[IFS and the right sight picture......]

All true. IFS gives one a glimpse into what UPT is going to be like.

Well said...for any guys w/ a fair amount of prior time, like myself, this is what you're going to learn, since you should already know how to fly. Learn the BOLDFACE, how to put up with AETC queep (which IFS IPs do a fantastic job of imitating), how to do a tabletop EP, and how to design a wildly inappropriate (but on the surface, clean) class patch that will still get approved.

About the only advantage to arriving a day early would be adjusting your body clock from Alaskan time. Day one starts pretty early and is long. There will be a welcome briefing by your new Flt CC. You'll also be doing the PFT on day one. So if you think it would help and can get the orders adjusted, I'd say go for it. Day 1 through 4 are mostly in an auditorium with briefings and academics.......wouldn't want you to fall asleep!

Uniform policy is really the domain of the 1st FTS, not Doss. What I can tell you is that most wear the AETC patch and their unit name tag. As previously stated, the sholders are kept for the class/flight patch and then 1st FTS patch. If you can't find an old AETC patch, the 1st can provide one. "Patch wearers" get a pass obviously on wearing the weapons school patch.

Day 0 in-processing really only takes an hour or so.

That PFT is no joke. If you're not from the Academy, and run an average 1.5 mile time (11:30 or slower), you're in danger of failing if they're using the new PT standards. Not that it's a real PT test that'll end up on your record, but prepare accordingly...

I'll caveat what I'm about to say by seconding that any and all preparation will only serve to help and not hinder you at IFS and anywhere down the line.

Disclaimer aside, I finished IFS within the last few months and aside from the initial academics and the first few flights, the supposed "fire hose" was not that challenging. There were plenty of those work load "valleys" at Doss as well. I was a zero-hour guy coming in, but pretty much breezed through the program and got seriously bored throughout the last two thirds of it. By that point I was spending about an hour a day doing mission planning and maybe another 30 minutes studying General Knowledge. The rest of your days you can pretty much plan on watching a lot of Hulu and playing volleyball with the other studs.

I'm not god's gift to aviation by any means, but I didn't come close to hooking any rides either. My suggestion to all is to simply chill out, and don't fret about studying anything but Boldface/OL before you arrive. You will have ample opportunity to learn everything by heart when you are there.

Finally, some common sense from one of the many people that didn't struggle at IFS. Here's some real advice: If you have a lot of prior time, don't tell anyone. Don't raise your hand when they ask who the PPL/Comm/CFI-rated guys in the audience are, and definitely don't tell your IPs unless they bring it up or notice. FWIW, the guy in your class with the most prior hours will be the SRO. That job sucks, but is easy to do well.

If you you have some prior time (solo-PPL), don't take it for granted as it probably won't help that much. Learn the BF/Ops Limits cold, but don't stress about it. It shouldn't take more than a couple of hours to learn. Practice writing it down while sitting at "modified attention," using a checklist as a clipboard, and giving yourself a 10 minute time limit. That's the best practice you'll get...and if you show up day 1 and some poor soul in your class doesn't have a kneeboard to write on, don't be a douche and help the guy out.

For everyone else, if you have no time, don't stress out. Study Gleim, AOPA, or Sporty's PPL test bank (~600 questions or so) until you know all the answers (might take some time). Once you have that down, you'll ace the academics. Know the BF before you show up. Pay attention during ground week and bank some sleep, and study what the IPs tell you to do. The In-Flt Guide and the checklist should be your bible starting week two. After your dollar ride, start chairflying...but focus on procedures, radio calls, checklists, and timing. Practicing steep turns and sight pictures in a chair won't make you a better pilot. Memorizing radio calls so you don't have to think about them while you're trying to fly will.

Finally, bring a computer/iPad w/ plenty of movies on it and a good book. Hell, I even brought my Xbox (not recommended...). Go to the store your first day there (bring a car if able) and buy some booze and snacks. Settle into your little cave and learn to relax! Take Saturday off, go catch a baseball game, go hiking, or go out to eat. Studying for 6 hours a day won't help you if you're constantly stressing out. The guys in my class who washed out didn't do so because they weren't smart enough or good enough. They failed because they couldn't take the implied stress that's imposed on you. Enjoy your 3-6 weeks in Pueblo, learn what you can, BS the rest, cooperate to graduate (help your bros), and move on. Good luck!

Edit: "don't be a douche and help the guy out" = "help the guy out"

[Boss, I quit...]

Sending UPT grads to UAV's is borderline fraud waste and abuse. I know I am preaching to the choir on this one but it pisses me off to no end.

It is shortsighted and an ABSOLUTE CANCER in the CAF. The decision to non-voul young talented aviators to this career field is being upheld by many who have already had an entire career flying fast jets.

The current trend is that as long as you're not one of the two worst studs in your UPT class, you'll find yourself in a cockpit. I'm not sure that I see the problem with that.

[Shoe Clerk Vol 3]

Ranks right up there with "wordsmithing."

I heard this the other day:"Sir, we've been (insert word for doing poorly) for a while with late DTS authorizations but we're trending back above glideslope now."

Isn't being above glideslope a bad thing?

[Air Force Heritage]

No heritage, are you kidding?

Aim High...Fly! Fight! Win!

Beats Semper Fi any day.

