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What Are My Chances? Prior E to UPT another old-guy edition!


OnlyInCleveland

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What's up everybody! Long time lurker, first time poster. I'm a former AD KC-135 Boom Operator that has been working to get a spot for UPT anywhere and on any airplane! I obviously feel like I'd be a good fit at a tanker squadron since I know the drill but I am open to serving once again anyway and anywhere I can. Here are some of my scores:

Age: 32! I don't feel THAT old...

KC-135 Boom Operator, MacDill AFB

Pilot: 90 PCSM: 89

Bachelor's of Business Admin 3.1

MBA 4.0

Commercial Pilot License; ASEL; Instrument Airplane

295 Total Time

LOR's

Major - KC-135 Pilot, Reserves

Captain - KC-135 Pilot, Current AD T6 IP

Lt. - KC-135 Pilot, ANG

Director of MBA Program

Volunteer Coordinator at Hospice

I was a boomer down at MacDill while I was active for a few years and have since moved back up north to my home state of Ohio. I'm a diehard Browns fan and can kind of say that proudly now since we've actually won a football game! I've been finishing my MBA and flying GA aircraft since I separated. The GI Bill has been a godsend. I have just finished my CPL and will be going for my CFI in October. I found my love for airplanes and service a little later in life than most but I'm hoping that I don't get penalized too harshly for that. I didn't grow up in an aviation or military family and I decided to join the Air Force and enlist after I graduated with my bachelor's degree. It seemed like a small decision at the time but it changed my life in so many ways. I loved my job while enlisted and the only reason I decided not to reenlist was because I knew I finally had a passion in life and it wasn't behind a desk in the business sector, it was flying airplanes. I've been shooting my applications out wide and far because my wife and I are 100% committed to relocating anywhere that would have us. She works in a hospital and has never had trouble finding a job while I was dragging her across the country during my active duty time. She understands the lifestyle and the deployments since she's already been through it with me before (if you can call 2 month tanker deployments a deployment!).

This forum has been such an amazing resource already and I've made some great contacts just from reading others posts and chatting through messages. I hope to see some of you guys out there or message me on here, thanks for reading!

Go Browns!

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Based on my experience thus far in the recruiting process, a lot of Heavy units can't get enough candidates, much less those with credentials like yourself! 

My recruiter was telling me a lot of good news on the Reserve side in regards to heavy squadrons, being younger than you and with slightly better scores, so with your extra credentials and flight experience I feel you'd be a shoe in.

You should easily get a slot if you just head down to a few squadrons and meet them, and it should be pretty simple for you to go either ANG or Reserve Sponsored and grab a waiver.

Good luck!

 

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On 9/29/2018 at 7:56 PM, Engraft said:

Based on my experience thus far in the recruiting process, a lot of Heavy units can't get enough candidates, much less those with credentials like yourself! 

My recruiter was telling me a lot of good news on the Reserve side in regards to heavy squadrons, being younger than you and with slightly better scores, so with your extra credentials and flight experience I feel you'd be a shoe in.

You should easily get a slot if you just head down to a few squadrons and meet them, and it should be pretty simple for you to go either ANG or Reserve Sponsored and grab a waiver.

Good luck!

 

 

16 hours ago, Waterhouse said:

Prior E with good stats... make sure your app is clear of errors, start sending it out and visiting units. You should have a home in no time, good luck!

Thanks guys, that's what I was hoping to hear but wasn't sure how much the age issue still applies in this environment. I've sent my packet to a few heavy units recently so we'll see what happens! Where are you guys at in the process? @Engraft @Waterhouse

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5 hours ago, OnlyInCleveland said:

 

Thanks guys, that's what I was hoping to hear but wasn't sure how much the age issue still applies in this environment. I've sent my packet to a few heavy units recently so we'll see what happens! Where are you guys at in the process?

Playing the waiting game for TFOT/UPT dates. I'm guessing it will be about a year from hire to TFOT

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3 hours ago, Waterhouse said:

Playing the waiting game for TFOT/UPT dates. I'm guessing it will be about a year from hire to TFOT

Grats, that's awesome! That seems to be the normal timeline recently, I'm guessing you did not need a waiver? Are you able to share where you got picked up at by chance?

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Currently going through AF Reserve and applying to ANG Units, just seeing which one pops up an opportunity first. Since I have time, I'm giving Fighters a shot, but won't say no to a UPT slot.

