Almost UPT Complete

Hey guys/gals,

It's been a very long time since I've perused the forums but I'm back and willing to help people out.

Just to fill people in, I have finally passed the infamous Nav checkride of T-1 training and now have about 5 weeks left until drop night. I'm here to answer any questions about the Academy, Laughlin AFB, or my journey in UPT.

No questions, just want to say "Congrats!"

What are you hoping for?

Was there last year for DSs winging. They do a great job from a ce!ebration aspect.

Congrats...you can now breath a LITTLE Easies...key word little!

Congratulations, from a parent of a soon to be cadet!

Thank you. It's been a fun and wild ride in UPT.

I've changed my mind multiple times but I'm pretty sure I have finally decided. I want KC-135's to anywhere as my #1. Preferably, 135's to MacDill would be ideal but I love all the locations of the 135's and the multiple reserve/guard units. I have more reasons if people want to know more.

Congratulation on making it through UPT!

MacDill is a great choice. My son loves being in Florida.

Stealth_81

Fyterpilot22, thanks for the update and congrats. Why 135s? Just curious if you don't mind sharing. Can't wait to hear the update on what you ended up with and what you got! Best of luck.

How big is your class size? Are they still starting with near 30 students? DSs class started with 28 for both the T6 phase and T1 phase. When he finished the T6 phase they had 21 and when he started the T1 phase they added in 7 that had washed back. He winged with 21 or 22. Can't remember exactly.

Their class was happy with the fact that no Es and only 1 FAIP dropped!

Stealth, thanks and yes being from Hurlburt Field, MacDill is the closest big jet base.

Navy, I decided on the 135 for multiple reasons.

1) The locations are fantastic: MacDill, Fairchild, Kadena, Mildenhall (soon to be Ramstein), and McConnell. The "worst" location would be McConnell and even then it's very close to the big city of Wichita, KS. The lack of bases and the opportunity of overseas PCS is why I don't want the C-5 or KC-10.

2) From what I've been told, generally speaking, KC-135s get the most hours behind the KC-10. I know that this is predicated off of today's current conflicts and will change in the future but for the sake of the argument, let's say the future situation will be similar and hours will surely help when applying to the airlines.

3) I want to go to the airlines either after my initial 10 year commitment or after 20 yrs of service. I know that your line number means everything when joining the airlines so knowing that there are multiple reserve/guard units everywhere, makes it an easier transition if I want to do airlines AND still fly for reserves/guard.

4) The deployment cycles are currently 2 months gone, 6 months home; at least that's what I've been told. Being a married man, I like the opportunity to be home for 6 months (perhaps with multiple TDYs) but still home more than the C-17 guys which I've heard are gone for more than 300 days out of the year.

5) Simply, it's a multi-engine non-centerline thurst jet aircraft which also helps when going to the airlines which throws out 130's, AFSOC, and NSAV aircraft.

Now with that being said, I have no idea what my #2, #3, #4... etc aircraft will be.

Pima, my class only has 11 students total (8 T-1s/3T-38s). My class is very different as we used to be 15-06 but they split our class and pushed half of us into 15-07. The split happened at track select and was due to the poor maintenance situation here at Laughlin and budget cuts. When the split happened, it created a ripple effect since it happened at track so the original 15-07 became 15-08 and so on.

We started T-6s with 28 students. From T-6's we had 5 people fail out or drop on request. Right now, we're trying to figure out the FAIP situation since 15-06 and 15-07 both have 11 students (we had one go helos). There's 9 active duty in 15-06 and 11 active duty in my class so the next two drop nights will be interesting.

I thought you were 08.....5 weeks to drop, basically said to me it was the exact same time for my DS...fencers DS was in the same class.

God bless and God speed.

Just a Mom, something I said to DS...this will be 24/7/365 for AT LEAST 9 years. JMPO, I am reading alot of a decade from now and not now.
~ You are too young to remember 9/11. Me OTOH remembers how many of our friends were furloghed because the airlines crashed.

Just saying love the mission.

I'm not entirely sure about the timing of other classes but for us, 15-07's drop night is March 20th and Graduation is April 3rd.

