Rated slots out today!

....................................................................................->T-38s->.........-->IFF-->initial qual-->mission unit
Get rated slot-->commission-->pass IFS/have PPL-->T-6s--->T-1s ->WINGS-->initial qual-->mission unit
................................................................................... ->TH-1s->.........-->initial qual-->mission unit
 
raimius said:
....................................................................................->T-38s->.........-->IFF-->initial qual-->mission unit
Get rated slot-->commission-->pass IFS/have PPL-->T-6s--->T-1s ->WINGS-->initial qual-->mission unit
................................................................................... ->TH-1s->.........-->initial qual-->mission unit
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probably asked before but does the AF pay for the PPL? or do you have to get a PPL before IFS? why are there what seems shorter routes to mission unit than through AFA? and thanks for the quick reply.
 
The AF does NOT pay for the PPL. Within the last couple of years the AF has allowed those officers with PPLs to skip IFS and go directly to UPT (whenever a class is available). Those without a PPL will go to IFS before UPT.

The different "routes" reflect the differences between air frame selection.
T-38 = Fighter/Bombers
T-1 = strategic/tactical airlift or tanker aircraft
Th-1 = I think is helicopters
 
You forgot the: "do really well in T-6, track T-38, then on assignment night get either a B-52 or a "non fighter/bomber" because there are none this drop..."


Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83

Sent using the Service Academy Forums® mobile app
 
Or the FAIP drop, when our DS was at Laughlin, I think each and every class had a FAIP drop for both tracks. Four years more in Columbus or Vance is not so bad....Del Rio, a different story! That base needs to be considered as a stateside remote!
 
PIMA, didn't one young lady in that drop get Langley? She's the "bad guy" FAIP?

After my son's graduations, there was an FAA person nearby who collected their paper work and just "gave" them the PPL - instrument rating, I think. Outside my purview now so don't rely on my commentary.
 
I think you meant Laughlin!

Yes, out of our DS's class there were FAIPs dropped. If my memory serves me there were 2. One 38 and one T-1. The girl was T1 and a guy was T38.

I don't know what your DS got, but mine got his ATP rating...something commercial pilots need. It might be that our DS already had solo'd before UPT and that is why...I honestly don't know. I just know that in July we got a fat envelope from the FAA for DS, and he said oh that is my ATP stuff.
 
Pima said:
...
~ Fencers and our DS winged April 26th. 20 ADAF students winged out of Laughlin, this does not include foreign or Guard/Reserve. They had one international student. The latest drop was 11.
~ Columbus's latest drop was 7.

If they don't speed up the UPT pipeline I would think that AFA grads will be waiting a year on average before going to IFS or UPT.
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That's odd. Vance's class 14-15 that just received their assignments last Friday was at least 20, 15-01 is about the same size, and my class has 23. Classes did start getting smaller after ours, but still are in the high teens.
 
Pima said:
I think you meant Laughlin!

Yes, out of our DS's class there were FAIPs dropped. If my memory serves me there were 2. One 38 and one T-1. The girl was T1 and a guy was T38.

I don't know what your DS got, but mine got his ATP rating...something commercial pilots need. It might be that our DS already had solo'd before UPT and that is why...I honestly don't know. I just know that in July we got a fat envelope from the FAA for DS, and he said oh that is my ATP stuff.
Click to expand...

Impossible he got his ATP. It requires at least 750 military hours or 1,500 civilian. He probably took the written test in hopes he may have the hours within 2 years to complete it. Most people only qualify for a commerical license after UPT.

buffalo said:
That's odd. Vance's class 14-15 that just received their assignments last Friday was at least 20, 15-01 is about the same size, and my class has 23. Classes did start getting smaller after ours, but still are in the high teens.
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Laughlin is improving, our classes are getting back up to the high 20s. 15-01 is small but classes after start looking more normal.
 
This is when UPT students receive their assignments - their future aircraft and location.
 
hornet,

Like I said all I know is DS said that is my ATP stuff....it could be the paperwork for him to start logging his hours for later on.~ Do not know....all my job was as Mom was to forward it to him in Little Rock.
~ Honestly for heavies they can pull 750 hours very quickly.
~~Bullet OTOH hand retired with 2400 hours after 21 years . A sortie for him was 1.5 hours.

The class sizes in my limited opinion have to speed up BC the AF knows that commercial airlines have stated they will have a pilot shortage starting in 2018. Their last big hiring push was pretty 9/11 and the majority of their pilots were retired military...@42-43 years old. That means many are now in their late 50s early 60s.
~ Where do they get their pilots? The military!
~ Why has the AF changed their fighter bonus to $250k for signing on for 20 years? Because they know that there will be an insane shortage.

