WheelsOff

Then they should have let me apply last fall instead of letting AFPC take over their assignment system!!

I've only been flying for half my commitment thus far, but I have really enjoyed the actual flying. I'm still young enough that I've avoided most of the BS jobs/queep, but I know that won't last forever. Ask me again closer to my commitment and we'll see how much I'm still enjoying it. That said, my family has also made some big sacrifices with how much I've been gone. To all you aspiring USAF pilots out there: realize that while this pilot retention crisis we are having is a great "recruiting tool" in some sense - what really is happening in the bigger picture (especially in the fighter community) is a shortage of pilots to fill staff (non-flying) jobs, because lots of guys who are getting out at their commitments have reached the pinnacle of their prime flying years in their military careers and don't want to spend the rest of it rotting away at a desk. Spending 20 years and making it to retirement provides some truly great benefits. But, it says a lot about an organization/where it's going when I sit here and watch lots of dudes who I respect (some who could have "had it all" if they wanted, to include a few Weapons Officers) punch at the last minute and walk through the doors of Delta, Southwest, Alaska, etc. If I had to do it all over again, I would, up to this point anyways. The money you'll be making as a doctor will likely be much more than you'd ever make as a military pilot, including the retirement benefits. But the experiences you'll have as a military aviator (in my opinion) are second to none. Good luck!

I agree, but this wasn't at the schoolhouse.

No...it would take some big cojones for someone to stand up and say that in this particular case. To be fair, he has done some good things like place more focus on effective training/employment. But it's his attitude/demeanor that rubbed me/some others the wrong way.

Echoing Allardice's words...that's exactly the threat my previous Gp/CC issued to me and the other instructors in the room during our instructor cert if we failed to keep up with the queep/admin part of being an instructor. What a cancer. On the flip side, the Wing king was a total bro...."I know all you guys are jumping ship to go to the airlines...let me know what I can do to help get you guys to stay. We need you"

True. I guess I wasn't specific enough in my original post...I was speaking about fighters specifically. Yes, bombers have periodically taken T-1 FAIPs in the past and guess they are now as well.

That's because the crossflow email specifically was to MAF dudes. Only FAIPs that have flown the -38 have gone to fighters historically, as far as I know. I think someone was making the comparison between a FAIP and a MAF crossflow on their second assignments being similar to one another in terms of what jobs they'd have in/out of the squadron once in the CAF. I don't think they're going to look for T-1 trained FAIPs to "crossflow" - no operational experience. Although strange things happen...

...or for the coming exodus of 18X folks in the next couple of years. Buddy of mine at Cannon said nearly all of the ones he knows plan to bail after their 6 years. I do hope that I'm wrong, but I don't see a crossflow/UPT-direct ever truly going away, unfortunately (although we may be lucky enough to see them stop, for short periods at a time).

Names are just "being submitted" in your community? No volunteers? In my community (at least at my base) you have to interview for it with the Wing/CC. Just curious how other wings/communities are handling the process... And I agree with you; I bet the MAF will hang on to their "prized possessions".

Latest VML at TCM has at least one...also the crossflow is being discussed over in the "switching airframes" thread. ...Back to the drops!

Welp, guess there's two of them then!

Took me just over 2.5 years in the C-17. Speaking specifically to a superbase like McChord, it also depends on the squadron. Mine was definitely behind the power curve compared to guys in the other squadrons in the average upgrade timeline. It probably didn't help that we had about 10 dudes show up within 2-3 months of each other in my squadron alone instead of being spread equally among the other (at the time) 4. Also depends a lot on the philosophy of the current CC/DO. To echo what champ said about TRBs - I've sat in on plenty, and it really does come down to IPs and the DO assessing the individual's attitude/work ethic/TMS write ups. In my squadron the GRACC books (aka coloring books) were huge...I've seen guys have their PCO dates moved to the right or taken indefinitely until they showed the motivation to upgrade. ...all that to say, YMMV. Just work hard, don't be a chotch, and you'll do fine.

Yep, like I said, not surprised, ha. Best of luck to him...hope he can punch afterwards...he's not the type to want to do a staff gig.

You at XL? If so then bet I know who...he used to be in my sqdn, doesn't surprise me one bit lol. Like Fuzz said; I wouldn't be surprised if this was just a ploy to get more "11F" bodies for staff jobs. If that's the case, then why waste time getting them in fighters at all...they've used other 11X's to fill them in the past. What's a young major (or major-select) that's just a wingman gonna bring to that table anyways?

Figured this could be an appropriate place to post this...email from the Sq/CC: "There is a unique cross flow opportunity to the fighter or bomber track. It is highly selective and will require a Wing/CC interview. Please let the execs and I know if you are interested and what category you fit into below: 1. Pilots who flew T-38s and are volunteers to crossflow to either a bomber or fighter. 2. Pilots who did NOT fly T-38s and are volunteers to crossflow to a bomber. 3. Pilots who did NOT fly T-38s and are volunteers to crossflow to a fighter. //an AMC Sq/CC" Wow, sounds like desperate times if they're even considering dudes who flew the T-1 to compete for a fighter.

I know the jet is funded through 2019...any more rumors on whether or not it is going to be around any longer than that?

Heard rumors that there won't be a hiring board this year. Anyone in the know able to confirm or deny?

Shack. I agree with your assumption that a fighter dude would not be much more than a viable copilot crossflowing to a heavy starting out and a tanker guy not being more than a slightly above average wingman at first, but I disagree with this statement above. A stud who goes through this new "T-X" version of UPT (read: the "old" way when everyone flew the white rocket) would be no better off if he were to crossflow from a heavy to a fighter (or vice versa) than a current product of the system that flew the T-38 track who is "universally assignable"... Both the current T-38 track and the future proposed "T-X" program will essentially produce the same product: a pilot who is trained to think and fly fast with a single-seat mindset all throughout UPT. (Because anyone can learn the crew concept down the road (not knocking the T-1). I know, I'm a product of that system myself.)

NorCal beats the northeast any day of the week hands down. So much more to do nearby and much more scenic. Been transient through both bases, Dover more often though. Better than McGuire but it's still the east coast...

When I was there in Sept he told me the one in Landstuhl is supposed to open the beginning of the year...

Good deal, thanks!

Awesome! PM sent.

I'm in AMC and would be going to ACC...seen anything weird like that?

Anybody heard of a scenario where a guy/gal started out in one airframe on AD, switched to a completely different one (in a different majcom...and no I'm not talking about an AETC assignment) and then tried to go back to his/her original airframe in a guard/reserve unit?