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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
by Eddie, future USAFR pilot and always Marine “This is Major Smith, I’m calling to inform you that we would like to have you in our squadron.” It was one of the best days I’ve ever had in my life. However, receiving a pilot slot in the Air Force Reserve as an active duty Marine […]
Welcome back TPN! This is Part 3 of 3; the final installment in a series looking at how to choose between job offers from multiple airlines. In Part 1 we recommended that the single most important factor in your choice is location. If your family can be happy living at a base for your airline, your quality […]