Should I Track Helicopters at UPT?

At Air Force Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training (SUPT) there are some things that don’t change much over the years. After flying the T-6A in Phase II, student pilots “track select” to either the T-38 for fighters & bombers, the UH-1 for helicopters and CV-22s, or the T-1 for everything else. I’ve recently noticed student pilots discussing online which order to list the options for track select, and they’re going through exactly the same thought process as I did in their shoes.

For today, we’re going to focus on the helicopter track. This represents the road less traveled in the USAF as there are only three airframes and a handful of assignments available. (Many of the same factors play into similar decisions for Navy and Marine Corps pilots.) This track also makes things interesting in a post-military career transition. However, Air Force helicopter pilots get to fly challenging and important missions that are worth it for the right pilot. Let’s take a look at why you might want to choose the UH-1 at track select, and what that will mean for your future.

Table of Contents

1. USAF Rotary Wing Airframes and Missions
2. USAF Helicopter Assignment Options
3. Track Select Gamesmanship
4. Helicopter Jobs After Active Duty
5. Rotary to Airline Transition
6. Conclusion

USAF Rotary Wing Airframes and Missions

The USAF essentially only flies three types of rotary-wing aircraft (soon to be four). The mainstay of the fleet is the HH-60G Pave Hawk, soon to be replaced by the newer, fancier HH-60W.

The HH-60 is based on the same airframe as the US Army’s UH-60M Blackhawk, the Navy’s MH-60R/S Seahawk, the Coast Guard’s MH-60T, and the civilian Sikorsky S-70 that appears in numerous variants. It’s an older design that still exists because it’s a good overall airframe that has been upgraded and modified repeatedly throughout its life. The primary mission of the Air Force version is Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR).

The CSAR mission is near and dear to the heart of all pilots. When one of us has a very bad day and needs help, it’s rescue pilots and their crews who will be riding in, frequently under fire, to save us. They have the potential to make an immediate difference in each of our lives. No self-respecting pilot lets an HH-60 crew pay for drinks at a bar.

The Air Force’s other helicopter is the UH-1N. Though it’s technically named the Iriquois, everyone calls it the Huey. This design has been in service since the Vietnam War, and it’s still flying because it’s simply a great aircraft.

The first mission where an Air Force pilot can encounter the Huey is at Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training - Helicopter (SUPT-H) at Fort Rucker, AL. (Technically, pilots here fly the TH-1H variant.) You should hear pilots pine for the simplicity and fun of that mission! Once you graduate SUPT-H and do an operational assignment, you’ll be eligible to return to “Mother Rucker” as an Instructor Pilot. Sure, it’s Alabama, but the town of Dothan is actually a decent place. It’s close enough to the beach to matter and also reasonably close to bigger cities like Atlanta.

(The USAF recently awarded a contract to replace the TH-1H to with Boeing/Leonardo’s MH-139. If you want to fly new hotness, you might consider going back to teach after deliveries start in 2021 or so.)

Operationally, the UH-1N has two main missions. It’s first is VIP transport in Washington D.C. Huey pilots there get to fly anyone from generals to senators. It’s fascinating flying in part because you get to fly (and land!) in airspace that most pilots would get shot down for even looking at funny.

The other main Air Force Huey mission is missile field transport. Our nuclear missile bases cover vast swaths of the US. Getting crews to and from the silos isn’t always feasible by car, so you get to shuttle people back and forth. However, it’s not all milk runs. You’re also a critical piece of a sort of Air Force mini-aerial cavalry. In case of an attack, it’s the base’s UH-1Ns that will work with large Security Forces squadrons to fight the Commies. A friend of mine who did this job described it having a giant helicopter playground where he got to play and innovate all the time for training. I think any helicopter pilot could like that job!

(There are also a couple units that still use the UH-1N for search and rescue. Check the list below for those.)

The final rotary-winged aircraft in the Air Force isn’t a helicopter. It’s a tilt-rotor called the CV-22 Osprey. This aircraft works exclusively for Special Operations since it replaced the MH-53J several years ago. The CV-22 is special because it’s fast...so fast that slower fighter and attack aircraft have a tough time keeping up on escort missions. It does infiltration/exfiltration of Special Operations Forces (SOF) to places and for reasons that we can’t discuss on this open-source website. Just know that the mission is awesome. I have yet to talk with a CV-22 pilot who didn’t love the aircraft. If you want to log meaningful combat hours in the USAF, the CV-22 is the way to go.

Although we can’t go into too many specifics here, you can read about an exciting CV-22 mission where a friend of mine won the MacKay Trophy for heroism and fancy flying. (Be careful, this article will either make you never want to fly the CV-22, or will make you forever incapable of wanting to fly anything else.)

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USAF Helicopter Assignment Options

Although mission will dictate a lot of how much you enjoy your job as an Air Force helicopter pilot, location is also important. (If you have a family, location may be even more important!) For better or for worse, there aren’t that many bases with rotary-wing units. Here’s the current run-down.

TH-1H Huey (Soon to be MH-139)

• The only place to fly this one is at Fort Rucker, AL. (Yes, that’s an Army base.) You’ll spend about 6 months there for training, then you can go back as an IP later in life.

UH-1N Huey

• F.E. Warren AFB, Wyoming (Missile Support)
• Malmstrom AFB, Montana (Missile Support)
• Minot AFB, North Dakota (Missile Support)
• Andrews AFB, Maryland (VIP Transport)
• Fairchild AFB, Washington (Rescue)
• Yokota AB, Japan (Transport and Rescue)
• Eglin AFB, Florida (Flight Test)
• Kirtland AFB, New Mexico (Rescue)

HH-60G (Soon to be HH-60W)

• Moody AFB, Georgia
• Davis-Monthan AFB, New Mexico
• Nellis AFB, Nevada
• Aviano Air Base, Italy
• Kadena AFB, Okinawa, Japan

CV-22

• Hurlburt Field, Florida
• Cannon AFB, New Mexico
• Kirtland AFB, New Mexico (Rescue)
• RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom
• Kadena AFB, Okinawa, Japan