Håfa Adai everyone!
Just wanted to introduce myself. I’m currently serving in the Air National Guard as a crew chief and finishing my degree in Business Administration at the University of Guam, where I currently have a 3.7 GPA.
I’m also a student pilot and recently completed my first solo flight, which was a huge milestone for me. My long-term goal is to become a military pilot, and I’m currently exploring multiple paths, including Air National Guard/Reserve opportunities, Active Duty Air Force, and Navy aviation.
I joined BogiDope to learn more about the different pilot selection processes, connect with people who have gone through them, and get advice on how to make myself as competitive as possible. I’m continuing to build flight time and prepare for the AFOQT and ASTB.
Looking forward to learning from everyone here, and I appreciate any advice or insight you’re willing to share!
EAGLE!!!
BD Fam,
Check out this good news story from the AF Times for the latest on keeping the Mighty, Mighty flying for the foreseeable future.
Cheers!
-CHAOS
Would love to learn more about this program offered by the Air Force.
I hold an ATP - AMEL with 1,531 hours of total time, 434 hours multi-engine, 379 hours of turbine (SIC).
Type ratings: LearJet-45 (PIC), Embraer 135/145 (SIC), Beechcraft 1900 (SIC).
Education: BS in Aviation (3.94) GPA, BS in Accounting (3.0), Currently taking classes for my Master's in International Relations.
AFOQT and TBAS taken last week.
Congrats to EJ on his UPT slot with the Kansas ANG flying KC-135's. Blue Skies my friend!
We are excited to present the next event in our Free Webinar Series. Our host, DJ Spisso, brings more than 20 years of ANG flying and airline experience to the conversation. Q&A session to follow. Excited to see everyone there!
Wednesday, September 2nd @ 8pm EST
Link: https://webinarkit.com/webinar/registration/6a904841dd2f611964ec3483
Congratulations you got hired at your dream guard or reserve unit and you’re back flying your dream aircraft. Everyday you train for the real thing but now it’s time to go do it. How do you get there?
It’s called an AOS movement. Your unit is assigned specific planes and times that you’re slated to get your cargo, folks, and jets where they need to go. Long lines and hurry up and wait is the name of the game.
If you’re lucky enough to fly a jet vs ride, you won the lottery! You’ll typically get there faster and with all your gear!
Earlier this week a C-17 allegedly dropped off the US top spy in Moscow for meetings. Could it have been an ANG/AFRC crew? Possibly a BD alum? Unknown, but what is known is that this could be a future BD alum!
https://theaviationist.com/2026/08/25/cia-director-c17-moscow/
Good morning BogiDope. I'm reposting Cam's response from our conversation about obtaining the AFOQT voucher code. This specific process continues to be a significant frustration point as you all are starting your journey. Please read below about how Cam_Wyman was able to get his AFOQT voucher code. We hope this helps everyone trying to get the AFOQT scheduled.
SMAX Yessir, got the coveted automated email Tutor-Gunboss was talking 2 days ago. I'm pretty sure I got it after completing the application process through the Air Force recruiter website, specifically stating interest for the active duty side. Got no response stating interest in the ANG side but thought it couldn't hurt to send the app twice. A few days later, I got a call from an "advisor" who asked me a bunch of questions about my past. Then I received the automated email to fill out another application. Had to spend about 3 hours answering all the personal life questions and collecting pictures of all my docs (they only accept pdf form...), but finally got to the page to schedule my AFOQT.
There's a small chance I received the email from my local active duty officer recruiter, but I had emailed her individually way before and never heard back, so for anyone else trying to schedule, I'd go with the AF recruiter website "apply now" stating interest in active duty and then wait a few days hoping for that advisor call. Worked better than reaching out to ROTC units, test centers, reserve officer recruiters, and several active duty recruiters. Cheers.
Hey team,
My name is Sam Brumfield, I’m 23, and I’m finishing up my Biochemistry degree (3.6 projected GPA) with plans to graduate in May 2027. My goal is to earn an ANG pilot slot, ideally fighters, and I’m finally at the point where I’m trying to figure out what gives me the best return from here.
A little past and current background info throughout college: I played Division II basketball for three years, have served as Student Body President (Northern State University) and Executive Director of the South Dakota Student Federation (Statewide), built and lead a MEDLIFE chapter, worked as an EMT/cardiac monitor tech/patient care tech, done undergraduate research, and currently work line service around everything from GA aircraft to Gulfstreams, Challengers, King Airs, and military helis.
Aviation-wise, I earned my PPL in 2025, have 130+ hours in a ton of airframes, am working toward my instrument rating, and will be getting my tailwheel endorsement in the next month. Hopefully.
I also just finished the AFOQT/TBAS process and ended up with a 98 Pilot and 96 PCSM.
The 114th in Sioux Falls (my home base) is at the top of my list, as well as the 125th down in Jacksonville, FL, but I’m absolutely looking to apply to other fighter units as well. (Huge thanks to Twinkie and GunBoss for both of their help up to this point, I’ve already learned a ton from them and from reading through this community.)
At this point, I’m mostly wondering what you guys think has the highest ROI over the next year. More flight hours/ratings? Rushing and building relationships with units? Interview prep? Something else?
If any of those, I’d love to hear the most efficient way to go about them
I’ve got a pretty heavy senior year, so I’m trying to be intentional with where I put my time rather than just stacking credentials for the sake of stacking them. I’d really appreciate any thoughts, especially from guys who have sat on hiring boards.
Thanks in advance!
I’m not sure if this is the right place to ask, but at this point in my life, I feel like I’ve pretty much missed out on my chance getting the fly jets. I’ve always been interested in aviation ever since hearing my grandfather talk about flying planes for the Navy in World War II. When I started college, I knew that I was going to be struggling with the academic side of things as for most of my life school was always difficult to get higher grades.
I’ve always wanted to be a jet pilot, but I knew that I likely would not be competitive in Air Force ROTC or Navy ROTC to get a pilot slot, so I chose to go to the army route instead because it provided me with a lot more options as an officer for career paths that I would enjoy. Long story short, I ended up not completing ROTC and enlisted in the army National Guard instead for a chance to deploy Afghanistan. That was back in 2018, and I have now since transitioned out of the army national guard.
To get to the point of my question, I am now 33 and will be 34 in March of next year. Having been prior service but also from what I understand a good bit over the age limit, at this point is it even possible for me to achieve that goal of being a fighter pilot? I had a discussion about this to some extent with an Air guard pilot that was in one of my classes for my masters. He said that when he went to flight school, that there was an individual that was 39 in his class. So I guess I’m just wondering how realistic it is to achieve a waiver and realistically what is the absolute age cut off even for a waiver?
I’ve been kicking myself for years for not going that route earlier and not following my dreams and settling for less than what I really wanted.
So I guess right now what I’m wondering from people that have acknowledge and experience with this process, is it even possible for me at 33, no PPL at the moment, 7.5 years prior service experience, 6’5 and 180~ lbs to still potentially achieve that dream of being a fighter pilot in the Air guard or Air Force reserves at this point? From what I understand with talking to a few squadrons a year or two back, the private pilots license is basically a must. Considering how much time and how costly that can be, that puts me at a greater age than I am now if I can get that done. Any advice that anyone has my situation is greatly appreciated.
