HuggyU2

I spoke to the MFWIC at the FAA Headquarters for the implementation of this. It got caught in the bureaucracy, and the effective date will be 10 Nov 2008. As posted, Sheppard Air will put out a study guide to help everyone on the test questions. Hindsight, Yours is a very myopic viewpoint. Many of us are going to use this for more than "giving primary to a kid in a 172". Way more than that. I'll leave it at that. Additionally, many folks plan on taking their teenagers flying in their own airplane,... yes, some military pilots DO own single-engine prop airplanes, and can fly they very well,... dare I say even better than a 20 year old CFI with 250 hours total time?? And it would be nice to be able to sign off your teenager's logbooks, solo them out, and mentor them thru their aviation experience. I'm very aware of my limitations when going to fly a new aircraft. However, I have a fair amount of IP experience, and know that once I can master a particular aircraft, the instructing part will flow naturally.

I was one of 3 finalists for the Perth job flying the PC-9 (at RAAF Pearce). I was the only one that met every qualification,.... except I only had 22 months on station, not 24. AFPC wouldn't waive the 2 months, and I didn't get the job.

4 place AND aerobatic?? Take a look at the Yak-18T. Ross Granley (Bud Granley's son) flies one on the airshow circuit.

Just curious: is it that you don't like flying in general? Or is it specifically the military flying environment?

Barry Schiff (www.barryschiff.com) did a good article within the last couple of years dealing with engine failure on takeoff in single engine GA aircraft. It was published in "AOPA Pilot". Find it.

60 gone, 60 home is "the standard". At least for a couple of years. After that, you might move into a position where you will deploy less. But our mission gets done "on the road", not at home. So if deploying isn't your cup of tea, then find a different career path. Our squadron went to the Middle East in '90 when Saddam invaded Kuwait, and we've been a continuous presence there since. That said, the schedule is much more "predictable" and mapped out for the next 6+ months, as compared to what I hear happens in other communities. High TDY rate: yes, maybe. But compared to other communites, maybe not so bad. That's up to you to decide, based on what you are doing now, or based on what you want to do. Why less applicants? Very hard to say, but the impression that it's going to retire doesn't help. Also, many commanders discourage their pilots from applying. There are folks out there that have heard that you had to fly the T-38 in UPT to come here (not true). Finally, I think guys don't/won't apply because they don't think they'll enjoy it, or that it's too hard. I find it interesting that Global Hawk has so many volunteers, and pilots that are trying to camp out in the Global Hawk community. They really don't want to deploy much, like they did in a previous job, and are willing to deal with operating the GH to get a certain quality of life. I could list a dozen more reasons, but you get the idea. When will the U-2 retire... hmmm..... In '97 or '98, the CSAF was Gen Fogleman, and he called the U-2 "a sunset program". And here we are 10+ years later.

Follow up to the posts above: Physical due to what LJDRVR said. No hydraulics on the primary flight controls. Just like your Cessna. Yes, we get guys coming off the staff, school, etc... No, you will not fly here 3-4 years and then go back to your old MWS. Don't bother applying if you do not have your heart set on becoming a U-2 pilot. This is not a job you should use to transition to something else. Come here to be an ISR pilot. Now, you might decide to go to TPS, or some cool joint job unrelated to the U-2, etc... but you better be willing to come here to put the suit on, and suck pure O2 for 9+ hours at a pop. Most T-38 sorties are locals, but we encourage pilots to go OST (Off Station Training). Yes, Oshkosh was great. We had 12 drivers there, including a couple that came out there on leave. We paid cash for everything,... using $2 bills (what else would you expect?). I think the Acee Deucee got about 50% of the cash we dropped. Stiffler, a man's got to know his limits,... and I exceeded mine the evening before visiting your jet. You wouldn't have been impressed had I hoarked in your jet.

