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3 hours ago, sartoreabram said:

Does anyone have any insight on the MacDill board coming up in June? I know the applications are due March 1st and I have looked at the info on BogiDope for a timeline. Just wondering if anyone knows how competitive/how many candidates usually are asked to rush or are interviewed. I only ask because most job postings have a very direct/cut and dry list of what to send in whereas the posting for MacDill is very laid back and just says shoot a resume to the email listed. Any info or tips would be great, thanks

It's competitive, it's Tampa. There's some good dudes down there and they definitely want you to visit before the board.

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7 hours ago, doofer said:

To piggyback on that, I have met 2 pilots who told me they interviewed EIGHT times before getting hired. Just don't stop till you get there. 

Just to help with a dose of reality. Persistency is indeed a very good trait to have. But we've all met many great dudes who have interviewed countless times and did not get the fighter slot they wanted originally. But they did still end up flying in the end. And thats what we're all here for. To fly and serve.

Edited by bigdreams
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5 hours ago, mightymighty said:

Can confirm it will be prior-service only.  I believe the board is next month. 

thanks for the heads up.

anybody have more info on this? obviously there's no info on bogidope about it. i'm prior service and i'd love to apply. will call the poc for the previous year's upt tomorrow, but it sounds like i'm too late. thanks in advance.

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55 minutes ago, bigdreams said:

Just help a dose of reality. Persistency is indeed a very good trait to have. But we've all met many great dudes who have interviewed countless times and did not get the fighter slot they wanted originally. But they did still end up flying in the end. And thats what we're all here for. To fly and serve.

Hate to admit it but you are right. We always hear the advice "just keep going and you'll get picked up! It took me 50 fighter interviews with 30 alternates before I got picked up, you can do it too!" That's not realistic for everyone and people need to realize that.

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13 hours ago, Seadogs said:

Hate to admit it but you are right. We always hear the advice "just keep going and you'll get picked up! It took me 50 fighter interviews with 30 alternates before I got picked up, you can do it too!" That's not realistic for everyone and people need to realize that.

Perhaps but if you have that attitude you are going to hurt your chances of getting what you want.  

Having a "Plan B" Can Hurt Your Chances of Success

It's a similar philosophy that SOF hopefuls have that go through BUDS, Q-Course, RASP, etc.  The one's that make it have an attitude of, "I'd rather die, drown, freeze to death, or break my leg than fail this evolution."  Burn the boats.  If you want a combat aviation mission what about the AF active duty route?  Navy/USMC aviation?  There is more than one way to get what you want.  

Edited by tarheelaviator
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14 hours ago, Seadogs said:

Hate to admit it but you are right. We always hear the advice "just keep going and you'll get picked up! It took me 50 fighter interviews with 30 alternates before I got picked up, you can do it too!" That's not realistic for everyone and people need to realize that.

Indeed. After dozens of interviews and 3 years of struggling financially and even hiding in grad school for a while, I was supposedly "getting close" (drug of choice if there ever was one), but finally gave up on the fighter thing when the little money I had ran out. I needed to eat, and was already 3-4 years behind my phantom AD YG peers in getting the TAFSD clock going. Didn't seem like a big deal then, but now I'm kicking myself being 7 years to the finish line when I could be 3.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: can't love what you say you do when you're hungry and broke first. And that was relatively easier to negotiate in that I had no dependents back then. Nowadays, forget it. So I took the first unit that would send me to UPT pronto and never looked back.  To be clear, I don't regret not having gone AD, but I gave up a not insignificant amount of time in the holding pattern, which has affected me financially. Granted, the Lost Decade was in full swing, so I was going nowhere fast in the Bush II economy anyways, but the point remains.

In the end, I low-crawled my way into a flying job I felt more suited and content with than the one that got me into the military, so it all worked out. Took about 8 years but that's life. Consolation prizes don't have to always be a pejorative. I certainly don't think so. I sleep well at night. Good luck!

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15 hours ago, ihtbasitc said:

thanks for the heads up.

anybody have more info on this? obviously there's no info on bogidope about it. i'm prior service and i'd love to apply. will call the poc for the previous year's upt tomorrow, but it sounds like i'm too late. thanks in advance.

I just emailed the POC, apparently he's still doing it this year too. I'll update you if I hear anything (they said he's on leave for the next couple days). 

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19 minutes ago, admdelta said:

I just emailed the POC, apparently he's still doing it this year too. I'll update you if I hear anything (they said he's on leave for the next couple days). 

big thanks. if i don't get the chance to at least meet them this year i'll be disappointed. i've got calls and emails in to the personnel office too.

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6 hours ago, tarheelaviator said:

Perhaps but if you have that attitude you are going to hurt your chances of getting what you want.  

Having a "Plan B" Can Hurt Your Chances of Success

It's a similar philosophy that SOF hopefuls have that go through BUDS, Q-Course, RASP, etc.  The one's that make it have an attitude of, "I'd rather die, drown, freeze to death, or break my leg than fail this evolution."  Burn the boats.  If you want a combat aviation mission what about the AF active duty route?  Navy/USMC aviation?  There is more than one way to get what you want.  

Sure? But if only the top .5% can become fighter pilots, then statistically speaking, we all can't be fighter pilots. 

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On 2/20/2020 at 10:42 AM, tarheelaviator said:

Perhaps but if you have that attitude you are going to hurt your chances of getting what you want.  

