tarheelaviator
-
Posts
110 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Gallery
Blogs
Downloads
Wiki
Posts posted by tarheelaviator
-
-
8 hours ago, benr1001 said:
Just got word that the 457th online meet-and-greet is this Thursday. Quick! What do I put up on the wall behind me to make myself look cool! 😄
Having done a Zoom interview relatively recently just have a clean wall with nothing super distracting behind you (I had an old family American flag behind me) and make sure the lighting it good. Just give it a test run first with your camera and where you intend to do it.
-
On 5/28/2020 at 4:45 PM, JohnClark said:
My recruiter told me that if I go to the AD OTS board and if I am not selected for a pilot slot. I have to take whatever job I am given or I can never join the military again in any fashion. I would prefer a Guard/Reverse slot but I'm trying for a pilot slot anyway I can. My recruiter said the last several boards have had way more applicants and even people with PPLs aren't getting pilot slots. Some got other rated positions CSO and ABM and others got non-rated positions all together.
Is this true or is this just recruiter BS?
The recruiter is feeding you complete and utter bullshit. From someone who went through the AD process just do yourself a favor and find a different recruiter. You need to go before a rated board (i.e. flying job officer selection) and put pilot only. If they ask you to put ANY job other than pilot walk away and find a different recruiter. You don't have to work with someone who is in the same geographic location either FYI. Good luck.
-
On 5/23/2020 at 10:52 AM, DinaMight said:
Maybe even bypass the 6 months and start earlier?
No idea. I'd just call different recruiters until you find one who's amicable to your cause.
-
1
-
-
21 hours ago, DinaMight said:
Was shown something similar and found someone who would work with me anyway. Everything can be bypassed.
-
14 minutes ago, Terminator5lf said:
Those are the main two. The only other ways I've had some success in info on UPT boards is the squadrons website and facebook. A decent amount of units have fb hiring pages for their squads and good many also post updates on their websites. I would recommend reaching out though. Even if cold calling the unit is not your thing, just shoot the POC a quick, friendly email and they are usually more than happy to pass along the latest info.
Second all this but I really do encourage phoning ANY squadron that interests you whether they have an open board or not. I actually got an interview at a place that had no job listing on Bogidope or this forum just by calling the squadron directly and asking. Not every place widely advertises their boards and emails are easy to ignore or just forget about. Now the caveat here is you are often going to have to get past the gatekeepers at the front door and actually speak with some pilots. Be persistent but not annoying.
-
2 hours ago, Kiloalpha said:
That said, I think it’s fair to say you got shafted with bad timing.
My military aviation efforts in a nutshell
-
5 hours ago, DinaMight said:
I speculate it will continue to drop for the next couple years. This COVID thing probably exacerbated this decline to some degree which I cannot specify.
Does anyone have any rumors or solid intel to confirm or deny this?
The pilot shortage in the AF and Navy won't exist much longer if there are no options on the backend for pilots nearing the end of their ADSC other than staying in. I suspect it is going to get much harder but I wouldn't worry about it. Focus on what you can control, get your scores up, get more hours in, more work experience, stay physically fit, etc. Not worth stressing on factors you can't control.
-
1
-
-
On 5/15/2020 at 7:40 PM, Kiloalpha said:
That’s nuts. You’re applying again though? Keep at it, your stats are rock solid.
To illustrate how freaking incomprehensible the boards' selection criteria is there is someone bragging on the FB group about being picked up for pilot with a PCSM of 32, AFOQT pilot of 73 and 0 flying hours. Granted they are saying their undergrad GPA was 3.5 but that's still ing nuts. Is this how these boards decide on pilot candidates?
-
1 hour ago, DinaMight said:
Was it the same when reapplying for OTS?
Don't know yet unfortunately.
-
4 minutes ago, goodflightcowboy said:
Anybody hear back from Baltimore?
Spoke with the person in charge of the board. Said they would reach out again "no later than mid-June" so I wouldn't expect an immediate yes/no on a formal interview yet.
-
2 hours ago, mb1685 said:
I’m pretty sure 99% of their selection boards are not going to bat an eye at someone in your shoes having turned down an AD CSO slot.
I can 100% confirm they will see it as a positive. I was in a similar situation to him and turned down a CSO offer last year. Everyone I've mentioned it to during squadron visits, Zoom meetings and phone calls from Guard/Reserve squadrons saw it as dedication to being a pilot and said they would have done the same thing.
-
1
-
-
11 hours ago, DinaMight said:
Cannot stress this enough, I was in the exact same shoe and listed 4. Pilot CSO RPA Missileer
Picked up for CSO. Life has already set me deep into a professional flying career and now this is requiring me to essentially choose one or the other.
If anyone has info on how to go about turning down the slot and reapplying please share your experience, I am all ears.
To everyone that got selected, congratulations A LOTand to those who weren't. Keep at it. I know the feeling. It took me ROTC and then OTS to get here. You know the process is arduous but the reward is worth the effort.
Wait you are a professional pilot (commercial?) and they offered you CSO? God who the on these boards actually has any common sense?
