to cry about the ANG flying with empty back seats and crushing it.

Nah, the ANG can't afford twice the officers. It'll be flown single seat.

Nope, every squadron needs a good bro that's always available to be the DD. No issue unless you make it one.

Don't show up if they say not to. It's a strange year for everyone. Timing is not the best for people looking to rush or for units looking to hire. Play the long game, stay patient and keep the good attitude.

I also don't recommend enlisting. Keep rushing, ask specific guys for feedback; ask the other guys that are rushing with you why they think you aren't getting good feedback. I don't know you but ask yourself if your attitude is holding you back. People don't like to give feedback that "you don't fit in with the squadron" or that you have a bad attitude. Again, I'm not saying that's the case, but you have to ask yourself. Good luck.

Glad to hear it! As well it should be; we need good people everywhere. Part of being good IMHO is to believe in the mission.

Fair enough. How about this: in the 19 years I've been a fighter pilot, I've seen exactly 4 cross-trained guys that became good fighter pilots. Many more were good guys, good friends of mine and great to have a beer with; but not good fighter pilots. Maybe it's the difference in fighter vs tanker? (the guys in other fighter communities I've discussed this with have similar experiences). I'm no scientist but I'm pretty sure there are studies saying that we learn better when we are younger. http://www.mempowered.com/aging/why-learning-harder-we-get-older http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6172048.stm But hey... YMMV

That's funny to hear. When I was in UPT 100 years ago, all the guys that didn't get 38's but wanted to be fighter pilots said "my new plan is to volunteer for the U-2 to get 38 qual'd then cross train to fighters". Even as a 2LT I thought that sounded like a lot of what-if's, maybe's and certainly a bunch of work just to get a shot at it. Maybe those guys shouldn't have gotten a 24U on their contact check in tweets. (actual numbers from a friend of mine who told me this was his plan). I've always told guys that we need good people everywhere. I truly believe that, you need to be able to trust the tanker to be on time (haha), the cargo dudes to get our crap to theater, the chopper dudes to come get your ass in bad guy land if need be, the bomber guys to put themselves through 20+ hour sorties to lay down major hate and the fighter guys to pull G's and kill stuff when we're given the chance, etc, etc, etc. Many of us didn't get what we thought we wanted; in many of those cases it turned out great anyway. One thing that has always struck me funny are the guys that put 38 training on a pedestal as if it's this huge obstacle and once you have flown the 38 for a few months that makes you a shoe-in fighter pilot. The 38 was a pain in the ass to fly when I was a 2LT but it wasn't because it was difficult, it was because I was a 2LT. It's underpowered, under-winged and old as shit but it's what we all flew so there's some commonality there. Many guys that have rushed our unit have talked about how they are "sure they can get through the 38 program now" as a Captain or Major after flying some other MDS. It must be a different optic from the T-1 trained side. (at least for some people) I dunno. My major hangup with old guys/gals learning new stuff is that we all learn better when we are young. After we're taught "the way" of our first MDS, we consider that gospel (for the most part) and anything else we think as non-standard. It's a natural way of thinking but puts you behind the curve when you have all those built-up walls to tear down. In my experience with re-trained fighter pilots; it's a tougher road than most think it will be and it's almost always the things they never thought would be hard that end up being the nail in the coffin of those that don't make it. Before everyone goes ape-$h!t, some do and become awesome fighter pilots.

Not exactly consistent in what they are the most lacking in - it seems to be that the bar is generally lower there. (or seems to be) Not everyone that graduates there does poorly of course; it's just that many that should've washed out in UPT didn't.

The Eagle community has had way more washouts from ENNJPT grads than traditional SUPT grads. I always tell our guys to take the first slot they get offered but if they have a choice, go somewhere other than ENNJPT. Careful what you wish for fellas.

It's not that we don't like them, it's that we have been bitten by them in the past. Not likely to hire another for a while.