[Boom Operator Q&A]

I just told a pilot what he was doing wrong on an approach today (the IP asked me what I was seeing) and he corrected it and made some great approaches. I'm sure that experience would never cross over to being a pilot though.

You're right, it probably wouldn't.

The prior E's that were in OTS and UPT with me were all great Officers and good guys. They also had a harder time getting a UPT slot than any of the ROTC or OTS guys did.

Grindblaster: you'll be happy in the long run, suck it up for a few years and work hard and you'll be fine.

[Boom Operator Q&A]

My prior college experience was just to pursue my musical hobby, and I excelled there, meaning I can excel at whatever I put my heart, mind, and soul into.

I think you're wasting your time with enlisting. Skip the Guard recruiter and go find a Guard squadron. Tell the Commander there that you'll excel at UPT and you should have no trouble getting a AMS slot.

Seriously, don't enlist. Do ROTC, if you really do excel, you'll get your pilot slot. If you don't, you wouldn't have made it to OTS from being enlisted anyway, and you'll still have a degree and a job as a Finance Officer. You can get an ROTC scholarship to pay for tuition. When you commission, you can get a $25,000 low interest loan to pay off your debts. If you enlist, you won't be able to concentrate on a degree, and you'll have a helluva time getting an OTS slot. There was a guy in my IFS class who bragged about his 900+ hours as a boomie. He washed out.

(edit to add real advice)

[SERE/Land survival info]

Does anyone have any insight as to whether BDUs/BDU gortex and similar will be allowed in the field after the uniform changeover? I'm heading there at the end of Nov and have some BDU gear, but nothing ABU. Figured I'd ask here before bugging them. Thanks!

They actually might care... When I went in Dec (all the snow stories brought back the good memories!)they specifically told us that to get on the bus to go out "to field," that we had to be in accordance with 36-2903. No kidding, end quote. Once you're in the field, however, nobody cares. One guy was wearing a North Face fleece with his flight suit every night around the campfire and nobody cared. Bottom line, if you show up in full Gore Tex, they won't know what you have on underneath, but you have to look like you're in compliance. I'd just take flightsuits and BDUs and anything else you even think you might need and ask your instructor when you get there. Anything you don't want to pack just throw on the floor of your room.

For what it's worth, I wore thermal pants (issued creamy looking stuff, sts), an Under Armor cold gear thing, my flightsuit on top of that, and full Gore Tex on top of that. I couldn't have been more comfortable, I often took off the Under Armor because it was too hot. I bought the Gore-Tex on my own dime and sold it to a buddy who went the week after...I lost about $50 on the deal, and it couldn't have been better spent!

The whole shitting in a flight suit is over-rated. The first night I climbed out of my sleeping bag at about 0300 to drop the kids off in the snow, needless to say BDU's wouldn't have saved me then. If you wear ABUs/BDUs, the ABU belt + a belt for the Gore Tex + your pack's hip belt chafes in all the wrong places. Also, somebody mentioned having your zippers to warm socks/gloves, it works. Speaking of socks...Smart Wool!

Hope that helps!

That water really was inconvenient at 3am and you had just gotten cozy in your sleeping bag...Hardest part of SERE was getting out of that damn bag every morning or for the emergency piss.

The one night I was given water at 3am I don't recall being in a sleeping bag...or being cozy for that matter

[IFS (Initial Flight Screening) information]

The IFS guide says to bring AETC patches from your home station. Where do I get them and which patches do I need other than the MAJCOM patch? I assume the 1st Flying Training Squadron for the right shoulder. What goes on the left? My ANG unit has never sent anyone to IFS (at least not anyone that has completed training yet), so they neither have the patches nor know where to get them. Thanks for the help.

-AE

Get 'em at any BX... if that's not practical just show up without them (they had extras for us). Nothing on the sleeves (you can bring a flag but they wouldn't let us wear it). After you solo, you'll get their patch, and if your class chooses, you'll make a class patch. Also, if you have time beforehand, feel free to order a sweet nametag, as they don't care what you have. If you show up without one, you'll wear a rubber nametag with your name on a piece of label-maker tape, no kidding!

Oh, and get out on the weekends. No need to study for 12 hours on a Saturday at IFS...

[WTF? (**NSFW**)]

The first thing that came to mind when I read this was "WTF?!?" Therefore I'm certain this is in the appropriate thread.

This is cut and paste from a "Wingman Alert" sent out to our base recently:

This is a final report. On the morning of 5 February 2011, a member of the Wing was arrested for assault following a party at his residence where alcohol was consumed. According to Police, a party guest reported that she had been written on with markers after she had fallen asleep at the party.

ARI Results: No action taken against the host of the party. (Thanks God!)

Lesson Learned: Although party hosts may ensure designated drivers are identified, do not consume alcohol, and transport party goers to their homes, hosts should know the people attending their parties and monitor their actions. Excessive alcohol consumption impairs judgment, memory, and increases individual risk and the risk to others. In this incident, drunkenness resulted in someone behaving poorly. Every Airman is responsible to represent themselves and the Air Force in a positive manner on or off duty, as our actions can either bring credit or discredit to our unit, the Air Force, and our nation.

Evidently becoming drunk enough to be drawn on with with a Sharpie (I'm a multiple offender) is cause for filing a police report.