I got hired by a guard unit a few months back, and just went through my FC1. I am still working on finishing my PPL. It's tough with budget and job schedule, but I'd like to finish so I don't have to go to IFT. Does anyone know if there is a cutoff time between not having your PPL and whoever signs you up (unit, NGB, other?) to go to IFT?

For example, if you don't finish your PPL within 30 days of your OTS dates, you have to attend IFT. Or something like that.

 

Thanks

"Pilot, RPA pilot, and CSO candidates with a private pilot certificate are exempt from IFS." (AETCI36-2205V3, 2012, pg.3)

https://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/aetc/publication/aetci36-2205v3/aetci36-2205v3.pdf

I don't know for certain when the cut off time is, but I imagine if you finished before you went to OTS they would amend your orders. 

Save your money man! It is free flight time that will be a benefit to acclimating to Air Force Tech School. My friend who was prior enlisted went through IFT and said he felt that it was a big benefit because it got him familiar with how they grade you and what "Stand-ups" were.  Take the free time and use it to better prepare yourself, rushing to get a PPL is, in my opinion, a waste of money that could be better spent. Any way you want it good luck. 

Edited October 23, 20187 yr by Yaweh

What Yaweh said. I had my PPL, but going to IFS and getting a general idea of how the UPT structure works was helpful. 

It definitely depends. You'll get more familiar with standups at IFT... but that's probably not something you want to waste a month of your life to learn, when plenty of people figure it out at UPT with little problem. If I was within a few hours of finishing my private, I'd get it, because not having to go to IFT will save you MONTHS of your life (sitting at UPT base waiting for IFT, IFT itself, sitting at your UPT base after getting back waiting for class to start).

If money is tight or you're more than a dozen hours away, I'd probably hold off.

Another reason I've heard to wrap up your PPL and avoid IFT is because it's another potential for failure. Sure, if money is an issue, it makes way more sense to have Big Blue just pay/pay you for the training. However, if you can swing finishing your PPL as a civilian, it might make sense because it's weeks less of potential things that could jam you up. You have already been flying, so you're probably confident in your skills, but why potentially beef up a checkride or something else that could eliminate you at IFT if you can avoid it entirely?

Lastly, as I understand it, you don't get a PPL at IFT; just the ~20 hours of instruction. So, if you do want a PPL down the road, you'll still have to sit for it and get the FAA checkride for the license anyway.

Especially coupling it with the months of wait time @Stoker pointed out, you might as well just knock it out beforehand, if you can.

Edited October 24, 20187 yr by FDNYOldGuy

Lastly, as I understand it, you don't get a PPL at IFT; just the ~20 hours of instruction. So, if you do want a PPL down the road, you'll still have to sit for it and get the FAA checkride for the license anyway.

No PPL, but if you’re T-1s (maybe 38s also) once you graduate UPT you just have to take an FAA written test to get your commercial single engine, multi engine, and instrument.


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5 hours ago, ihtfp06 said:

No PPL, but if you’re T-1s (maybe 38s also) once you graduate UPT you just have to take an FAA written test to get your commercial single engine, multi engine, and instrument.


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Ahhh. My mistake. I had heard that we can sit to take those higher equivalency exams, but I wasn't sure how not having a PPL played into that. A little searching and I see FAR 61.73 allows military pilots around the PPL first requirement. 

The only other potential reason for getting a PPL (although, seems to be hotly debated) is logging hours (mainly T6 time) during UPT before sitting for that equivalency exam. If you have a PPL, you have the type rating (ASEL) and can log PIC time ("sole manipulator of controls" time; not "signed for the aircraft" time). It won't help with airline required hours (depending on the airline), but it seems like that can count toward FAA hours required for higher ratings like ATP.

So, it seems if you're worried about being able to log all available hours PIC, then having the PPL beforehand might be able to make the 60+ hours of T6 time loggable as PIC to get you closer to the ATP hours requirement.

That's how I understand it, anyway, but I can certainly be wrong about that.

Ahhh. My mistake. I had heard that we can sit to take those higher equivalency exams, but I wasn't sure how not having a PPL played into that. A little searching and I see FAR 61.73 allows military pilots around the PPL first requirement. 
The only other potential reason for getting a PPL (although, seems to be hotly debated) is logging hours (mainly T6 time) during UPT before sitting for that equivalency exam. If you have a PPL, you have the type rating (ASEL) and can log PIC time ("sole manipulator of controls" time; not "signed for the aircraft" time). It won't help with airline required hours (depending on the airline), but it seems like that can count toward FAA hours required for higher ratings like ATP.
So, it seems if you're worried about being able to log all available hours PIC, then having the PPL beforehand might be able to make the 60+ hours of T6 time loggable as PIC to get you closer to the ATP hours requirement.
That's how I understand it, anyway, but I can certainly be wrong about that.

I wouldn’t worry about it because SIC time on an aircraft that requires two pilots counts for the purposes of your ATP also. You’ll have plenty of that between the T-1 and whatever you go on to fly after UPT.


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I will be in the minority here, but just press with IFT.  You have a guard slot so its not really delaying any training in my experience.  I went from OTS, straight to IFT, straight to UPT.  Its low threat, most of the instructors are awesome, you can meet some bros, ghe C Springs area is nice, and you are on orders getting a paycheck plus per diem.  Better than sitting around after OTS waiting for UPT.