Also the pipeline had to slow down because after UPT they will go for their airframe training. I spoke with my DS today. He is going to be off for the first time in 20 days. Their simulator is running 24/7 6 days a week and half day on Sunday just to get these guys through at the pace UPT was sending. I think he said currently there are 50 students in the pipeline for C130Js.

Think of UPT like traffic on the highway...it slows down for miles because of an àccident, and once the accident is cleared it will speed up again.

In the AF there will be a slow down on the fighter side soon enough....leaving the never ending A10 issue aside. The 35 will be coming on line in the next few years, which means transitioning many of the 16/15/15E experienced pilots. They need to get enough 35 pilots to become IPs at the school house. That means taking IPs out of those airframes and transitioning them into the 35, leaving less IPs in those airframes to train students. Now add in the commercial airlines hiring.

All in all, jmpo, but these kids right now are going to be sitting pretty in years to come.
~ Be honest hornet, is your DH considering taking that 250k bonus, if so why or why not?
~~ Chances are the idea of a family life is very alluring even when you place in the equation that he can get 50% of that 6 figure bonus in one big check.
 
AHS,

There are two terms you will read about regarding UPT.

Track and drop.

Aglages is correct. Drop is the airframe. They typically find out that @ 3 weeks prior to winging. It is a big night and there is some type of party function for the class.
~ Fencer and I were back and forth on the phone...it was alphabetical and she called me to say what her DS got, as we were talking my daughter in law beeped through to tell me what DS got...beeped back to her and she already knew because she heard his name announced!
The other is track. After @5 1/2 months the students are sorted out to fighter/heavy track. Students are allowed to request a track, just like drops, but it will come down to their ranking and predicted amount of each track that will drop 7 months later. You could be number 1 in the class and ask for heavies, which mans a lower ranked student wanting fighters will track fighters.

The drops are interesting because it is almost like draft day.
 
I saw the unusually low # of drops for Laughlin and Columbus posted on Baseops from the last assignment night. I knew Vance was not anywhere that low in number of people left in the class so I wondered why such a big difference. Our son will drop in Dec. and there are 20 left in his class that started with 27 on first day of UPT. Maybe someone else can explain the difference in the base numbers. Fighter drop was about 8 at Vance when son started UPT. His class got 3. Also, last 2 assignments had no F-16's dropped.
 
I am confused with your post regarding drops.

I am going to make assumptions now.

Your DS tracked 38s and will have his drop in Dec. Currently only 3 are. In that track out of the 20.

The 16 drop will vary and this is only what I was told at DSs winging...it is like a draft. Let's say Laughlin gets a 16, but their top student wants a 22. Meanwhile Vance gets a 22 and their student wants a 16. They will swap so each student gets their dream airframe. Flip side Laughlin and Columbus could both get a 16 and won't trade because their students asked for it, thus Vance is stuck with dang 22!

AGAIN this is what someone explained to me at my DSs winging and it could be complete BS!

I am betting DS wants the 16 to parlay it into the 35.

Trust me that night he will be grinning ear to ear no matter what airframe. It is amazing how quickly they switch allegiance to what they deem as the best airframe in the AF!

Ask Flieger how quickly he came to love his new airframe....he flew both heavies and fighters.
 
skismuggs said:
why are there what seems shorter routes to mission unit than through AFA? and thanks for the quick reply.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what you mean. USAFA is a commissioning program, like ROTC or OTS. You need to be commissioned to be an officer, and you need to be an officer to be a pilot in the AF. No shortcuts there.
 
aggie83 said:
Also, last 2 assignments had no F-16's dropped.
Click to expand...

The Viper pipeline is very backed up right now. Moving the schoolhouse from Luke AFB to Holloman AFB means moving 4 squadrons of people and planes to a new base. They are moving each squadron as they graduate a class, so there is downtime in between for the move and they are putting less students through. Some of the F-16 IPs are having to go to other squadrons around the US just to keep their hours current. They are also in the process of standing up the F-35 schoolhouse at Luke and getting the Lightning II IPs trained.

Stealth_81
 
DD received a pilot slot this week. Are there just the 3 UPT locations - Laughlin, Columbus and Vance? In researching this there seems to be some outdated and or confusing info on the internet. Do those cadets who received a slot put in a wish list for UPT location? Just wondering/learning. Thank you.
 
There is also ENJJPT. I don't know about the AFA, but AFROTC cadets do get to put a wish list in,. Just remember that because you place one base as the lowest on your list it doesn't mean it won't end up being where they send you.
 
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