viper154

Since the MQ-1s are being retired those UPT Ds are going back this winter/spring. I was one of the first UPT D guys from this latest round that got a 9, I was told to expect a fall 2018 PCS. That would exactly 3 years from assignment night and 2.5 on station. FWIW, the initial 18x commitments are up next year, and 95% are not staying. My squadron will literally loose every eval/instructor we have before 2019.

3 years ago most of my IPs were trying to get their ATPs before the rules changed, and they talked about it openly. The Reservest IPs boasted about their airline jobs, and the rest enphisized keeping your options open. Keep your options open, don't close doors, and take a look around and ask yourself why someone is talking down on another jet/track/job. Usually the guys talking shit are the most ignorant or have a alternate agenda. Or they are just assholes.

I was trying to get a buddy in at Cuse, I have a few good friends up there, they told me a few months ago they were fat on pilots and probably not hiring until next year. They recommended trying Niagra or PA. But I'm not there, and things change, good luck!

It hurt dropping the Reaper two years ago. We asked leadership to tell the guys who were going to drop RPAs ahead of time, even if was just before assignment night kicked off, they said no because it would be perceived that RPAs were a bad drop. That was ironic. I would have have liked to see a little more transparency in the rack and stack. I know for a fact myself and at least 3 others that got RPAs in the latest UPT D classes were not in the bottom of the class. It's preached all that matters is the mass but it's not always the case. Reguardless, embrace your assignment. No community in the AF needs new guys with bad attitudes. Every aircraft in the AF invitory is in some way contributing to bringing the fight to ISIS/assholes, and that's something to be proud of. Back to my whisky, and hopefully a manned a/c next year.

They will find your shit online. I way overpriced my items thinking they would never find out what I paid. They dug pretty deep and gave me what the retail number was. Took about a month. They will offer you a percentage of the damage item, the cost to fix it, or the cost to replace it depending on the damage.

I'm a UPT direct to RPAs, probably one of the most dreaded assignments out there, and I would do it again if given the option. My 13 months actually flying in UPT I wouldn't trade for the world. The government PAID me to learn to fly, and paid for all the training. Life long friends and memories made, and flying expierences that 99.9% of people dream of. I'll never forget that formation low level down the Charleston coast, or that night sortie at FL320 watching thunderstorms. Now I sit in a box or at a desk. We all bitch about the drone, but a normal day flying the box is 100x more rewarding than any civilian job I've had. The ISR saves lives and assists in our nations national security in ways many can only dream, and nothing beats killing terrorists and f**cking your wife all in the same day. The desk work is really what sucks, and dealing with blue/military/"professional" issues. All that being said, I know when I'm a crusty old man, sitting on my porch with a shotgun and a PBR I won't be asking myself "what if" I started my professional career doing anything else.

Well this is kind of awkward, because I am my source, so that would leave me to believe you have minimal expierence. I've een at Cannon for some time. The fact that you haven't heard of AFSOC to ACC proves your a new guy, PCSs to ACC bases happen regularly and it's common knowledge, those of that have been here can name numerous friends that have left for ACC. Let's not start the squadron vs squadron dick dance. Be part of the solution and not the problem and stop the shit talk/bitterness between the squadrons. I've flown for several of the ops squadrons and all of them train to equally high standards in their respective mission set, and have their fair share of shit hot fliers and bad apples. (I am being vague here for a reason, I have 0 desire to get any more specific about details on this forum, reguardless of what you can find open source) I am glad someone is trying to spread some knowledge on here about AFSOC RPAs, but the appearance you give when you spread bad info that is common knowledge among the line dogs is that you are new MQT student that knows nothing about what he/she is talking about. Get some time and expierence under your belt before you start passing info. Just trying to help you out man, being a irognant new guy that thinks he knows more than he does is not going to work out well for you here and more importantly in your job.

As a manned guy in RPAs I agree the AAM or AM should not be awarded to RPA guys. Putting your ass on the line should be required to get that medal. I think a separate medal should be created. RPAs are a interesting case, little risk but one individual can have more impacts on the battlefield in one night than one could ever imagine. And that deserves some sort of recognition.

Your update is out of date. I know several of AFSOC bros going to ACC, as recently as last week. I won't get into the rest of your post because of OPSEC reasons but your are not correct. I will say AFSOC trains to a higher standard and handles some mission sets that ACC does less frequently.

Got to watch the HUD video today, deff worth hitting up your intel shop, just for the pure "f**k ya!!" Factor.

Short answer. Not really. FWIW the last two classes of my fiscal year (I was in one) had in my opinion the best heavy drops of the year. Except the RPAs. But that's a sore subject with extenuating circumstances. Luck, timing, hard work and don't suck are the keys to success.

There has been a lot of rumors around the squadron of how bad the manned side is getting. We already lost a lot of our 11s, the handful of us UPT directs from 2015 were just notified to expect PCSs back to manned for all of us in 2018, and AFPC has started asking the 18x guys for volunteers for UPT. My how quickly the tides turn. But I wouldn't be surprised if you see someone not get a RPA slot and picked up for UPT. That's weird to say.........

You will get reimbursed up to whatever the lodging rate is if you go off base. If they only have one room available have a friend call and book it. Then call and get your non A. Then have your friend call and cancel the room. Boom. Unless I misunderstood your post and they have multiple one bedrooms left.

That's what I get for listening to students.

