B-O-double-Z

There are plenty of pilots who are 6'3" or over. You just need to get a bigger flight suit. Try a 44L or 46L. The extra width will allow it to drape off your shoulders a bit and result in some extra length in the process. You'll look fine in a flight suit that's a little too big. Nothing looks worse than a guy wearing a flight suit that's too small or tight. Even if you are a fat-ass, you can generally get a bigger flight suit and won't look like such an embarrassment.

nTf, What you are proposing probably isn't possible, and notwithstanding that, is a bad idea. To do your "seasoning" in Korea or Germany, other than a short excusion for a couple weeks, would require you to join active duty. That would be a big deal, and you may never get back in your unit again. They (your Guard/Reserve unit) paid for your training, and they'll be expecting your services upon completion of said training. I'm suprised your unit is even willing to commit two years of seasoning to you. That's way beyond what they are obligated to do. Six months is the norm. If I were you, and I do know a little about the subject, I'd concentrate on getting through training, get back to your unit, and start earning your keep there. To use an old adage..."dance with the one who brung ya."

LPA stands for "Lieutenant's Protection Association." If you are a Lieutenant in a squadron, you are part of the LPA. The LTs band together to keep from getting f&cked over by everybody else. It's sort of like joining a gang when you are in prison to keep from becoming somebody's girlfriend.

I've never heard anything prohibiting military pilots from flying civilian planes on their free time. Doing it for hire may be another issue. Active duty officers are limited on what they can do for money outside the military. All this stuff about not being able to fly during UPT sounds like a WOM to me. If your commander directly forbid you from flying, that might be a lawful order--I don't know. But, I doubt anyone can find a standing regulation, in AETC or otherwise, that says you can't fly civilian planes.

The first verse to one of the best loved fighter pilot songs. Oh, my name is Sammy Small f*ck 'em all Oh, my name is Sammy Small f*ck 'em all Oh, my name is Sammy Small and I've only got one ball but it's better than none at all So, f*ck 'em all (so, f*ck them all)

The "Widowmaker," that brings back some memories. Once during UPT, I landed there with my instructor. There were several other white jets (ATC then...now AETC) on the ramp. I looked over at the T-38 next to me shutting down, and it was my Academy room mate, who I hadn't seen in a year. He was going through Williams AFB (now closed). I was at Shepard. Anyway, we felt like pretty big stuff, flying those white rockets. That day sticks out in my memory. It was 18 years ago...seems like yesterday.

Is anybody on here stationed at Laughlin and know the IP? I think he was a squadron mate of mine from '89-'91 at RAF Woodbridge flying A-10s. If it's the guy I knew, after Woodbridge, he went to T-38s, then I heard he flew F-15Cs, went to airlines, got furloughed, and ended up back in AETC. Can anybody confirm this is the same guy? The age is about right.

I bought two of them in early '01. They are basic over/unders. I picked up a 12 ga. and 20 ga. I got the most simple ones I could find. They don't have shell ejectors, just extractors when you break them open. I have several other guns but use the 12 ga. Huglu the most. There is basically very little that can go wrong with it. I've put thousands of rounds through it with no problems and I like the feel of the gun. It does have a little pitting around the but end of the barrels, visible when you crack it open, but nothing that worries me. I beat the hell out of it. In paid something like $220 each for them--well worth the money in my book.

C-21 Pilot, Wanted to make sure I had my facts straight. The Bombardier spec sheet on the 31a lists 51,000 max operating altitude (I thought that is what I remembered, though it's been almost 6 years since I've flown one). Even going to FL490 probably wasn't the smartest thing I ever did. https://www.omnijet.com/database/lear31a.pd...%20performance' Maybe that's different from the Learjet 35 (C-21) or the military places a limited altitude on them.

As a Hog guy...I just have to stay "high on life." Actually, I do routinely coax the Hog (no stores and about half fuel) up the FL350 on FCFs (Functional Check Flights). I was up to FL490 once in a Learjet 31a. Flew Lears for a few years while flying Hogs in the Guard. I think the service ceiling is 51,000. We were empty and light coming out of MSP and I was with the chief pilot. It's a smokin' little airplane. And I do mean little...hardest part of the job was getting in and out of the cockpit.

ISU28, I'd give your post more credence if you'd already successfully graduated from UPT. I wish you luck. I knew when I hit the "add reply" button it would only be a matter of time before someone would attempt to instruct me on the error of my ways. I said in my post, I'm not against hiring from within. Being objective, I would give some advantage to a unit member. It would definitely be a tie breaker. But, it's the commander's obligation to send the best candidate. In addition to unit membership, a commander needs to consider the quality of one's education, previous flying experience, athletic participation and other extracurricular activities, work history, state affiliation, test scores, and recommendations. Meeting the minimum criteria and being in the unit does make you qualified, but not necessarily best qualified. My post is not an indictment on unit enlisted members. If the best candidate happens to be an enlisted guy in the unit...shit hot. My post is an indictment of units which are too parochial or lazy to recruit and hire the best candidates available. I've flown for 18 years, in the active duty, the Guard, and for the last five years in the Reserves. I'm familiar with the pilot selection process and I have some insight into what it takes to be successful in the career field into which you hope to matriculate. If you are a solid candidate, you'll do fine. If not, you are going to have a rough road.

