Hello all, I searched through the threads but couldn’t find any recent information.

Now that I received TFOT dates, I’m trying to give my current employer an estimated timeline of my absence.

Can anyone give recent info on how long seasoning is based on experience or through the grapevine?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Ask your unit. They should know the plan.


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These kids today. Some of our recent returning punks were given 1000 days of seasoning orders. Can you believe that shit? Not sure when that little change occurred but in my day, we were lucky to have just about a year of seasoning orders. 

These kids today. Some of our recent returning punks were given 1000 days of seasoning orders. Can you believe that shit? Not sure when that little change occurred but in my day, we were lucky to have just about a year of seasoning orders. 

Must be for pointy boyzzz cus us ole heavy bastards get 120-180 days (on a good administration). Few years back when they were cutting the fat any and every way possible, bros only got about 30 days.


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1,000 days? And we can't get days for continuation sim training...

Majority of fighter squadrons I’ve been in contact with (including who I got picked up with) are 2-3 years


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On 6/26/2021 at 3:53 PM, 7thokage said:

Majority of fighter squadrons I’ve been in contact with (including who I got picked up with) are 2-3 years


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That is what I was told too by the unit that hired me.

Used to be 2 sets of 265 day orders, which is more like 1.5 years.  You can easily stretch that out to 2.5-3 years if you do UTA/AFTPs between sets of orders.  Some line it up so you use up one years worth of UTA/AFTP at the end of the FY, then roll right into the next FY and use up as many of those UTA/AFTPs, before starting your next set of orders.  Throw in a deployment order in there and it's pretty easy to get to 3 years if you want. 

Something to consider...  I can count on one hand, and have a few fingers left over, the number of guys who actually went back to their jobs post seasoning.  That's over 15 years of sending between 1 and 3 studs every year to pilot training.  I get it if you're in a highly specialized field, otherwise I wouldn't sweat it too much...5 years is a good WAG.

 

Used to be 2 sets of 265 day orders, which is more like 1.5 years.  You can easily stretch that out to 2.5-3 years if you do UTA/AFTPs between sets of orders.  Some line it up so you use up one years worth of UTA/AFTP at the end of the FY, then roll right into the next FY and use up as many of those UTA/AFTPs, before starting your next set of orders.  Throw in a deployment order in there and it's pretty easy to get to 3 years if you want. 

Something to consider...  I can count on one hand, and have a few fingers left over, the number of guys who actually went back to their jobs post seasoning.  That's over 15 years of sending between 1 and 3 studs every year to pilot training.  I get it if you're in a highly specialized field, otherwise I wouldn't sweat it too much...5 years is a good WAG.
 

Seems like fighters have it good after UPT. I’m heavies (C-17) and really hope to be a full-timer after seasoning.

Guard 60G dude here. I got ~280 days (8 months). Used to be a year but it got shaved down a year ago. Word I got was that everybody wanted seasoning days (Finance/support/etc) and so they've been cutting into our allocation. Also, apparently TDYs cut into your total MEST days, so there's that. But at least in our unit we haven't been short ADOS for a long time so it's been good for the traditionals for a long while.

Welcome to the Guard! Each local franchise will tell give you a different answer, and that will continue until the day you hang it up. For seasoning, I’ve seen everything from no days to like 8 months plus. And everyone has a different interpretation of what’s allowed (TDYs, etc.).

ANG pilot here. 180 days is what I got starting August 2020. 

I’ve been told I’m getting Zero days when I’m done with the FTU. Apparently it’s not just my unit. 

1095 days.

It all depends and there are a lot of variables just like everything else.  There are minimum and maximum seasoning days allotted per course.  This year, the various continuing resolutions made a mess of things.  The guard bureau gave out 66% of the minimum this year.  With that said, the program is a “wing commander managed” program.  They can direct the comptroller or FDO is prioritize different groups in the wing. 

There are wings out there that burned through days at the beginning of the year thinking they’d eventually (once a budget was passed) get 100% of the days only to find out the NGB only sent 66% and no more.  Some folks returning from school will not get any days because of this.