[Travis Yang]

Sup yall! Travis Yang here – currently an AD USAF non-rated officer with aspirations to become a fighter pilot. I’m 29 yrs old, have 98 Pilot Score (AFOQT) and 96 PCSM, with 30 flying hours (planning to obtain PPL before fall).

Wanted 2nd/3rd opinions on the topics below,

*PPL: How vital is having one when applying to guard/reserve? I’m tracking the USAF has Initial Flight Screening (IFS) for folks who don’t have PPLs, and I know the guard/reserve can send their UPT selectees there. Can it partly be that some units don’t want to fund this training so they prefer candidates with PPLs?

*Whole Person Concept: How much weight does an O-6 WG/CC letter of recommendation have? As well as solid awards, evals, sustained superior performance in general, etc. Does a PPL outweigh all of this?

Tracking it depends on the unit, but if anyone can provide some guidance it would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

Travis