[Dollar Ride Ideas]

I've been told my T-1 "dollar ride" (direct quote) will be right after Christmas break, so I'm thinkin' the T-1's do it, too.

[Dollar Ride Ideas]

I went pretty conservative, being that it's AETC and a "one mistake air force" and all. Being a guardsman, I put KC-135's all over it, the old man in the mountain (state symbol) over G.W., I put the ANG patch on one side and my home squadron patch on the other and put NKAWTG over the "One Dollar" at the bottom.

I've seen people put their IP's MWS platform on there, their dream MWS platform on there, we had one guy tape his dollar to a bottle of Jagermeister for his IP. I saw another one that had a little die-cast F-16 jammed through it.

As for the naked woman, I've seen 'em out there, usually taped to the back. Your call.

[Dos Gringos]

I first heard Track #2 "Two's Blind" while halfway through Tweet formation phase. Laughed my a$$ off.

Every time my form partner took me through the sun "like he does every ****ING TIME" I'd think of the song and smile.

It's definitely worth a listen, and any flyer will appreciate the humor.

[Weight/body fat issues (under/over)]

The Vance policy still stands. If you know you are gonna be going into the AF, get your butt out there and start PTing.

I'm one of those "always on the edge" kind of guys, and if I slack on the PT, I pack on the fat. I usually manage to avoid the tape, but I think the Body Fat is based on age. I wanna say it was like 20%, but goes up to 24% when you hit 30. The AF is always changing, looking at Body Mass Index, etc, etc. I've found the best way to avoid hassle is to be underweight.

BTW, the new Air Force fitness test is on the way. Push ups and sit ups and a 1.5 mile run. Also, the AF has this fun little test called the FACT (Fighter Air Crew) test. EVERYONE has to take it at UPT, even ANG/AFRES guys going to fly heavies. Navs, if you go Strike at P-Cola, gotta do it there too. If you fail it, it's not a big deal, just that your classmates all get to see how little you can lift...

[Info on PCSM scores]

The dude at Randolph that used to run the pilot selection process once told me that anything above a 90 is good, since it's my understanding that it's a probability that you will complete the program matrix.

I got my slot with a 96, dunno what the other guys had

http://www.aetc.randolph.af.mil/sas/pcsm has a FAQ's page

Good luck!

Jeff

[Changing/switching units]

Fair enough, this is an excellent example of why you might need to transfer your slot.

PAB, Open mouth, insert keyboard

You unit would be more than willing to work with you if something like this arose. Typically, a unit likes you to live within a certain radius of the base. However, there are folks in my unit that live considerably farther away than the typical 150-200 mi radius. For airline pilots, it's easy, they jumpseat in. Others do 2 drills a month (as opposed to 1 weekend) and stay longer. Some drive in and spend a week or two on some of the different types of orders they can put you on, so it's not optimal, but still very possible to be with a unit and live quite a ways away. Will you get the hours that the guy who lives across town gets? No, but it can still work.

If you still need to transfer, that can be done as well.

[Changing/switching units]

Here's the deal...

Typically, a Guard unit is going to hire you because they need a pilot, but it's not like Active Duty. Since people in ANG units typically do not move around, they are looking for someone who will be there for the long haul. When you interview, you will find this out. You'll get questions like "why do you want to fly here? what interests you about our unit?" Unless they are so short manned that they will hire ANYBODY, they try to hire those who will be beneficial to the guard "family." Some of the guys in my unit have been around for 30+ years.

For me, there is no active duty flying opportunities in the region I grew up in and want to live (New England), which is why I got out of AD. I found a mission I enjoy, a region I want to live, and a unit willing to hire me and send me to UPT, so I can't really ask for a whole lot more. I would hate to have gotten denied the slot, so someone could come in and take it and then work a transfer midway through UPT to go fly for another unit.

So, forgive me for being presumptuous, but if you are thinking about trying to get on with a unit and then use them as a stepping stone to get to another location, you won't win friends and influence people in the reserve components.

If you have a more noble intention in mind, then you would need to talk to the unit directly, but I don't think a unit's gonna use their slot to hire a guy who's going to go somewhere else.

Check out AirGuardian's post under to apply...or to wait, that is the question

PAB

[ 26 November 2003, 18:45: Message edited by: PAB ]

[Bringing family/spouse/girlfriend to UPT]

Fellas and spouses,

Can't add too much more to C-21's post, he hit the nail on the head.

I'm walking in C-21's footsteps now with a wife and 1 kid and one in the oven. My wife is one of five spouses and the only one with kids, so ditto the whole MOPS thing. There is enough out there offered through the base.

Tweets is tough when you are on Formal Release, but once you can control your schedule a little, it gets better.

Jarhead, when you phrased it like that, it definitely makes it better, especially if the spouse has this whole military experience thing going on like yours and mine do.

A lot of times, after a long week that's not over yet, I'd be sitting there studying in my living room with the kiddo in bed and my flightmates scattered about and I'd look at my wife and say "Well, it could be worse, I could be back in my tent in Oman/Saudi/pick-a-stan, any-stan..." and you both realize that you are home every night and can catch the occasional soccer game, it makes it better. Sure beats a 6 month MEU, eh?

From my wife to yours..."Go to the gym every day, and keep busy so you don't go stir-crzy on your husband."

E-mail us with questions or concerns, we're all here to help.

PAB