What's required?? Well, we have these really form-fitting flightsuits, a la the Thunderbirds, and you have to be able to look good in those at airshows. They're made of polyester,... but I digress. Also, we are on a strict diet of baby food, peanuts, and popcorn,.... until we are one TACAN away from Beale: at that point we switch to beer and chicken wings. Seriously, nothing magic. Go through the U-2 Pilot application on the Beale Website. Send us your documentation. We'll look it over. A Q-3 doesn't disqualify you. But just because you have all Q-1's doesn't mean we'll look at you either. Good OPR stratification is good, too, if you're getting more senior. The Wing CC letter should be 2 short sentences, as per the example. That's it: he supports you in your U-2 quest, and he will release you on X date. He shouldn't waste time writing a letter that sounds like yet another OPR, with "this guy is the model officer, and vounteers in the community, blah blah blah...". Once at the interview, I want to see that you can adapt to the non-mil spec U-2. It might mean "unlearning" some of your previous airplane stuff. I think we can teach almost anyone, given enough sorties. However, we have to be able to teach you within the constraints of our syllabus. Just as important, you'll need to decide at the interview if this is really for you. Some guys do not like flying the jet. Some find it too much physical work. Others find that it makes them scared, especially when they think about flying it with the pressure suit on (which you do NOT do during the interview; you just wear your flight suit). Nothing cosmic. Just a good way to make sure we're going to have minimal training problems. FYI, we shoot to train 16 pilots a year. Last year, we only trained 11 (thank you, VSP).

We have a U-2 pilot who went to the F-16 Aggressors 3 years ago. We also have a new guy who is in U-2 training who just came from the Nellis Aggressors. If you want more info, p.m. me and I'll get you in touch with one of them.

Yep, 500 hours of rated fixed wing time. Your best option is doing the fixed-wing transition (if it still exists), and going from there. I really see no other options. And, yes, we've had a lot of helicopter pilots. The current FTU commander was a T-38 FAIP, who got a UH-1 as his follow-on. The FTU DO is a former Marine Cobra pilot, who did the T-6 at Randolph as a Marine. He was the first pilot to hit 1000 hours in the T-6. There are about 4 more helo pilots I can think of that are currently flying the Deuce.

Squash it. No U-2 pilot has gone to a UAS, except for one who was long term DNIF, and volunteered,... and he became a UAS SQ/CC. I don't have a crystal ball, but as long as the U-2 is around, our manning will always be about 80-90%, and I'd guess they won't force guys to leave. Yes, expect many trips to the sandbox,... with an occasional trip to Korea or Cyprus,... or elsewhere.

Why Willy? Because Willy and D-M are about as far as we can get on our first leg heading east. TOLD can be a pain in the summer, but just pump a little less gas on the jet, and takeoff reduced weight (with OG/CC approval). Yuma's a good bet when it's hot, but it breaks the "don't go there if you don't want to break there" rule. Beale T-38's will almost always choose a civilian field over a military field for our OST's too. Astronaut stuff: no correlation. We've had a few guys get through the first round in the selection process, but no one has made it yet. We have a guy competing this year too. But, talk about a dying platform! TDY rates: 60 days gone, 60 days home. Right now, some guys are getting 45 days at home, due to undermanning. We're short on guys due to the hit we took last year with VSP. That "bathtub" is going away slowly, and our pilot numbers are coming back up. You won't deploy until you've been here about 10 months. After 3-5 deployments, your rate might come down, depending on what your job is in the Squadron. The TDY schedule is such that you'll know your TDY dates fairly well in advance. Not like the stories I hear from other MWS', where you get the call that says you're leaving in 48 hours. TDY locations are the Desert, Korea, and Cyprus. Guys don't complain about going to Cyprus. We also have occasional pop up TDY's. I just did 6 weeks in Key West back in April-May. Once you come here, you're "a U-2 guy". Once here, no one really wants to leave the program. I was one of the very few that did: my original U-2 squadron was overseas and was deactivated. For a number of reasons (including my evil plan to stay in the cockpit forever) I went to be a PIT IP at Randolph. After 3 years of that, I really missed the U-2 Program, and came back. Most pilots that want to be upwardly mobile go to a U-2 staff job in Hawai'i, Germany, Virginia, etc... Very, very few desire to leave the U-2. We have two guys that have been here non-stop for over 14 years. The nice thing about the inteview process is that it's not only a chance for us to inteview you, but it allow you to interview us. If you don't like what you see, you can pull the plug at anytime during the interview. No hard feelings. Most of the pilots that terminate the interview early do so because they don't like flying the jet. The "damage to the career" question is interesting, and hard to answer. What do they want out of their career? We've had plenty of guys fly the Deuce, go to the staff, school and return to be DO, CC, Safety, OG/CC, etc... Occasionally, a U-2 pilot makes general. Maj Gen Jon George comes to mind. Col Greg Kern (AF/OG at the Pentagon) was 5 below the zone to O-6, but decided he'd had enough and retired last month. But with only 80 guys flying the jet worldwide at any given time, the percentages mean you don't see many Flag Officers from our ranks. However, everyone that does PME and a Masters will generally make O-5. T-1 vs. T-6 FAIP: doesn't matter, with respect to whether you'll be more competitive for getting an interview. What other questions can I field?