Nope. I rented from a old colleague on recent TDY and pocketed the leftover from the 75% rule. How did finance even find out? I just uploaded my receipt in DTS and no questions were ever asked.

AFSOC guys were getting a choice of Nashville, Cuse, March, or Holloman a few months back, or so I heard. I've been TDY for all but 3 weeks so far this year so I don't know how true that still is or was.

In my 2 years of RPA pergitory ive only seen a MQ-9 break 200kts once, full power 15 degrees nose low dive out of icing. 120 is more accurate. You couldn't pay me any amount to stay for another RPA tour. I would give a testicle for a light attack manned tour. Wieght, electrical power, bandwidth are big considerations for a second sensor on the current RPA fleet. A second sensor that the pilot could operate would be awesome, with a throttle quad similar to what the pointy nose types are using, but I would not want trade my ability to go kenetic for it. Unfortunately the -9 was not designed for a second sensor, and I think it would be easier to design a new RPA around that set up. Better yet, get us a light attack manned option so us stuck in RPAs can gtfo.

I watched them take off last night as I left work, sad day in the office today, to them, here here,

I think my statement may have come off the wrong way, I never have and most likely never will be a single seat guy, except the 4.5 hours in the mighty T-6. Sure, as a crew I respect that every crew member has a place in the jet, a job to do, and is part of accomplishing the mission. What I was getting at is that the front seater doesn't need the guy in the back to have a year of training flying instruments, and doing whatever else gets accomplished at full up nav training. Either way cheers, try those fancy marble stones, gives your drink a nice chill without the watering down of a fine beverage. nsplayr, I can't name one, I doubt it will happen, just a thought. So called wise men also thought a airplane could never sink a ship or be a useful strike tool. Just a outside the box thought. Also not interested in the O v E fight, both sides have argued ad nausea in other spots on this forum.

Ask for a number and call. You would be surprised what a phone call can do if you get ahold of the right person. I would also try talking to someone at your hiring unit besides your recruiter. I am not smart on the Reserve hiring process but there is probably a guy in charge of new hires, I would present them with the emails, times, dates, paperwork sent and all that good stuff. Your unit decided to sponsor you so someone from leadership should be willing to make a angry phone call if things aren't getting done. Bottom line, start hasting the shit out of someone to get things done, on a daily basis. AF lesson #1, no one cares more about you/your career/flying than you.

How about enlisted sensors? It puts much more on the pilot having a back seater that knows minimal aviation knowledge, but I don't need a guy in the back telling me how to fly if he has the ISR taken care of. Basically how current RPA ops work. Our LRE sensors go thought a steep learning curve, but of the good ones make it through the program they can be helpful with the flying/backing up the pilot. You could get a sensor through a condensed IFS syllabus to teach basics of flying in a month, and a B course in 5-6 months. Take some crossflow RPA sensors that understand strike and you could probably get them qual'd in under 4 months. Much less time than the 2+ years to get a CSO (plus college) ready. Plus, how many CSOs ever touch a aircraft sensor before their B course? Just what I am told, but a AC-130 buddy of mine tells me that the RPA sensors straight from Holloman are much better at doing sensor things than the CSOs they get from IQT. Personally I think a light attack asset would be a great aircraft to pair with both our ACC/AFSOC RPA fleet. You have the RPAs for the constant ISR, and high in the stack for the strike/op, and your light attack on call at a near by airfield in XXXshitholeXXX country. Shit goes down get the light attack in the air to clean up the mess, or provide more than 4 hellfires and a GBU 12 for the strike/op. Potential for dual qual'd crews in MQ-9s and light attack X, and provide that manned flying for those of us 11s stuck in droids. I think a bigger hurdle would be convincing the powers that be to let T-1 trained guys that have been flying RPAs in a 2 seat attack plane. (we would have the back seater get ATIS) Just a thought. Curious what the peanut gallery has to say. My experience in making things go boom is all from a remote perspective.

When your casual, most jobs 8ish, unless you get a shitty gig. UPT? its not a 9-5 desk job. Some mornings you will be there at 3,4,5 am. Sometimes you will show up at 2,3,4 pm to fly at night. Hours are never the same, except most days for the next year of your life will easily be 11-12 hour days. I lived on the north side of town, its about 10 mins to base. I also lived on base, you will be rolling the dice, the old houses suck, the new ones aren't bad. I recommend anywhere on the north side of town. Avoid the southern areas, especially the south east corner. Its the hood.

I got married right after I commissioned from ROTC, so the wife wasn't on my orders. I just dragged her along and showed our marriage license to the MPF dudes and they got the orders amended. So to answer you question it don't matter. Deff want that marriage license in hand when you get there or you are going to be residing in the dorms. As sofforron said, just do it now and grab the extra money.

No, I just responded to someone in another thread with a similar question, I will give you the same answer. It was 14 hours when I went through 4 years ago fyi. Building has no windows, food is mediocre, its a super stressful environment, and is another opportunity to loose you ticket to the big dance before you get there. If you have the opportunity to get your PPL I would recommend doing it.

IFS is a miserable time. I guess its a little more low stress now but still unfavorable. Its another place that you can get kicked out of, might as well avoid it. In complete honesty, I would avoid it solely for not having to basically live in a building with no windows for 6 weeks, and the food was mediocre at best. Also, you will have a check ride to accomplish if you go because IFS does not give you a PPL for the training.