So you’re a freshly minted, steely-eyed 2nd Lieutenant that’s ready to dominate UPT with the highest MASS score ever recorded and eager start your new life as the second-coming of Robin Olds. Well…not so fast. For those of you without a civilian Private Pilot’s License (PPL) or higher, you’ll need to graduate from Initial Flight …
We’re going to discuss career progression today. As a former Active Duty pilot, I’ll admit I don’t love this topic. You have to understand: I’m a pilot. I didn’t join the Air Force to sit at a desk pushing paper or sending emails. When I graduated from the Air Force Academy in 2004 and got …
Welcome back to Part 2 of our series about career progression for Air Force pilots, from the pilot perspective. If you haven’t already read Part 1 about career progression as an officer, I recommend you click here and read it first. For better or for worse, it’s necessary to look at your Air Force career …
When I got sent to Hurlburt Field, FL, in late 2007, I bought a house. Then the housing bubble popped and our house was worth far less than we owed on it. That house spent many years as a rental property after we moved away because we couldn’t afford to sell it. A couple years …
This article is intended as a follow-up to my previous discussion of deployments for Guard/Reserve pilots. While not every pilot has the same experience deployed, my intent is to paint a picture of deployed fighter pilot life. For those who wish to pursue fighter aviation, I hope to offer a glimpse into what you may …
Network, As the COVID-19 crisis continues to drag on, I can’t help asking my crystal ball how things are going to shake out. We’ve seen some regionals fold, and I’ve heard of others already starting furloughs. The government came up with a stimulus package that will protect some airline pilots through the end of September, …
Welcome back BogiDope readers. Last week we looked at the symptoms of Wingman (or Copilot) Syndrome…the pilot disease even worse than Coronavirus. I received a lot of great feedback from people who either have or have avoided the syndrome themselves. This week we’re going to look at some ways that a pilot can recover if …
Curing The Pilot Disease Worse Than COVID-19 – Part 1 Read More »
Feliz Cinco de Mayo, BogiDope readers! The following is reposted from the members-only TPN Community website with minor revisions. It addresses USERRA. If you have more questions about that law, be sure to read our original article on the subject. “Would it be a problem for me to take long-term military leave during my probationary …
With 17 different F-16 units in 13 states, chances are that if you want to fly fighters in the Air Reserve Component (ARC–the Guard and Reserve) you stand your best chance of doing so by opting for the Viper. For a map of these units, see BogiDope’s helpful map page. This article is intended to …
Dear Baby Pilots, At least a couple times a month I see someone post a variation of the following question, either here on TPN, or on one of the other aviation career groups I follow: “How can I build hours without having to ________ ?” (be a CFI, fly nights, work for peanuts, move somewhere …
