CHAOS
Ace
Exam Ready
ANG Pilot
Forum Replies Created
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Obviously, the UPT landscape is highly fluid at this point. The best thing for all of you future STUDs is to remain flexible and ready to crush whatever syllabus they put in front of you.
Welcome to the Air Force! lol
Just keep your cranium down, grind it out, and look forward to the smell of JP-8 in the morning in a short couple of years!
-CHAOS
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@Smack-Meier looking forward to what I’m sure will be a righteous webinar!
I’ll hit leadoff here to hopefully get more questions rolling… How long is the F-35 B-Course and is it exclusively at Luke AFB in Arizona? Or are there other possible locations?
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Thanks for posting, DJ! Any military aviator with airline aspirations should tune into this thread, as it will make life easier when it comes time to apply to the civilian sector (if that’s the path you choose).
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@rowan-prown Your initial contact doesn’t even necessarily need to include your resume/cover letter. I would just stress your passion in obtaining a UPT slot, your admiration for the unit you’re reaching out to, a brief background on you, and your willingness to visit at any opportunity afforded your way.
Be respectful of their time, bring the passion, and make it hard to say no to you.
Good luck!
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@Nell , I always recommend you try and get your letters sent to you in an editable format for this reason specifically. It’s hard enough to get someone to write you a solid LOR. You don’t want to have to keep bugging them to change something for every board.
-CHAOS
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@hammer8 Another vote for Barron’s. They have been around forever and have long been the standard for AFOQT prep books.
Also, another vote for linking up with Gunboss. There’s no substitute for one-on-one tutoring for test prep.
Good luck!
-CHAOS
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@Curevich , if you have any universities near you with ROTC detachments, it may also be worth contacting them to see if they can help you out. I’ve seen folks in the past be able to schedule through them. I hope this helps, and good luck!
-CHAOS
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@gage-stoen Anytime! Keep us updated on your progress and reach out if you hit any road blocks.
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@gage-stoen Thanks for sharing your story and welcome to the community!
It looks like you’re off to a solid start in the process! One of the first things I’d recommend is getting a plan to take the tests. It will be a required item for any unit you’re looking to apply to.
From there… I’ll tackle the Guard and Reserve question for you.
It’s never too early to start reaching out to Squadrons you’re looking to apply to. However, I would steer away from a recruiter when reaching out to units. Instead, do what you can to get ahold of one of the pilots or their “hiring POC”. The best place to look for this information is on MilRecruiter via the Squadron Map.
https://app.milrecruiter.com/Squadrons
Start there and grab some contact info on some of the units you’re interested.
Reach out to start a dialogue and eventually look to set up a visit or a “rush”.
There’s plenty more to unbox when it comes to this, but that should be a solid start.
Good Luck!
-CHAOS
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@cruz Thanks for the post! This is definitely a very niche area that I’m sure would interest some of the BD family. Thanks for your willingness to share; I’m sure there will be a few who reach out looking for some good info on your story.
Happy Holidays!
-CHAOS
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@Edward Great post! I’ll triple down on the above comments… Never to early to get started. If anything I recommend everyone start reaching out to units and trying to establish connections with units/start a rushing relationship ASAP.
-CHAOS
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For those that this may affect… It’s important to remember that you can be up to 40 still before starting URT (RPA Training)!
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Also worth remembering… There are age waivers.
Caveat… They are not easy to obtain and are rarely something ANG/Reserve units pursue, but there are cases out there.
Never say never!
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@rowan-prown Thanks for sharing! Passion gets you a long way in this game. Age can definitely be a deterrent in some of these highly competitive UPT boards… However, I recommend reaching out to some units you’re interested in and seeing if they’d allow you to rush the squadron. There’s all kinds of material on rushing units on BogiDope… The bottom line is that getting out to these units for some face-to-face (if they’ll allow it) is crucial to upping your chances. Once you’re there you can share your story and they’ll let you know if they’d consider you for a UPT slot.
I hope this helps. Good luck!
-CHAOS
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@TAF 100% possible. When I was in Nola we actually hired a seperated Hornet bro who had been out of the jet for awhile. It ended up falling through due to personal choice, but the unit was ready to send him to a TX course and get him flying again.
The process would really start with rushing squadrons and finding one willing to entertain your situation.