Yes, the mission comes first and I'm sure I'll love whatever plane I get but I'd like to have the opportunity to go to the airlines with a strong chance of being employed if possible.

Was UPT what you expected it to be like?
Is there anything you wish you would have known beforehand?
Did you track T-1s because you want to go to the airlines?

Zach, I expected UPT to be lots of spoon-feeding and for Phase 1&2 I was right for the most part. However, in Phase 3 it's much different. The IP's are still willing to help but they definitely won't spoon feed you. You have to put in the effort to make it show that you are trying to understand the material and just need clarification. Something to think about though, I thought once you got into Phase 3, the Air Force would try it's hardest to forge you into the pilot they want but that isn't true. We recently had a student that failed out of UPT from the infamous Nav checkride. To put this in perspective, he was only 2 months away from graduating and had been in pilot training for 9 months already. Millions of Air Force dollars (okay maybe not millions but you get my drift) have been spent to make him a pilot and yet three bad rides in a row and being 2 months from graduating and he was gone.

As far as anything to know beforehand, I did my research on BaseOps and had an idea of what UPT would be like. I advise anyone to do their due diligence in researching the career they want to pursue. Now, I would advise that you go into the Powered Flight program. It's free and should either persuade you to be a pilot or shun you away; either case is fine as long as you know before you put in your rated dream sheet. Now with that being said, Powered Flight was awesome for getting some hours, getting an idea of flying and the atmosphere of a flight room; however, I wouldn't use it to compare to UPT as there is no real comparison. I know people that went through Powered Flight and later received their PPL and still failed out of UPT.

My dream sheet for track was T-38's, T-1's, then UH-1's. I always wanted to be a fighter pilot and that was the childhood dream which is why 38's were #1. But also knowing the career opportunities from heavies meant that I was not disappointed at all when I tracked T-1's. For me, it was either get 38's and live my ultimate dream or get T-1's and fly many more IMC hours and hopefully transition into airliners.

FYI. doesn't matter if heavy or fighters to get an airline job. Bad gouge. You are incorrect regarding C-130's

Okay viper. Thanks for your input.

Fyterpilot22 said:

C-17 guys which I've heard are gone for more than 300 days out of the year.

Click to expand...

Not sure about all C-17 Pilots but, DS '11 has been stationed in Charleston now for 2 years. He has never been gone for more than 300 days. More like 100 or so days. He has been home more than he is gone.

He also just graduated from SOLL Training (Special Ops Low Level) An elite program that takes specially selected airmen from the squadron for this Special Ops duty. He sat alert and never left Charleston. This week he is headed somewhere to the Middle East and it will be a quick "there and back" trip. About a week.
He loves the big jet. They have hauled some really cool stuff. i.e. Presidents Limo and other vehicles that go with the entourage. Also, many military vehicles and troops who like to jump out the back end of the great plane.

Look at all options and make sure you talk to the guys in the Long Blue Line who actually have experience. BTW, he will Captain up this May. $$$$$$$

Have fun out there.

I have been an avid reader but not much of a contributor of the past 9 - 10 years.

viperdriver said:

FYI. doesn't matter if heavy or fighters to get an airline job. Bad gouge. You are incorrect regarding C-130's

Click to expand...

Did I miss something about the 130s?

Marine, my mistake. From what I've been told, being stationed at a SuperBase in C-17's like Charleston or McChord really pushes their pilots. Oddly enough, I suppose it depends on the unit since your DS is currently there and has better intel than myself.

Pima, in my previous post I made the notion that I don't want C-130's since they are prop because I want to possibly go into the airlines. I personally know of C-130 pilots that are commercial pilots and there's exceptions to every rule but I believe that having multi turbo fan hours are better to be hired.

As a guy with about 400 hours of F-15C time, 500+ hours of T-38 time, and about 7,000 hours of KC-135A/D/E/Q/R time...I'm here to tell you...it's a superb mission! Yes, I loved my Eagle time; I was a decent "Blue 4" but...with only one tour in the jet, I'm a true heavy driver. Superb locations, great mission, outstanding folks to fly with...can't pick a bad base, even Tornado Alley.

Best of luck in your drop!!!

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83