Q & A Forum

This is honestly a pretty simple question, however a lot of stuff I've heard on this topic doesn't seem to be credible to me. Are ANG pilots eligible to attend TPS, and if they are how much of an uphill battle is it? Of all the test pilots I know, all of them did it through the AD (however I have a skewed sample of astronauts living right in Clear Lake within Houston). I am just curious to know if this is possible or not. Thanks! -Patrick Krueger

Hi all, If selected for a Guard F-16 unit, after RTU, in the two years of seasoning, can you go to a reserve F-16 unit to accomplish that seasoning? Or does it specifically have to be a Guard unit that sponsors your seasoning? elvis

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Navy guy coming up on minimum service requirement. Looking at opportunities outside the Navy. ANG: Active duty, so does that mean retirement pay starting after 20 years? Is part time a thing in ANG ie airline gig and ANG? Or full time AFR: Work a weekend a month basically? Retirement pay kicks in at 60? But full medical after 20? just need confirmation on the basics of each, nothing in depth. Maybe pro con if willing. Thanks for helping

Hey guys, I am in a precarious situation, I have the ability to take the AFOQT and the TBAS here in Europe before I redeploy and at the same time, meet the some hiring board deadlines for units. the test dates are 21 and 25JUN. I have not really studied and I don't want to get a bad score to hurt my chances later, in addition to that, I don't know how I can study for the TBAS, as I understand it's more of the motorskills test. I'm also sitting at just shy of 800 hours so I am not worried as much about the stick wiggling part. what do you guys recommend?

So I've heard that the C-17 has some of the best bases in the country for AD, ANG and AFRC squadrons. Which of these bases have you heard to be fantastic to work and live at? I'm curious to know about life on and off the base, like what the town/city is like, what there is to do and what the schools are like. Just a quick reminder of current C-17 bases for AD, ANG and AFRC: AD: Charleston AFB, SC JBER, AK Travis AFB, CA Dover AFB, DE JB McGuire-Six-Lakehurst, NJ Wright Pat AFB, OH Altus AFB, OK JBLM, WA ANG (Excluding any previously listed) Jackson Intl Airport, MS Eastern West Regional Airport, WV …

I'm a current ROTC cadet that just got an assignment to attend UPT at Laughlin later on this year. If anybody has any useful information about the base, instructors, or just tips for UPT in general I would greatly appreciate it.

I understand High-3 is the average of the highest 36 months of base pay. Turns out replicating that calculation to match DFAS turned out giving me more headache than anticipated. First, I grabbed base pay amounts from the DFAS tables that covered my last 36 months of service: '18, '19, '20, '21. Then, I created a spreadsheet that calculates retired pay as follows: From Date: Date I started receiving a certain base pay To Date: Date that base pay ended (i.e. new calendar year w/NDAA-directed raise). # Days = From - To. …

Hi, I'm applying for both active duty and guard/reserve (OTS and hopefully UPT) to maximize my chances of a pilot slot. But I'm a little confused on how it works when taking on both routes at once. It's important to note that I'll be 32 years old in September so I'm really trying to get a lot done at once. I took the AFOQT through active duty (99 pilot) . My recruiter scheduled it for me at a MEPS station. Now I'm ready for the TBAS. And the Medical. He can schedule the TBAS for me, at the earliest, for mid July. He told me that I'm kind of "locked" to the MEPS station I took the AFOQT at and he wouldn't be able to relocate me to another one without a lot o…

Hello All! This is my first post; please be gentle. I’ve been lurking here and at the AirForceOTS forums looking for a line on academics to study prior to UPT. From what I understand, you can go in without much prior knowledge and be fine. However, if there was ever a time you said to yourself, “Yeah if I had been habitually bored in the months leading up to OTS/IFT/UPT, I wish I would have learned more about ‘X’.” I would appreciate that insight! For example, this BaseOps link talks about academics covering aerospace physiology: Would reading the Handbook of Operational and Aerospace Physiology (that I rapid googled after I read th…

So.. many of you guys here are pilots.. and I am guessing many know energy management principles from fighter training. From Wikipedia.. And you know that kinetic energy of a moving body is 1/2 x m x(v squared), where m is mass of the body and v is velocity. Imagine you are in a spacecraft in outer space, beyond the galaxy.You are observing another spacecraft that is quite close to you and has no relative motion with respect to you. These two spacecraft are the "isolated system" and are free from any outside gravitational influences. Now let's say the other spacecraft fires its engines (Burn 1) and accelerates to velocity v with respect to your spacecraft. Th…