Having a "Plan B" Can Hurt Your Chances of Success

It's a similar philosophy that SOF hopefuls have that go through BUDS, Q-Course, RASP, etc.  The one's that make it have an attitude of, "I'd rather die, drown, freeze to death, or break my leg than fail this evolution."  Burn the boats.  If you want a combat aviation mission what about the AF active duty route?  Navy/USMC aviation?  There is more than one way to get what you want.  


I would 100% have a plan B.

 

The circuit is crazy this year, with fighter units getting 200+ applicants for 1-2 spots. You literally have a 1-2/200 or 00.5% - 01% chance of getting a guard fighter slot.

Than even if you do get a interview, you will have to spend around $800 on flights, hotel, food, car rental, etc out of your own pocket. And even then they interview 15 guys and pick 1 or 2.
 

If it takes you 12 interviews to get a spot, then 12x$800 and you are talking big $$$$. And that’s not counting all of the flight time you need to buy.

You can go active duty, but it is possible that you can get a class with no fighter drops (although not likely). There is a good chance you will end up flying a C-17 active duty when u could have done it in the guard/reserve with a much better quality of life (and more $$$ from the airlines).

You can also go navy or marine, but you might get a helicopter or osprey or c-130.

Morale of the story is don’t pass up a great guard/reserve flying career flying heavies or something cool because you are chasing something that probably won’t happen. Try for fighters at first and give it 100%, but don’t ruin a great plan B because you chased a job with a 00.5% chance of getting hired.  You have to be optimistic but also realistic as well.

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2 minutes ago, John Doe said:


I would 100% have a plan B.

 

The circuit is crazy this year, with fighter units getting 200+ applicants for 1-2 spots. You literally have a 1-2/200 or 00.5% - 01% chance of getting a guard fighter slot.

Than even if you do get a interview, you will have to spend around $800 on flights, hotel, food, car rental, etc out of your own pocket. And even then they interview 15 guys and pick 1 or 2.
 

If it takes you 12 interviews to get a spot, then 12x$800 and you are talking big $$$$. And that’s not counting all of the flight time you need to buy.

You can go active duty, but it is possible that you can get a class with no fighter drops (although not likely). There is a good chance you will end up flying a C-17 active duty when u could have done it in the guard/reserve with a much better quality of life (and more $$$ from the airlines).

You can also go navy or marine, but you might get a helicopter or osprey or c-130.

Morale of the story is don’t pass up a great guard/reserve flying career flying heavies or something cool because you are chasing something that probably won’t happen. Try for fighters at first and give it 100%, but don’t ruin a great plan B because you chased a job with a 00.5% chance of getting hired.  You have to be optimistic but also realistic as well.

Hey man keep it down, I don’t wanna have to compete with 200+ people on heavies too! 😂

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2 hours ago, John Doe said:


I would 100% have a plan B.

 

The circuit is crazy this year, with fighter units getting 200+ applicants for 1-2 spots. You literally have a 1-2/200 or 00.5% - 01% chance of getting a guard fighter slot.

Than even if you do get a interview, you will have to spend around $800 on flights, hotel, food, car rental, etc out of your own pocket. And even then they interview 15 guys and pick 1 or 2.
 

If it takes you 12 interviews to get a spot, then 12x$800 and you are talking big $$$$. And that’s not counting all of the flight time you need to buy.

You can go active duty, but it is possible that you can get a class with no fighter drops (although not likely). There is a good chance you will end up flying a C-17 active duty when u could have done it in the guard/reserve with a much better quality of life (and more $$$ from the airlines).

You can also go navy or marine, but you might get a helicopter or osprey or c-130.

Morale of the story is don’t pass up a great guard/reserve flying career flying heavies or something cool because you are chasing something that probably won’t happen. Try for fighters at first and give it 100%, but don’t ruin a great plan B because you chased a job with a 00.5% chance of getting hired.  You have to be optimistic but also realistic as well.

It seems that some ppl here think if you even remotely understand the possibility that you won't get fighters then you have the "wrong attitude". Lol. Let's just all go in with blind optimism shall we?

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15 hours ago, Lisenbyjacob said:

So would it be inappropriate to attach a LOR with my resume or advisable to just stick to what they're asking?

I would follow their instructions as listed. If they wanted a LOR at that point, they would ask for one. Attention to detail is key.

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On 2/20/2020 at 6:47 PM, ihtbasitc said:

big thanks. if i don't get the chance to at least meet them this year i'll be disappointed. i've got calls and emails in to the personnel office too.

Sorry, which unit is this? Im AD navy right now about to jump ship and am interested. 

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On 2/20/2020 at 9:47 AM, ihtbasitc said:

big thanks. if i don't get the chance to at least meet them this year i'll be disappointed. i've got calls and emails in to the personnel office too.

Just heard back from the Mass POC, he says the board details for this year are still TBD. Doesn't sound like it's happening next month as someone else reported. He did say to keep an eye out on Bogidope and that they'd be making a post there.

Edited by admdelta
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Hey everyone, 

I'm currently looking for any upcoming UPT boards for fighter squadrons, I'm aware of the 121st in DC, the 112th in Toledo, and the 119th in Atlantic City. Feel free to private message me or comment on this post if you know of any other squadrons that are having a UPT board this year or you have a POC for me to use!

I'd really appreciate the help.

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2 hours ago, BlueSkyz said:

Sorry if this was already posted...has anyone heard back from the 100th FS out of Montgomery yet? Their board is supposed to be 6-7MAR. I've tried emailing Capt Sanka but no joy. 

I just heard back today. Invites were sent out already. 

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