GROM
USAF Pilot
Forum Replies Created
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I will caveat this with I did not do T-1s. However, the military will teach you everything you need to know. Even if you went T-6s first, you will still get to T-1s without the multi-engine knowledge. I would save your money and let them teach you what you need to know. Going straight to T-1s will actually probably help you as a lot of people struggle with the acrobatics and formation part of T-6s. I would say the most important part is knowing instrument flying as that is most of what you’ll be doing.
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Not to beat a dead horse but to reiterate points already made. My UPT class had a United Pilot in it. He had been flying for them for several years so at least a couple thousand hours of flight time. He was on the verge of getting eliminated the entire time. I always tell people some flight time is great so you aren’t stressing about the basics of which gauge to look at but after that the Air Force is going to teach you to fly the way they want you to and if you are ingrained in your ways they will see it as being argumentative so a lot of times no experience is better than a lot of experience.
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Hey Mike,
For the time being that aircraft is strictly AD. That unit is currently and for the foreseeable future will be AD. They will also have units at FE Warren and Minot for that aircraft supposedly by 2030 that you will rotate between.
The schoolhouse for the 139 will be at Maxwell and at a minimum will have guard/reserve components if that is of interest to you. Since they are just standing up the unit down there though they are very limited on spots available and are doing very little flying currently.
GROM
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Hey Douglas,
Congratulations on the daughter!
When it comes to getting a fighter slot, a lot comes down to whether you want to go guard/reserve or active duty. Active duty will be more class rank and what’s available at the time you get through UPT. If you can get hired by a guard/reserve unit your chances will be better as they are sponsoring you through pilot training. Obviously nothing is guaranteed, you can get anywhere along the process and lose your slot, I say that just to manage expectations.
Once you figure out which route you want to take you’ll have to start prepping for the different tests that are required regardless of which route you take.
Good luck!
GROM
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Hey Travis,
Like you said, it varies for every unit but the PPL is definitely not required. They changed the scoring a couple years ago to put less weight on the actual hours. That being said, if guard/reserves are the plan, essentially they’re taking a gamble on you getting through pilot training. Having a PPL may give them a warm and fuzzy that you’ll make it compared to the guy with no flight time.
From what I’ve seen from people that went non-rated to rated the letter of recommendation went pretty far. I haven’t been on a selection board so I can’t speak specifically on it but from what I’ve seen the higher up the rec the better the chances are you get picked up.
GROM