Congrats to Kiersten W., who was recently selected for a UPT slot at the 167th AS in West Virginia! I have no doubt she'll be an awesome C-17 Co-Pilot in the near future.
Expecting big things!
Cheers!
-CHAOS
The CCA development tempo has been increasingly high with pressure from the customer to handover to operational units in record time and steadily build their capabilities. Highly recommend staying up to date with these programs as they will soon be integrated with many platforms that you may eventually fly!
https://www.twz.com/air/general-atomics-fq-42a-vengeance-cca-now-flying-together-with-usaf-fighters
In my post last week I spoke about the repercussions long deployments were having on the lifespan of 4th Generation fighter platforms like the F-16. Well, this week I found an article talking about exactly that!
Check this article out about how the Air Force may start buying vipers again to offset the divesture of old F-16s due to hours on their wings.
Again, if you guys are waiting to get a pilot seat in the Air Force, my best advice is;
Be Hungry, Be Ready. Your time is coming!
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/air-force-eyes-new-build-f-16s-to-boost-fighter-force/
Why have I not been using office hours earlier??? I guess it's better to learn my lesson now than later! Just got out of office hours with Smack and a few others who joined to ask questions. In that 45-minute conversation, 3 major questions I had were answered, and I was able to optimize my app strategy. So simple. So efficient. Thanks, Smack!
New time for tonight’s office hours
BD, grab a beer and join me for Office Hours tomorrow, 17 Sep at 8 PM EST. Bring questions, issues, or just come to hang out. See you there!
Office Hours
Thursday, September 17 · 6:00 – 7:00pm
Time zone: America/Denver
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/dpc-azdx-gqc
Or dial: (US) +1 669-241-2870 PIN: 432 512 043#
More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/dpc-azdx-gqc?pin=2840516929484
Congrats to our newest Bogidope UPT hire who just found out they will be flying C-17s for the WV ANG!!
BD Fam,
Check out this article from Big Blue on the latest from the UPT arena.
I know most of you have been trying to follow the ever-changing landscape of pilot training over the past few years. Hopefully, this adds some clarity as the Air Force graduates the first few classes under the FUPT construct.
Cheers!
-CHAOS
In 2025 fitness testing and policy through the Department of War shifted to incorporate gender neutral testing for combat arms, as well as bring back more stringent and mission-driven fitness policies. For most fighter pilots, the only noticeable change was that even if they scored above a "90%" on their fitness test, they still will need to test every 6 months to ensure they are "fit to fight."
In the last month, active duty, reserve and guard squadrons have been attempting to incorporate additional regulation and oversight into fitness programs. In my squadron, we are now required to "log" our gym sessions in the fighter pilot gym. Official DoW policy is that members are required to do vigorous physical activity/exercise every duty day. On days where you are spending 9 hours in the vault prepping, briefing and debriefing, while spending 3 hours in the airplane--it can be tough to prioritize getting to the gym. Our squadron requires logging 2x sessions a week in the fighter pilot gym, and personal accountability for the additional duty days of how you incorporate your physical activity for the day.
One way to get any fighter pilot to do something is to make it competitive. Over the past month my squadron members have started tracking each other's time and it's become quite competitive between fighter pilots and the sister squadrons as to who is logging the most gym time. Fighter pilots never do anything half-way. If we do it, we do it right.
How do you compete? Are you prepared for the DoW's fitness policy? What is one thing -fitness wise-you've done this month that you are proud of? Mine is logging 30 running miles last month.
Fights On!
