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NotApilot

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    AF enlisted "pilots" - rank doesn't matter, only ability

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Overall, a lot of things have been good. A lot has been tough. Overall, very rewarding. I was a dude locked in a 2A career field doing maintenance shit. Couldn't retrain, BOP denied, coded to stay at my base due to an aircraft transition. Half way through a degree as well, too burned out on midshift to want to continue school.

    This opportunity comes out of nowhere while I was deployed and here we are five years later. I'm an IP "deployed" to a vacation spot living the dream. If i was staying in the career field (and my model wasn't being divested) I'd probably be up for evaluator at some point. Maybe go to the FTU, maybe go  test. Maybe go to ACC or the pentagon to work for HAF.

    It is perfect? Hell no. Tons of growing pains. Still going through lots of them. It has been frustrating at times to watch the career path and opportunities when we literally do the same jobs (flying and admin). But it's gotten continuously better since I became CMR in 2019. I'm thankful as shit for this program, without it I doubt I would have been offered this slot in the guard im gunning for.

    The ugly: the amount of unknown due to HAF being so back and forth on the program as a whole has wrecked us. Everyone is exhausted and just wants to know what's going to happen. We have the possibility of other aircraft brought up, only to be shot down. CSAF told us at a Q&A in 2020 that we were done and going back to our old career fields. It was shot down by congress, so we had to stay. Right now we are mandated per the NDAA until that is changed. On top of it all, that memo just came down, which has some awesome stuff that we've been hoping for. The problem? "Should the RQ-4 program sunset". The aircraft isn't sunsetting. The block 30 most likely will, not the whole thing. So everyone is waiting to find out what is going to happen here shortly. 

    Further, promotions have been frustrating. We're incredibly top heavy and have Staff Sergeants that would have made Tech years ago in other career fields. 

     

    Lots of people are pissed. Tired of it and want out. A lot of us are still happy to be here, we just want to know what's happening. Everyone has their opinion, I'm still happy in general while being frustrated for the last few years. 

    • Like 1

    AF enlisted "pilots" - rank doesn't matter, only ability

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Honestly there's been plenty of jerking around and years of unknown at this point, but its the AF and we're all active duty so it's not like we're about to end up on the street or anything. In the grand scheme of things, it could be much worse. I like flying Global Hawk a lot more than being maintenance and the doors it has opened have been great. Long term I'll look back at it all positively. I just hope our dudes get taken care of. 

    • Upvote 1

    AF enlisted "pilots" - rank doesn't matter, only ability

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    On 11/27/2021 at 1:06 AM, HuggyU2 said:

    Would you tell us more about what is happening?  Many of us have no clue about this subject. 

    RQ-4 Block 30 will most likely be retired with the upcoming NDAA. So only one MOB flying RQ-4s outside of test remaining, Grand Forks. Further, the NDAA still requires the enlisted pilot program to exist and actually requires more to be produced. But to go where you might ask? Nowhere! They are not allowing us to fly other platforms and that's not changing anytime soon.

    So we're in limbo waiting for congress like we have been since 2019 when we first knew it would be coming to an end. Most of us are trying to figure out things for ourselves. Its why I started rushing Guard units in the first place and put together an OTS package if the Guard didn't work out. Everything presented to us as far as options is a "maybe", since we aren't officially done. Just like the Block 30 isn't officially retired. It's a big mess and I hope they release me from AD so I can be doing my own thing by the time they make a decision. 

    Originally, they just figured everyone would commission. But most of us are past 10 years with many beyond 15, not everyone wants to take on another ADSC and go past 20. I'll keep this updated when we find out more in the next few months if anyone is interested. 