-CHAOS
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Awesome post DJ!
It really is never too early to get started in this process. Some of my favorite coaching sessions are General Strategy sessions with young guys and gals just getting started on this adventure. Even before you take tests, start flying, enlist, etc. you can be taking proactive steps to up your chances and get headed in the right direction.
-CHAOS
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Thanks for the contribution Chin Diesel! Always great to get some different perspectives added to the community. I appreciate you extending the olive branch for anyone interested in looking into the World’s Greatest Navy.
Cheers!
-CHAOS
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Thanks for the insight @pwaterman . It’s definitely tough to keep up with all of the changes. Here’s an article I found not too long ago on some the new UPTisms.
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/undergraduate-pilot-training-2-5-fully-implemented/
Worth a read!
airandspaceforces.com
Undergraduate Pilot Training 2.5 Is Now Just UPT After Being Fully Implemented
Maj. Gen. Clark Quinn, head of the 19th Air Force, said Undergraduate Pilot Training 2.5 is fully implemented but may be tweaked.
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Glorious rundown from Husky! Quick pile on…
One key thing to highlight is that while you can definitely manage work/life balance for a long career as a Guard/Reserve fighter pilot, the demand expected at first from a new wingman entering the fighter squadron (fresh from the training pipeline) is significant. There is a definite expectation that you will put in the work and long hours as the new guy to learn the jet, get comfortable/proficient with tactics, and upgrade through flight leadership positions. This can be a lot at the beginning of your career… (While not the only reason) This is one of the reasons there’s a bit of a tendency to steer toward younger guys in UPT boards at Fighter Squadrons.
Hope this helps!
-CHAOS
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Another piggyback… A big factor to consider in this scenario is the toll it takes on the pilot making that transition. I saw firsthand one rare instance where this occurred at one of my past squadrons, and I don’t think people realize how hard it is on the aviator transitioning from heavies/bombers to fighters.
It’s obviously hard to get a squadron on board, but that transferring pilot really needs to understand the demands of being a new wingman as opposed to a seasoned heavy pilot.
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If there’s a will, there’s a way! Keep pushing and keep us in the loop on any progress or any roadblocks you hit.
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@Marco_Polo_Actual Thanks for jumping in and sharing your story. First and foremost, a prior career in service is definitely not a disadvantage; in fact, I can confidently say that it will be considered a positive in the application process.
As far as the medical side goes, that could be more of a challenge. I’m far from an expert on the medical side of things but I recommend trying one of the BogiDope resident flight docs to run your medical questions by.
To give you a good idea of what most Guard Fighter units are looking for, here are the benchmarks I often brief:
*AFOQT Pilot/ PCSM in the 90s
*College GPA over 3.0
*Minimum Civilian Flight Experience: Private Pilot License and the 60ish hours that go with it
*Age: 26 or younger
This is not the end-all be-all, but this is what we typically see in applicants who get picked for interviews. If you don’t have all those things, I recommend trying to get there (for the ones you can control) and/or rushing units to build a relationship so that they may look past some of those things.
Hope this helps!
-CHAOS
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No worries! Good luck and keep us updated on your progress!
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Thanks for extending the olive branch @slippinjim !
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@TStephens34 Thanks for the intro and congrats on your path to wings in the Reserve! I’ve worked with a handful of ROTC cadets who have shown a desire to transition their commitment to a UPT slot in the Guard or Reserve. Hopefully those in the community see this and reach out!
Thanks for your willingness to share your experience!
-CHAOS
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Awesome thread Cage! That F-15C sounds like quite the machine😁
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@Pipes thanks for clarifying. Even better!
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Piggybacking off of Cage… I’ve never seen any discounts or reimbursement for rushing. Unfortunately comes out of hide from the rushee.
All the more reason to keep networking/ make contacts throughout the process so you can potentially link up and split costs!
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Hey Leah, welcome to BogiDope! If you haven’t already I’d reach out to a couple of the units you might be interested in and see about starting the rush process. Gaining an in/building a rapport while you’re waiting to separate will be a huge leg up when it comes time to start applying.
Good luck!
-CHAOS
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@TheEqualizer Welcome to the community. I recommned digging around on the website to the max extent. We’ve got all kinds of materials that should help you on your way. Reach out if you have any questions.
Cheers!
-CHAOS