Chaff

most of our active reservists are on the same schedule as the active duty guys with the active duty side running the schedule.

I know of exactly 0 people eligable for the pay increase in our squadron.

Skywalker did it

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It sounds like you will be going TDY. I went 2 years ago and the hotel is fine. You should only be there for 4 months at the most.

As long as you are cool with a masters from an online school you can get it done. If you are interested in deploying a lot talk to one of the instructors at Holloman about it soon after you get there. Some units are much easier to deploy from than others and the IPs can help you request a specific unit. RIQ: RPA Instrument Qualification RFC: RPA Fundamentals Course

Is the point of this to improve RPA manning just in time for reductions in CAPs? Or are they intending to present missile guys with a "good" deal?

No. 11s go straight to the TX course at Holloman.

When I went through in 2010 anyone that was OCONUS was PCS'd to Randolph prior to IFS. When IFS/RIQ/RFC complete a couple months later, they PCS'd TDY enroute to Holloman onto Creech or Cannon.

For those discussing enlisted dudes flying RPAs. Is there a reason you believe manned aircraft should be piloted by officers or could they be piloted by enlisted as well? Just wondering what everyones thoughts are and how they draw their lines.

I have heard rumors that as a result of sequestration they would drop the requirement for guys with their PPL. Not sure where you would look to find the truth. I would start by asking someone at AFPC that you sent your rated board application into or pilot assignments.

1. If you found the actual policy then you are probably correct. 2. Correct. Although you won't actually get an instrument rating and all of your flights are in a simulator. 3. We had a guy in my RIQ class who had his civilian instrument rating. He still had a lot to learn and the course was still challenging. For the most part you are completing the UPT syllabus in the sim with half the acrobatics and no formation. 4. Previously the only way you would be exempt from IFS was if you were a already a rated guy with your PPL. I had to go through the RPA IFS course even after having previously completed the pilot IFS course. Guys who make it all the way to the T-38 and wash out of UPT go through RIQ even when they have completed the instrument phase of the T-6. 5. RFC is a joke, study a little, play lots of golf. I doubt anyone could struggle with it. If there was some magical way to show up at FTU without having completed some prior AF flying training you would have a tough time and your instructors would probably hate you. You really need the prior training to experience and adapt to the way the AF is going to train a pilot. To get the best training I would say go to IFS. That being said if you don't need to go you are opening up an opportunity to wash out (people with all levels of experience do). But if you would wash out of IFS you probably don't belong anyway. Maybe guys who graduate college with their instrument rating should go straight to IFF? Sounds like a good idea right? Vision requirements for both manned and RPA pilots.

IFS in Pueblo CO: 2 Months RIQ/RFC @ Randolph: 4 Months FTU: 4 Months

This forum makes me feel like all the drone guys people talk to are idiots. Who would argue that a drop without clearance is the fault of anyone but the PIC? Who would argue that a Pred / Reaper could replace an A-10 in a CAS roll? Who would argue that we could operate in a denied environment? We do some missions well. Others we do not. In the future we all know those mission sets will expand with technological improvements and new aircraft.

UPT academics are not hard. They dont really require critical thinking or problem solving like a college course should. They more test how motivated you are to spend time studying. I would say there wouldn't be much of a correlation because you have people at both ends of the motivation spectrum on both ends of the GPA spectrum.

Some RPA squadrons never deploy however you don't get much say in what sq you end up in. Keep in mind the 18X career field is so new that there are few if any people who have made it past their first assignmet. There are a lot of unknowns in terms of career progression. The flying world standard of 2 ops tours then on to staff etc. may work but we don't know. Manning is still a big issue so it is hard to see them pulling people out of op units. Also no one knows for sure how war drawbacks will change us and if we will start to feel the budget cuts like other flying units. The way leadership is talking right now 90% of dudes assignments will be Creech, FTU instructor at Holloman, back to Creech. Replace Creech with w/e other base. Again, no one really knows because no one has made it that far. If you are stationed at Creech you can live on Nellis housing. However that will add 30 min onto your drive.

You are correct the beginning of the program is the same as the pilot one. The CSOs will do low level nav routes while the pilots continue to work on landing the airplane. CSOs do not solo and are not required to land. I don’t have any real attrition facts for you but based on the two times I got to enjoy IFS; CSO: 5%, Pilot: 15%, RPA Pilot: 35%. Like trucktech84 said, know the boldface prior to showing up and be ready to Eat, Brief, Fly, Gym, Study, Sleep and have no free time during the week.

Makes sense take advantage of all the instrument training the AF provided and get your civilian ticket.

Academics is about 1-2 weeks long and 8-4 is about right. After that if you have the first sortie of the day brief time is around 0430, last sortie of the day debrief will be over by 1900. Once academis is over there is no "formal release" so you can show up to the Sq early enough to print out mission materials and get ready for the brief. You will only have one flying event per day. You wont always be on the same line. Usually if you start the week off with an early/late flights you will stay early/late for the week, however I had one week where I was first TO on Monday and last land on Friday.

I don't recall ever being asked about food during the physical. If it's not in your record or in your blood then they won’t know. Not sure what you mean by "food situation" but if you deploy you might want to be ready to eat whatever is provided.

Just when I thought I was having a good weekend...

I believe everyone already gets a clothing allowance for ABUs. Enlisted get one each year and officers get it once at their first duty station.

I was a 62E in the 09 year group and got an RPA slot from the 2nd rated board in 2011. A 61A from my last unit just started RPA training. I worked with 62E's from 08 and 09 who wanted to fly. 08 went to UPT and fly’s the F-15E and the 09 palace chased to the SD guard to fly F-16's. It's not difficult at the moment to get into the rated world if you start off as an ECE. As long as you do good work and don’t piss off your commander you can do it. And if you're interested in RPA's there are guys starting training now who were in other career fields for less than a year before applying.

Does anyone know where to find some?

29 May I start the four month long RIQ/RFC training and some classmates and I are looking for alternatives to living in VOQ at Randolph. I have heard some rummors about furnished houses or PIT pads that are setup for guys going TDY there. Anyone know a good resource for finding a place for longer TDYs or own a place they need to rent for a few months? How about any info on the minimum information the AF will need to reimburse us for renting a place durring TDY? Special way the lease would need to look? ect.