Job?

[Candlemakers jr.]

Okay so I know what I want to do in the Air Force, fly a C-130, but what are my actual chances of picking the job I want?

 

[RickD_USAF]

Okay so I know what I want to do in the Air Force, fly a C-130, but what are my actual chances of picking the job I want?

Always remember, Air Force needs come first. That will always dictate mission readiness and who works where, doing what, and when. I think a lot of the flying stuff will be based on (1) selection for UPT, (2) how you do in UPT, and (3) what slots are available when you complete UPT. But, always work for your goal. If you want it, go get it. Work hard and set milestones.

 

[USNAMA2022hopefull]

If you get selected for UPT it really depends on how good of a pilot you will actually be if your one of the best you most likely will get out on a fighter squadron

 

[5Day]

There are no guarantees. You must be committed to serving in the air force, in whatever capacity they find fit. Sometimes the needs of the service are more important than you personal desires.

Take a look at this thread. http://www.serviceacademyforums.com/index.php?threads/afrotc-contract-dilemma.52531/ It is AF-ROTC, but want-to-be pilot, aero-med DQ and now going Space Officer and they are not happy. You can have the desire to be a pilot of a C-130, but realize that you may be doing something else.

 

[raimius]

You will need to do well in college, to gain an average to high "order of merit" to have a better shot at getting your first choice AFSC. Assuming you are medically qualified and get a UPT slot, then you should work hard to be the top student in your UPT class. Ranking higher increases your odds of getting your first pick.

...lots of steps, but they generally come down to be medically qualified, do well in your class, and have decent timing. There are quite a few C-130s in the AF, so that helps.

 

[fencersmother]

If you get selected for UPT it really depends on how good of a pilot you will actually be if your one of the best you most likely will get out on a fighter squadron

This is not true. If you make it through initial flight screening (whatever that is called now), AND you make it through UPT (not all that easy, the hardest 14 months of your life), AND you request a fighter/bomber slot, AND there is one open, AND the AF desires to put YOU into that slot, you MIGHT get a fighter/bomber. Maybe.

And, while the fighter jocks get all the glory, my sons are very glad they're flying heavies, one the C5M Super Galaxy and the other the C130J Super Hercules. They love the community, the bases, their squad mates, their missions... and so do their wives

 

[Stealth_81]

Actually right now it is not as difficult to get a fighter slot as it used to be. There have been 3-4 fighters dropping for each class (as opposed to 1 a few years back), and with T-38 classes being 7-8 students, that puts your chances at about 50% once you track T-38. There are a lot of fighter pilots leaving the AF and they need to be replaced. Of course, everything will have changed by the time you make it through the system and no one can say what it will be like by then.

Stealth_81