 Just started applying to a few boards, no bites yet. Gonna try to visit a couple units in 2019 to improve my chances, since to me it seems pretty mandatory to be considered. Maybe I'll run into you while visiting a unit?

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44 minutes ago, Engraft said:

Currently going through AF Reserve and applying to ANG Units, just seeing which one pops up an opportunity first. Since I have time, I'm giving Fighters a shot, but won't say no to a UPT slot.

 Just started applying to a few boards, no bites yet. Gonna try to visit a couple units in 2019 to improve my chances, since to me it seems pretty mandatory to be considered. Maybe I'll run into you while visiting a unit?

I haven't rushed any too far from me yet but have chatted with the guys at Youngstown who were awesome and said they definitely need pilots and can work a waiver. I plan on checking out Mansfield and have heard great things about the guys at Rickenbacker. I did get a couple interview bites for next month at some heavy units so we'll see how that goes! I also got rejected today for the KC-46 at Pease but I figured that would be a pretty competitive one anyway even without needing an ETP.

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  • 3 months later...

Have a similar situation to the OP

Age 31, Prior E Navy Nuke E6, 6 Years Active. Current  AFROTC Grad date spring 2020 degree Business Managemet GPA: 3.6 PFA: 100 Field Training: DG and heading back as a CTA this summer. Lower end Pilot/PCSM score but passing. Looking to get a spot as a Heavy Pilot active duty however I don't have the support from COC to get an age waiver or to back an exception to policy for >30 UPT. 

If I don't get a pilot slot pushing for acquisitions however would like to know if anyone has any suggestions as a work around to flying.

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On 1/11/2019 at 11:42 AM, blue2blue said:

Have a similar situation to the OP

Age 31, Prior E Navy Nuke E6, 6 Years Active. Current  AFROTC Grad date spring 2020 degree Business Managemet GPA: 3.6 PFA: 100 Field Training: DG and heading back as a CTA this summer. Lower end Pilot/PCSM score but passing. Looking to get a spot as a Heavy Pilot active duty however I don't have the support from COC to get an age waiver or to back an exception to policy for >30 UPT. 

If I don't get a pilot slot pushing for acquisitions however would like to know if anyone has any suggestions as a work around to flying.

You should make your own thread.

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  • 1 year later...
On 10/2/2018 at 6:11 PM, OnlyInCleveland said:

I haven't rushed any too far from me yet but have chatted with the guys at Youngstown who were awesome and said they definitely need pilots and can work a waiver. I plan on checking out Mansfield and have heard great things about the guys at Rickenbacker. I did get a couple interview bites for next month at some heavy units so we'll see how that goes! I also got rejected today for the KC-46 at Pease but I figured that would be a pretty competitive one anyway even without needing an ETP.

Hey,

From creeping on some of your other posts it look like you got picked up? If so, congrats!! I was curious if you had any updates or advice from people who are also rushing that will need an ETP for age. I've got my eye on the Rickenbacker Unit or other 135 units I can drive to from Indy.

Congratulations again (I think) on getting picked up!

Edited by Unit#8192
grammar
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4 hours ago, Unit#8192 said:

Hey,

From creeping on some of your other posts it look like you got picked up? If so, congrats!! I was curious if you had any updates or advice from people who are also rushing that will need an ETP for age. I've got my eye on the Rickenbacker Unit or other 135 units I can drive to from Indy.

Congratulations again (I think) on getting picked up!

Hey, thanks! I did get picked up! It worked out at a Reserve unit who was comfortable doing age waivers and it was approved. I am still waiting on official OTS dates because at this time I only have projected dates from the 340th. I was planning on writing up a longer post once everything is sorted out with that. I was hired around the end of 2018 at this unit, it's a long process!

Rickenbacker originally told me they wouldn't do waivers and then a few months later called me up out of the blue and told me to come in for a "pop up" board but I had already started the process with my current unit. As for advice, I followed what @FDNYOldGuy did as best I could even though he did an even better job than I did! Do everything you can possibly do before you even apply or get an interview. It will make a difference, trust us. Get your FC1 done on your own dime if you can and check out the things offered on BogiDope. I did a mock interview with them and it definitely helped. If you have specific questions, you can always pm me.

Edited by OnlyInCleveland
grammar
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  • 3 weeks later...

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