HuggyU2

Bad news, but packing 30lbs into 15lbs bags isn't limited to UPT,.... and having a tough time finding time during the 10-12 hour duty day to go to the gym isn't limited to UPT either. Just a few weeks ago, I was talking with my OG as the Med Group CC called on the brick saying "heading to quarters" at about 1600. The look on his face told it all: he still had at least 3 more hours of meetings and office work to do. Not all Group Commanders are created equal. Yes, there are a lot of folks that have lots of time to get to the gym. Many of us will not ever be a part of that group.

Not sure, but the address of what I'm referring to is: US Dept of Trans - FAA 800 Independence Ave, SW Washington DC, 20591

I called Mike at Sheppard Air this morning and told him what I knew. He sounds like he's been engaged, and this new change surprised him. I just looked at their website, and they've pulled their test prep software until the FAA makes a solid determination. It seems the problem is that the HQ FAA guys in DC are a different group than the OK City FAA-guys that make the tests.

Update. I spoke with FAA HQ today. - 10 Nov 08 is the release date, but it won't get "implemented" for an additional 30 or 60 days. He couldn't remember off the top of his head, but thought is was 60 days. Some sort of Federal requirement. - If you already have the written for the CFI or CFII complete, you pretty much meet the intent of the rule. However, you might have to get an exception to allow these tests in lieu of the new tests coming out. He didn't think it would be a huge problem, but said no one had asked him that question yet. - Military medical: they hadn't determined what they wanted military pilots to carry when they flew to prove they had a military medical certificate. More to follow. - yes, if you were a "former" IP, you should be good to go. So sayeth the FAA.

I hope you are kidding.

You know, I've worn the flight suit for a long time now. Shoot, I rely on GRRAnimals when I wear civies since I have no fashion sense. I don't even have all the requisite parts for my Blues. I relish my green bag more than any piece of clothing I'll ever wear. But The Boss says this is what he wants, so there you have it. He's asking me to wear... a uniform. Something I was pretty thrilled to do the day I got commissioned. Something I enjoy doing everyday I go to my squadron. I haven't worn that Blue one much over the years,.... but it's still MY uniform. The level of outcry on this forum is stunning, given the "level" of the event. This certainly didn't take much to implement, and this is not proof that CSAF is diverting his attention away from the big tasks at hand to ask us to wear a different UOD on Monday. I certainly know there's no culture of complacency in the Ops squadrons, so how about we operators do what we do best, implement this, and make it happen? There are just so many different issues I have to deal with each and every day, that this just gets buried in the noise level,... hence the reason I'm worn out at the end of the day. Let it ride for a few months, and see where CSAF goes with this. This is not the end of civilization as we know it.

Yes, I saluted him because that is the Military Tradition for someone who wears the CMH. And, for the record, I was commissioned through ROTC at the University of Texas. I'm certainly no poster child for the perfect drill team-like military customs guy, but I do think it's worthwhile, and do not blow it off.

Disagree all you want, ZRooster, but military tradition shoudn't go the way of "hey dude, yo,..." It's not YOUR call to decide whether YOU will comply with the tradition or not. And the tradition is that you salute officers senior to you. So, what's "your criteria"? Got to be a field grade officer before you'll salute them?? Or should an A1C salute an O-1?? This isn't some "new" tradition in the American military. It goes back,... oh, many, many decades. And I'm sure someone will tell me about how their pappy was in Korea, and he said 1Lt's weren't worth saluting. That's their opinion. But it's not our military culture. And if you don't like the culture, then you should find a new vocation. What, exactly, is it that chaps so many people's asses about saluting an O-2? Don't get me wrong,... I've heard this discussion for years. I'm not trying poke you in the eye, but remember it's not about US. It's about our service to the Uniformed Services. And there's a rank structure. Just like there was when a 1Lt in WWII decided to take his crew (with a 2Lt co-pilot) into harm's way. I, for one, did not say a word if I wasn't saluted by an O-2, when I was an O-1. But you can be sure I salute each and every senior officer I come across. And I enjoy doing it. It's my professional greeting to them. Do you find it demeaning?? If so, you are missing the point. John Levitow died a few years ago,... but I saluted him when I met him. He was an enlisted man, and I was an officer. And I have great respect for him. Don't know who he is? Your loss. However, although I admired him, I followed military tradition,... it wasn't about "me" deciding who I would salute and who I wouldn't. That's not the military way. It might be what they teach at liberal colleges,... but it doesn't serve us well in the military. I've seen O-9's salute their buddy who was an O-10. I think you can deal with saluting an O-2 if you're a 2Lt. And if you can't, then reconsider your "calling".

Sorry about the delayed reply. Lead time to visit: at least a day. If you can't do that, we'll make it work. DSN 368-4447, and ask for Mert. DSN 368-3838 and ask for Huggy (I gave up the "Recruting job" officially, and run the T-38 program now, but still help Mert out). Reservists: yes, we'll hire you. We've done it many times (including yours truly). However, AFPC wants you to have been an Active Duty Officer at some point in your career. Being on "active duty orders" as a Guard/Reserve pilot during UPT doesn't count. If in doubt, call DSN 665-3708, and talk to CJ Smith at AFPC. The answers he will give are from the AFPC perspective, not the U-2/9th Recon Wing perspective. Remember,... there's a waiver for everything. BTW, my T-38 took a turkey vulture yesterday on the front canopy: damn bird!! Oh, yeah,... the FY10 POM will be dropped in the next couple of months (probably). I think a lot of you will be looking for a manned cockpit job, so don't forget the U-2.

Maybe "a douche" for pointing it out. But bad form on you for not saluting him.

#3 and #5 are required, under the proposal. In fact, you'll have to pass the FOI for the CFI/CFII/MEI certificate. Proposal #2: How about if the FAA requires every new CFI to get 10 hours in an AT-6/SNJ or Stearman? That's where I'm going to try to use my CFI rating. So, should Mr 20-year old CFI have to do that?? Your "Fair Proposal" is moot. The "good idea" timeline has expired: this new Part 61 goes into effect in 10 weeks.

Cap-10, I don't know how they will determine it, but the FAA guy said that if you are instrument rated and teach instruments, you'll get it. With regards to the Centerline Thrust, I just don't know. I'll ask.

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. https://www.beale.af.mil/shared/media/docum...-080313-064.doc Huggy