Folks, U-2 pilot recruitment is down. Why? Lots of you - think we're being retired soon; - are being told by your squadron leadership that it's a "dead end job". - didn't know you could still apply and come to the U-2 Bottom line, if you even remotely are interested in the U-2, you owe it to yourself to look into it, and even come on our to Beale for a day to look around, ride in the chase car, talk to the drivers, etc... Lots of guys come out here on a cross country, and some just fly out on United or SWA. We're about 50 minutes from Sacramento International airport. If you're being advised by your leadership to avoid the U-2, ask them if they've even seen a U-2, or if they know even one U-2 pilot. Chances are, they can't even tell you what the U-2 does. You can always pm me if you like. However, Maj Chris Merten is now running the Recruiting & Acceptance section. Call him at DSN 368-4447, or ping him via email... he's on the Global. My DSN is 368-3838. http://www.beale.af.mil/shared/media/docum...-080313-064.doc Huggy

Speaking of such things,... I found a senior United stew's bra in flight ops. Well, I figured she was senior: it was size 40 Extra Long. Ba-dum, bum,.. ching!

Years ago, back in Del Rio, I was there when the infamous Cessna-crash-into-Amistad occured. Along with the T-38 IP and T-38 student, there were two civilians on board. One was a gal, who I met just before that accident, whose last name was Funk. Her dad was Chief of Safety at Laughlin, IIRC. I was just told that Maj Funk was her brother. I'm saddened at this coincidence.

The T-6 is "an unducted fan", I'd say. So, yes, it's a "jet".

I fly the T-38 regularly. But when I fly with a guy in my squadron who is an airshow performer in a Pitts S-2B, I get pretty queesy. He flies his airshow routine while I sit there. It's fun, but the large rates, negative-to-positive G's, and such, will get even a guy who flies 9G's kind of queesy.

I've got a friend who is an absolutely outstanding pilot. He flew over 3000 hours in the A-10, as well as some other airframes,... and never logged a single hour of combat time in a fighter. Timing just didn't work out. But he certainly had a distinguished career,... one that many would envy.

Good luck on your UPT eye exam there, eagle eyes.

Wish I had heard this 3 months ago, as LG Deptula was just here flying the U-2. One of my best buds worked for him in Hawai'i, so I'll see if he knows the answer. He doesn't look gray in this picture.

That is a great story Steve! But I'm thinking the 10% rule applies here: LG Deptula was never a FAIP. He went straight to the Eagle jet out of UPT. He was a couple of years older, having gotten a Masters Degree right after his Batchelors, but that's about it.

I say "good on the General". He was willing to listen to the Flt Lt offer his explanation, and reversed his decision. It's a good guy that will admit his original decision was wrong, and allow it to be changed. How many of you have bosses that would have refused to change their order.

According to the media, the two F-22's are there for the MX guys to practice on, and to get up to speed with. Where the A-model phase will take place is not a big question: it will remain at KHMN for now. The ACC/TRSS stuff moved to Beale last year, though. As for the HO T-38's staying there for a while, the word is that it did not get funded for the incoming F-22 guys (while they wait for their $326M-per-copy-Raptors). However this is what the official public press release said,... if there's something else going on, then there you have it.

5 or 6 of Holloman's jets are going to Beale. They will replace 5 or 6 of Beale's jets that are high time, and approaching a major phase input. One of Beale's old jets is going on static display. Two (I think) are going to be cockpit trainers (Sheppard?), and the other two or three,... well I forgot exactly, but they are not going to AMARC, but will be stripped down for parts. I could speculate on the rest, but you said you don't want that, so I won't. Bottom line: the 14 "HO" jets are going. The "HT" jets are something I'm not sure about.

To answer your question: not really interested in riding on a space ship into space as an "astronaut". God bless those who do it, though. I'm just not interested. Now, if the new Space Shuttle is a taildragger,....well, I'll have to think abou that.