Fighters or Heavies

[Guest JArcher00]

HD you never stop amazing me with your thought induced posts...do you ever post anything useful or it is all just nonsense? Wait let me search and find out.

[ 16. October 2005, 15:05: Message edited by: RedDog ]

[Smokin]

Ouch dude, why all the hate? Anyway, I think the best answer to this question is the UPT standard answer: it depends. There are guys in my class that knew exactly what they wanted when they showed up and will hopefully get that Friday. But there are also guys like me, I knew exactly what I wanted to fly from the first day of ROTC to showing up at ENJJPT. When I make my wish list (got washed back, so I fill it out in a few weeks) that jet is probably going last. Like someone said above, don't worry too much about it, just show up and do your best and everything will sort itself out in the end. In ROTC, you should be worried about where you're drinking this weekend, not what jet you're gunna be flying in two years.

[HerkDerka]

Originally posted by RedDog:

HD you never stop amazing me with your thought induced posts

Noted.

In the meantime I suggest using your time to figure out the mentally taxing gauntlet that is the search function.

HD

[Skitzo]

My .02:

As a UPT student you should find things about both sides of the house, both pro and con. Do this by talking to as many people in those aircraft as you can esp at the o-club. If you can, while you are still in ROTC or on casual, go visit a squadron if you can. I'm not going to sit here and say fighter pilots act this way and heavy pilots act another, I don't have the credibility/experience to be able to do that. All I can say from my perspective is that each negative sterotype I've heard has been squashed about every aspect of going fighters, from going -38's to being at IFF most of the bad things are over-embellished and most likely in my estimation products of those that have tried and failed and have to place their failures on someone/something else or those that have tried but didn't make it in.

I'm not saying you won't be called on the carpet for your mistakes but you also won't be treated any worse than you should, ie: you are in training to be a single seat pilot, capable of breaking things and blowing things up, would you want to have anything less than perfection demanded from you?

Just keep an open mind and keep asking questions, try to get as much exposure as you can, hope my very limited experience can help.

[Guest lovelacm]

Originally posted by ktulu34535:

As a UPT student you should find things about both sides of the house, both pro and con.

Just keep an open mind and keep asking questions, try to get as much exposure as you can...

Very well said. Thanks for tellin' me I'm not smokin' crack when I toss out suggestions like mine above.

Keep kickin' tail, brother. Sounds like you've got your priorities all squared away from this end.

Cheers!

Linda

Edit: Man.. I don't think my fingers and my brain are connecting.. think one thing, type another. Maybe that was WTF's problem, too. HA!

[ 16. October 2005, 21:43: Message edited by: Linda ]

[Guest guardhopefull]

Originally posted by Hacker:

This simple advice is that it's WAY too early to think about that. It will become pretty obvious after you actually start flying in the UPT environment what you can handle and what you like.

I can’t agree with this more. Being here in the middle of UPT my opinion of what I want is completely different then what I thought I wanted prior to UPT. Luckily I’m a reserve guy who is just under four weeks from track select at XL. And I am soooo glad I am slotted for a heavy. I was close to taking a fighter guard slot but chose the heavy because I felt I fit that unit better. Thank the man upstairs for my instinct. I can’t speak for the fighter environment but I am not a fan of pulling g's. I can do it but I’m the first to admit I’m a big wuss even in the little T-6 so I can't even imagine the T-38 or better then that. I never would have known this about myself prior to UPT, so like they say keep an open mind and worry about it when you get here is my advise as well.

[ 16. October 2005, 20:16: Message edited by: guard/reserve hopefull ]

[Guest Navtastic]

Originally posted by ARGuardbum:

If you are usually the designated driver you should fly C-130s. The worst part about trips is finding someone to drive!

Don't I know it. You drinkers are slave drivers.

[HeloDude]

Don't forget about the helo track. I know most UPT instructors shy guys away from going to helicopters, but that's simply because most of them have no clue about the type of mission and flying they do. Trust me, they're a blast to fly and have some of the best people that you'll ever meet.

My one buddy had great insight about track selects:

"There's no such thing as a bad track...just bad drops"

[Guest Rainman A-10]

Figure out what mission you want and then pick the jet.

[Guest KoolKat]

That's it. I'm going to go buy a T-shirt right now. Unfourtuantely, I don't think it's gonna be that defensive egg shirt I'm after.

BENDY