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WheelsOff

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Posts posted by WheelsOff

    Was flying for the Air Force worth it?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    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!

    • Upvote 1

    Changing/Switching airframes

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    24 minutes ago, Sprkt69 said:

    Did anyone mention get rid of the Gp/CC?

    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.

    Changing/Switching airframes

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    2 hours ago, ColoradoAviator said:

    Major General Allardice, is that you?!  Nothing helps morale like have a two-star say that exact thing to your face as an impressionable junior captain.  That kind of stuff is what happens between year 1-8 -- in addition to marriage, kids, and changing priorities -- that make CGOs want to punch so badly.

    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"

    • Upvote 2

    Changing/Switching airframes

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    2 hours ago, faipmafiaofficial said:

    T-1 FAIPS this year (still awaiting their drop that was supposed to come out July 1) are being told to rack and stack B-1 and B-52 on their drop sheet.  They are still awaiting the decision on whether that will be activated.  Basically all FAIPS who flew the 38 in UPT will be getting fighters due to the shortage

    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. 

    Changing/Switching airframes

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by WheelsOff

    1 hour ago, RonaldRAGIN said:

    I perused this thread over the last few days and saw some people mentioning the possibility of sending FAIPs to fighters. Anyone have any insight on this? Likelihood of them pulling from the FAIP pool to send people to fighters who didn't get picked up for 38s in UPT? Any ideas of preference for T1 vs T6 FAIPs in terms of eligibility and probability of success : qualification? Just curious since I see mostly the MAF to CAF argument here. 

    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...

    • Upvote 1

    Track Selects and Assignment Nights

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by WheelsOff

    3 hours ago, MooseAg03 said:

     


    This may be the wing planning for the worst, according to the AFPC RPA assignments guy, there will be no more crossflows or UPT directs unless something changes like a huge increase in CAPs.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

     

    ...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).

    Changing/Switching airframes

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    8 hours ago, Champ Kind said:

    Actually, I predict that MAF leaders will want to protect their "investments" and keep their top guys (records-wise) in the community.

    Already seeing that in my neck of the woods based on the names in the discussion for being submitted to crossflow.

    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".

    Time it took to upgrade to AC for heavy drivers in their specific airframe

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    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. 

    • Upvote 1

    Changing/Switching airframes

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by WheelsOff

    23 minutes ago, Lstcause257 said:

    Does his last name rhyme with Bolt?

    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    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.

    Changing/Switching airframes

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    1 hour ago, Boomer6 said:

    Already did. We've got a C-17 guy foaming at the mouth to apply.

    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?

    • Upvote 1

    Changing/Switching airframes

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by WheelsOff

    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.

    Track Selects and Assignment Nights

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by WheelsOff

    That's not how the cross flow has worked previously. You'd target T-38 grads who are 2-3 years into their first ops assignment and offer them a shot at IFF. No worse off than FAIPs.

    Shack.

    Agree, hopefully the T-X puts this all to bed.

    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.)

    Leather Flight Jacket

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    On a side note, last time I went through Pops, they said they are looking to open a store in Ramstein by next summer and maybe a store or two in the states.

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

    • Upvote 1

    B-1 (Bone) questions

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I know a dude that cross-flowed from EC-130s back in 2010-2011 as a Major. Good dude; upgraded quickly. I'm not sure how he did it/I'd have to ask him.

    I've heard rumors of the Reserve unit spinning up hiring late Fall into the new year. Reserve sq/cc is going through B-course now; rumors of more to follow this fall. I've heard of Dyess leadership desiring some active dudes to transition to Reserves... I'm not sure there's a whole lot of interest amongst active Dyess guys yet. Haven't heard of anyone being successful in coordinating the move yet.

    Awesome!

    The FTU does have a program to start prepping FAIPS to be aircraft commanders. You won't graduate the FTU as an aircraft commander, but you will get more exposure to briefing, AC decision making, and mission leadership. If a student does well in the program, we make a recommendation to the operational unit to accelerate their upgrade to AC. Does the ops unit take that recommendation? It depends on that student's performance in MQT, the leadership that student shows in ground-related duties, and what kind of timing or back log there is in the AC upgrade program already (immediately following a deployment, for example, there is probably a sizeable group of people ready for AC upgrade).

    In short, the timeline can be shortened, especially if you can show that you have tactical and systems knowledge, are willing to work hard, and you are generally an asset to the squadron.

    PM sent.

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