-
10 hours ago, DinaMight said:
How do you know this? I am considering dropping my slot but my recruiter told me if I did as such, I could essentially toss away the dream of being a USAF pilot.
DM'd you but again always consider the motivation of the person telling you something. Their job is to get you to go to OTS not to get you to become a pilot. It sounds like a scare tactic to me.
-
13 hours ago, Kiloalpha said:
That’s nuts. You’re applying again though? Keep at it, your stats are rock solid.
Yes I'll be reapplying for 20OT04 (couldn't do 20OT2 because you have to wait 6 months after being nonselected or declining a previous offer). Keep your physical fitness up and do well at OTS and maybe you can throw in a package to ENJJPT (look that up in the forums there is some gouge on people doing that here).
-
1
-
-
7 hours ago, Kiloalpha said:
The recruiter told me that you want to apply for the earlier boards in the fiscal year, as they tend to pick more since they aren't as concerned with funds. Could be false, who knows.
He is assuming but his assumption isn't off. I think part of the reason the board I applied to had so few slots was it towards the end of the fiscal year and Congress failed to pass the NDAA on time for the first time in 50 years much less a complete Federal budget. Still made me mad as there were people with garbage scores and almost no hours getting picked up that time (like AFOQT pilot and PCSM < 70).
-
2 minutes ago, Kiloalpha said:
Thanks! PCSM is 94. AFOQT is 98 pilot, 96 nav, 83 academic, 94 verbal and 60 quant.
Solid
For everyone else I was at PCSM 92, AFOQT Pilot 98, 99 Nav, 91 ACAD, 93 Verbal, 80 quant and still not pilot select for 19OT3. Guess there were more pilot slots this board and it does seem to vary wildly depending on the time of year. Everything is timing in the military ugh.
-
1
-
-
1 hour ago, Kiloalpha said:
Yep. Pilot select. Conflicting info on selection rates/number of pilot slots.
Congrats! If you don't mind us asking what were your AFOQT/PCSM scores? Just trying to set expectation management for 20OT4 this summer.
-
Those of you who applied 20OT2 apparently results are starting to trickle out. Any (hopefully good) news?
-
On 5/11/2020 at 10:03 PM, HuggyU2 said:
For those of you smart on California compliant weapons...
what are your picks for:
- AR-type of gun
- full-size handgun for the house (not a 1911).
- concealed carry.
All must be American-made.
An 80% lower and don't tell anyone. Only half kidding.
-
1 hour ago, Royal said:
It's time for a new gun safe, boys. Liberty or Champion seem to be the way to go based on my limited research. What do you guys recommend? Pros/cons? Any considerations that might not be so obvious?
We have what is an otherwise good gun safe similar to both of these manufacturers with one major weakness. The electronic lock. It always fails, is difficult to reprogram/change the batteries and it an leave you locked out for hours or days if its behaving weird. Would recommend the old school mechanical lock as they never fail and can't be bypassed without deep knowledge of how the safe works.
-
1
-
-
3 hours ago, Finch said:
That looks like an unofficial, in-house reg. About six years ago when I was looking at doing AD before getting picked up by the guard, my own recruiter had a document somewhat similar to that. It wasn’t an official reg. I’d highly recommend you find another recruiter elsewhere.
Since its internal "in house" rules I'd still take it with a grain of salt. The recruiters are trying to get people to commission NOT to get people to become pilots. Don't make my mistake from the 19OT03 board. If the recruiter says you have to put down anything beside pilot find a different recruiter (you don't have to work with the closest one geographically fyi). Everything is held up right now with recruiting where I am but still planning on applying to the July deadline (August) board pilot only.
-
1
-
-
19 hours ago, goodflightcowboy said:
Tough to say, and I doubt you'll find any hard data on that. The quote you're using is the answer. Apply and find out. Give the POC a call, reach out in whatever way you can. Show you're serious and visit.
I spoke to someone there a couple of months ago before the virus lockdown. They said to keep checking in monthly since they are unsure when they will announce a board. Still trying to get a pilot POC since the recruiter gatekeepers will always tell you its impossible.
-
2 hours ago, ryleypav said:
Going tomorrow morning. They are only open on Tuesdays. Tuesdays are safe from the 'Rona.
Which one are you going to? Mine needed to update my physical since its almost 24 months old now and they claim they are closed.
-
On 4/10/2020 at 7:39 PM, Terminator5lf said:
Fresno has suspended their board and after the covid is over they will give everyone a month to submit any application updates before selecting/sending invites (info from Steamer the POC)
MD, SD, and NJ have pushed back their application due dates and their boards are still tentatively on schedule.
Good to know CA is allowing application submissions later because I was told not to submit anything due to the board cancellation (Mid March-ish)
I thought MD was still holding the board on schedule but just not having an in person meet and greet this year?
Upcoming Boards
in Air National Guard / Air Force Reserves
Posted
Hate to be the bearer of bad news but Ft. Worth sent their interview invites out almost 3 months ago. I don't think they typically send out the "thanks but no thanks" email so maybe that's where the confusion arose.