Recent Army Aviation BOLC/flight training pipeline grad?

[USAFA10s]

Like the title says- I am hoping to find a recent (or less recent but knowledgable) army aviation training pipeline grad that can answer a few questions on taking leave/traveling during training.

Long story short the question is how challenging it would be to attend a wedding during the 15-18 month aviation training pipeline at Ft Rucker. Specifically if there are better/worse times for that.

Answers here are good, but if anyone is willing to PM me to get connected to the person I’m asking the question for, that would be even better.

 

[Capt MJ]

I’ve got my , because I know it’s the “snivel log,” in the Navy, to request to get excused from the flight schedule and mandatory ground training and be given liberty or leave, and I want to know what the Army term for it is.

 

[UHBlackhawk]

I don’t know if anyone PMed. I was waiting for someone with more recent experience than the Jurassic era of aviation to comment.
If you’re looking to commit now, before flight school, that’s not really possible.
During the entire period you will have breaks when this would be possible, or opportunities for long weekends. Some periods you know you will be off. Christmas leave when things shut down and federal holidays. There might be exceptions to having off for a federal holiday such as SERE. But even SERE doesn’t normally run over Christmas.

But normally even the flight phase is M-F and will shut down for federal holidays. There might be exceptions to this, such as if you get a bunch of “weather days” and need to make up the syllabus on a weekend or federal holiday. But these were (are?) rare.
Less predictable at this time are “snowbird” breaks, breaks between phases of BLOC. They try to minimize these but they happen. They can last from a few days to a few weeks. I know people who “snow birded” for weeks, and others who had no more than a weekend off between phases.
Also, you might be able to cut out early on a Friday if you are in a ground phase (except SERE) or have afternoon academics in the flight phases. But I wouldn’t buy an airline ticket counting on this. If you are actually flying, don’t bother asking for an early release unless it’s a Red Cross verified emergency.

 

[USAFA10s]

@UHBlackhawk Thanks for the info - I'll pass that along. It's pretty much what I expected.

I'll add if anyone has advice for an AF 2d Lt (not me, one of my Lts) who's future (civilian) in-laws are having a difficult time accepting that he can't plan his wedding around his future sister in-law's training schedule (especially given he may be in a high ops tempo assignment next), feel free to pass that along as well.

Seems to be a disconnect in understanding how the military dictates lives. I'm sure they'll learn eventually, but it's all too new for them right now and seems to be putting some strain on things. I have my own thoughts - but prefer to crowd source when I can as it's not a conversation I have had to have