    • Like 1
    • Upvote 1

    Bases

    in Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA/RPV/UAS/UAV)

    Posted

    Technically, Beale and Grand Forks are still available it you end up RQ-4. Wouldn't expect it though, Beale's block 30s are pending divestment and Grand Forks is in limbo right now with RQ-4s basically being overmanned in general due to the pending divestment. Currently sending a bunch of 18X folks to MQ9s

    AF enlisted "pilots" - rank doesn't matter, only ability

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Just found this topic out of the blue. If anyone wants to know anything about the absolute cluster the enlisted pilot program has been, let me know. Currently applying for palace chase to get away from it before I'm forced into third enlisted career field. Allegedly, our program was an idea from then SECAF Deborah James that was forced upon ACC before it was really figured out. It's been an insane four years. Am I glad I did it? Yeah, but 96 of us did it for a lot of different reasons and there's a lot of disappointed NCOs and SNCOs right now. 

    The next few months are going to really solidify how I feel it as a whole. So much time spent wondering and a lot of unknowns, especially with a majority of the RQ-4 fleet being divested/pending divestment this year. What a time to be alive

    • Upvote 2

    C-130 Hercules questions

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    On 11/24/2021 at 6:36 AM, DirkDiggler said:

    The full IQ/MQ course is 151 training days, ends up being 8-9 calendar months at KABQ.

    Thanks for the info, can't wait to get there. I've heard it's a rigorous course, but focusing on one thing at a time. Gotta get out of AD and into the California guard before anything else. Just ready to be flying already

    C-130 Hercules questions

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    13 hours ago, DirkDiggler said:

    Congrats on Hercs, great cross spectrum of mission sets and she's a lot of fun to fly.

    You will not go through Little Rock, they ended that a couple years ago for HC/MC-J guys.  After pilot training you'll head direct to Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque, NM for HC-130J Pilot Initial Qual Course.

      I'm an MC-130 guy so my knowledge of HC-130 stuff is all second hand info; if you have any other HC-130 specific questions that you can't get answered by actual HC-130 guys on this board let me know and I'll ask around here (I'm currently in ABQ doing an MC-J transition course).  Good luck at UPT and study hard.

    Thank you, I appreciate it! I'm deployed right now so I haven't had a ton of contact with the unit so far. Just ready to get back and start meeting everyone so it'll feel a little more real. Still feels pretty surreal even though it's been a month and a half. 

    C-130 Hercules questions

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Recently picked up to fly HC-130Js for the Guard, and I used to work E & Hs before Little Rock when J, then I retrained out of MX. All I can say is I could not be more happy to be going J. Need to find out from my unit but I believe I won't even go through The Rock after UPT, can anyone confirm?

    Palace Chase info

    in Air National Guard / Air Force Reserves

    Posted

    On 10/25/2021 at 3:19 AM, B747CSO said:

    Does anyone have experience with a Palace Front after being picked up with a UPT slot? 

    I am currently 3.5 years into my 4 year active duty contract as an enlisted aircrew member and just got picked up to fly heavies at my local guard base. Since I am so close to finishing out my contract (April) I figured a Palace Front would be the best course of action. I have not heard much from my unit after getting selected but I want to get the ball rolling on this. They did say that they wanted to work with my current squadron to send me on a permissive TDY to Wright Patt for my FC1, but I want to get my ducks in a row so that I don't end up getting separated from Active Duty and have to re-start the enlistment process and go through MEPS again. Has anyone been in a similar situation?

    Hey man I know this is from about a month ago, you probably have figured some stuff out at this point. I'm currently working a Palace Chase from AD enlisted to a Guard UPT slot, and they got me in contact with the guard base's recruiter to start working a timeline and paperwork and whatnot. For my actual application, I have to use my current AD base's in service recruiter. Your base should have Reserve ISR's to help you with the process, it's not a whole lot different from Palace Chase. If anything it's much easier since you're not asking to separate early. Keep in mind Guard and Reserve dudes are rarely in a big rush when it comes to new hires, so give them some time if you haven't heard much and start working connections on your end. 

    Lastly, it's a good idea to get in touch with your separations folks at your MPF, they can be a good resource as well.

    Good luck and congrats! Mind me asking where you got picked up?

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