I'm very sorry if this has been talked about here before, but I cannot for the life of me find an explanation in the search. Basic background: Enlisted aircrew (E-5) with the CA Air National Guard and I am looking to apply for ANG/AFRC pilot positions. I am seemingly ready to submit my applications. I have my degree completed, AFOQT/TBAS completed/PCSM generated, over 100 hours of flight time (with PPL), and three letters of recommendation in hand. But I am now finding out how little I know of what exactly is contained in an application package? Is there a guide available for building one or do I just need to send scores/resume/letters of rec into the units I'm …

Currently a regional first officer and lately I've thinking about applying to the military. I've always wanted to serve and fly for the military but have never pursued it before. I hear a lot of stories of military guys coming to the airlines, but not too many in the reverse order? I also know the guard/reserve reccomended a lot, however due to my age of 29 I think I missed the window for that. Question I ask is, would it be fullish for me to leave my current airline to become a active duty flight member? I feel my time window is small and I may regret it later down the road if I do not try. Any thoughts/inputs appreciated.

Hey all - dumb question: when applying for an ANG unit, what should I put the required documents in? A manila envelope? I've applied Active Duty before, but this is my first time applying ANG. Everything was done via email for AD. Thanks in advance!

I’m currently in the process of getting my uniforms ordered by my unit before heading out to UPT but there are hardly any more sage green boots left from manufacturers. Are coyote brown boots authorized for flight suits?

Hey everyone, I would like to start by saying that I am new to the forum, so I apologize if this has already been answered before. I tried searching for the answer to no avail. Quick background on myself. My father flew T-38's, C-130's, and is now at the airlines. Currently I am doing my pilot training in the civilian sector working towards my Commercial check ride as of current. I would like to stay local so guard/reserve are my preference I am familiar with three separate units that fit (2 units fly c-130's, and 1 flies f-16's). As many would say, I think flying fighters would be right up there with the coolest experiences you could have, and think I would like to …

Long story short. I didn't grow up wanting to be a pilot. I didn't go to air shows. As a matter of fact, I have never even seen a jet in real life. I thought the medical field was my calling for longer than I can remember, so all my time and resources went into that. I am now in the second semester of college studying chemical engineering and wish to be a military pilot more than anything. Do I stand a chance with the other aspiring aviators that have been dreaming about this before they could even walk ? There is a whole lot more to the story but I thought it is not helpful to the opinions I am seeking. I have done all the research I could on the process of pilot se…

A bro's situation: I'm currently assigned OCONUS and I'm PCS'ing to another OCONUS location. The current location is command sponsored (Aviano), the other is remote (Korea). If I want to maximize my leave, what types can I put together to get the most leave before spending a year away from my family?

I did my flight physical yesterday and it went well. It looks like they are still filling OTS classes for FY17. My second child is due June 30th what is the possibility of requesting my OTS date be to the right of June 30 and it happeneing.

Good afternoon all, Does anyone know how backed-up it is to start training at each of the Pilot bases. I've heard from a friend that an individual who got picked up on last AD board is still waiting to start at her previous base (Cross Training). Thanks in advance. -Mike

Is AMS still a thing? Or do ANG pilot hires just go to standard OTS now? All the info I have currently found is several years old.

Don't have any idea of when or where I'll end up for UPT. Assuming there is a lake nearby with the right season, would we have time on the weekends to use the wakeboat? Dumb idea? Fun? Thoughts?

So i am in a little bit of a dilemma (a good one). Currently 26 years old and I was recently accepted for the previous UPT board and am stoke, but during the dwell time I was applying to some guard units that I could see myself in if the active duty board didn't pan out. Ultimately, I haven't accepted/declined the Active duty UPT yet (because I haven't received any orders/RIP), and I just got a call from a Herc guard unit offering me a position flying with them. (Still no certainty that its an AGR gig). I have a wife and no children, and honestly the thing about active duty that irks me the most is the qweep associated with the job (Intel). What would you guys do and why?

The unit is picking up a Navy O-3, now AF O-3, with prior Army enlisted time. AF major board this year. No AF OPR or training reports, won't have either before board. Their options?

I'm thinking of applying to the 446th AW at McChord as a C-17 pilot and want know how many times a week C-17 pilots drive to and from work. I'm thinking of living up by Seattle and the drive to McChord is roughly an hour, so if C-17 pilots are going into work almost every day then it may be too far. However on the other hand if you're driving in 2-3 times a week, that would be more doable perhaps. Thanks!