Originally the USAF new T-38 replacement was slated to be into full production by 2027 however new reports have surfaced showing the pushback until 2029. Unfortunately that continues to put more of a strain on the UPT/IPT pipeline.
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/gao-t-7-delays-push-full-rate-production-decision-back-two-years/
Hey BD, I’ll be online today so shoot me an email at cage@bogidope.com or DM me with any questions you may have, cheers!
STK!
CAGE
Like, you don’t have to say the quiet part out loud
https://simpleflying.com/why-usaf-short-1000-fighter-pilots-despite-50000-retention-bonus/
Every few months someone writes another article asking why the Air Force cannot retain pilots with a $50,000 bonus and every pilot quietly laughs into his gas station coffee.
Because this has been going on since the airlines woke back up around 2011. It is not just money. It is production. Unit drawdowns. Airline hiring. Deployments. Staff jobs. Family math. Control of your own life.
Which is why the Guard route is still so interesting.
You come in as a lieutenant, spend the early years on full-time orders, make real money with BAH/BAS/flight pay, get trained, get seasoned, and build the thing.
Then, right about the time civilian aviation starts becoming financially stupid, you can transition to part-time.
Rip the Sidewinder on drill weekends (see below). Still collect the airline check. Still be useful to the unit.
Is it easy? No.
Is it maybe the best deal in tactical aviation? Yeah.
BogiDope Community,
One of our BogiDoper’s , Logan, asked in a post below about aviation scholarships and grants that you can apply for your ratings. I thought this would be a good opportunity to post this to the BogiDope Community as a whole, as I believe this is probably applicable for most of you.
Every year, the FAA posts a comprehensive list of scholarships and grants that can be applied to a myriad of different ratings. They do so through a partnership with Aviation Start, which maintains and updates the list periodically.
All you have to do to access the list is click on the link below and register with Aviation Start for free! You can then access all sorts of great information about how to get your ratings paid for through scholarships across the country or grants provided by both federal and local government.
Check it out below!
https://www.faa.gov/education/grants_and_scholarships/aviation
A lot to love in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpga1DeIbTo
The Hornet that looks like it is maybe 200 feet off the deck.
The Edwards flight test engineer trying to keep it together in the back seat.
The Moose (C-17) whose wingtip looks like it is about 100 feet from the desert. Just casually being enormous down low.
The Eagle flight lead actually down in the weeds.
And the Eagle wingman who is having none of it
The visibility panels the photographers put out across the desert.
And, obviously, all the Viper-shaped freedom birds with vapor on the strakes.
R-2508 has a pretty unique vibe: terrain, light, speed, weird airplanes doing different things in the same piece of sky. It is one of those places where you look around and remember that this job can be extremely cool.
Not that anyone needed reminding.
Minneapolis and St. Paul are famously separate cities-Minnesotans will tell you this with great seriousness. Sure. That said Minnesota might have built the world’s most efficient airlift rush strategy.
The 96th AS in Minneapolis is hiring UPT applicants.
The 109th AS in St. Paul is also hiring UPT applicants.
Same metro. Same airplane. Two different units. Two different cultures. Potentially two chances to find the place where you want to spend the next 10–20 years flying tactical airlift, doing the Guard/Reserve thing, and eventually owning an alarming amount of cold-weather gear.
And no, this is not a “just apply to both and figure it out later” situation.
Rush both. Learn the people. Learn the mission. Learn the difference between the Reserve culture at the 96th and the Guard culture at the 109th. Then ask the adult question:
“What would my actual Tuesday look like here?”
But still.
Two C-130 UPT boards in the Twin Cities at the same time is about as close as the airlift world gets to a BOGO sale.
Details on milrecruiter
Wanted to know if I could pick there bring. There isn't a ton of info about Guard or Reserve RPA life at all. Strongly considering it as a career due to age. I thought awhile back there was an RPA Pilot but haven't found one here. If anyone knows one, maybe you can help get me in touch?
Good rush questions are not clever. They are adult.
You are trying to figure out: “What would my actual Tuesday look like here?”
Ask about the people:
Are most folks local or commuting? Is it a full-time-heavy shop? Lots of Guard babies? A bunch of airline dudes? How many are prior active duty?
Ask about the job:
How many people are they hiring? How long until you are qualified? What does the mission mix look like in real life—training vs operations? How often do people deploy and for how long?
Ask about the life.:
Can new hires get full-time work after seasoning? What does housing look like? Can you actually survive in this city on an LT salary without living with six roommates and a suspicious number of reptiles?
Then ask the specific mission questions. MAFF. Airdrop. Alert. Deployments. Whatever the unit does that makes it unique.
The point is not to interrogate people. - The point is to show you are thinking past “that jet is sick.” And that when you get the offer you know it’s a place you’ll be successful.
Hello everyone,
I wanted to introduce myself to the community and ask for a bit of guidance regarding financing getting my PPL.
I am a current student pilot with about 15 hours in Denver, Colorado. I recently graduated from Texas A&M with my Bachelor's Degree, where I was in the Corps of Cadets and Aggie Band. My goal is to become a pilot for the Air National Guard/Reserves, open to most airframes (dream is the Bone), and one day an airline pilot.
I am continuing flight training and trying to fly 3x a week and stay very familiar with the airplane, but my savings are depleting a little bit faster than I anticipated.
My question to the group is this: are there any lesser-known aviation scholarships you have seen for Guard applicants to finish their PPL training? I have been looking and have seen several general ones; either the deadline passed, or not until December. Are there any I should look at that might be more applicable to me?
Another question: Is there a good loan option? I am in a part 61 at Centennial Airport (Aspen Flying Club, part of American Flight Schools), and Sallie Mae does not recognize them. Are there any other loan options?
Any advice or guidance is much appreciated!