The AFRC board keeps the units "honest." Most of the packages which have already been vetted by the unit are rubber stamped at AFRC. I think it's a good idea to have another echelon above the unit look at the selections and give them a sanity check. It keeps the "good ol' boy" system in balance. I've seen some really horrible selections when I was in the Guard that logically resulted in guys washing out and wasting the unit's UPT slot. I think it's especially prevalent with units that hire mainly from within. I'm not against hiring from within, but using UPT selection as the "crew chief of the month club" isn't smart either. To often, as soon as an enlisted guy in the unit gets his degree from "West Valley Community Vocational Junior College and Screen Door Repair", the units sends them off to UPT...and they fail. The Reserve process is similar, but the AFRC board puts the stamp of approval on the picks. [ 19. August 2005, 06:26: Message edited by: B-O-double-Z ]

Try a box of good cigars. I recently sent a box to a buddy of mine who was appointed a fighter squadron commander. It's the standard gift I ask for on my birthday and holidays from my own family. Use Holt's Cigar Company in Philadelphia. They're the best. www.holts.com If you need recommendations on what brand or size cigar to send...pm me.

I'll piggy-back on Rainman's post. My experience was sort of the mirror opposite of his. I turned down several full athletic scholarship offers from civilian universities in my home state. I was also recruited by all the service academies and several Ivy League schools. I will say that I didn't know squat about ROTC at the time. When I took my recruiting trip to the Zoo, I was impressed by the dudes who hosted me. They were a bunch of top-notch individuals and warriors. I was a farm kid from Ohio. My dad thought I was an idiot to consider going to the Academy when I could get an education free--and closer to home. Looking back, part of my rational was probably defying my old man. Anyway...I'm not endorsing the Academy over ROTC. I didn't even know about ROTC then. But, the notion that you aren't going to have any "college experience" at the Academy is wrong. After the first year, I spent most weekends off-campus, doing the same sh!t anybody else would have been doing at that age. Again, without comparing to ROTC, I'll throw out what I think were the positives in my case. I graduated from the Zoo in '87 so I've had some time to let it sink in and ponder it. 1. I made some awesome friends for life. Just last winter, I took a ski trip with 6 of my old buds and our wives. It was as if we'd never been apart. The sh!t you go through together at the Academy bonds you. 2. You'll never be around more smart people at the same time in your life (maybe unless you go to an Ivy League School). Being in a fighter squadron gives you that to some degree. I'm just talking about the sheer numbers at the Academy. 3. The education is top-notch. I've never felt inferior, from an educational standpoint, at any time in my life since the Academy. 4. The extra-curricular activities and opportunities are cool. While still in college, I got to see a good bit of the world, play Div-1A football at very high level (three bowl games in four years--all victories!), fly gliders and airplanes, and do some things that would not have been financially feasible at another school. 5. The Academy opens doors for you in later life; whether in the military, airlines, or business, there's a network out there. It was hard. It sucked at times. I don't regret it. I'm proud I did it. Since then, I've flown A-10s my whole career. For someone who actually is in a position to choose between ROTC and the Academy (and most people aren't) it's going to be a personal choice.

Hey...don't forget about Barksdale AFB. Davis-Monthan (Tucson) does train the majority of the intial qual A-10 pilots--guys right out of UPT. But, some of the initial qual, many of the requal, and almost all of the senior officers are trained by the 47th Fighter Squadron at Barksdale. We have three active duty lieutenants just about ready to graduate at Barksdale. They are headed for Pope AFB, Korea, and Germany. The 47th survived BRAC and is supposed to get nine more jets--for a total of 24. For now we are still in the training business (FTU) but there is rumbling that we'll transition to become a combat unit, or have a hybrid role (FTU & Combat). I think Tucson (D-M) is awsome too, and if I were going through initial qual, I'd rather go there. But, most of the re-qual guys want to come to Barksdale because we are more flexible and graduate our students faster. Unlike D-M, the instructor pilots at Barksdale teach all the academics, and simulator sessions, as well as the flight instruction. We don't have our hands tied by contractors--which is a blessing and a curse really. Last week I flew three instructional sorties (which take most of the day), taught about 8 hours of classes, and scheduled and SOF'd. I'd like to think we earn our big paychecks.

For now I'd worry about making it through UPT. Being a good wingman is just the first step. You have to progress through Two-Ship flight lead, then Four-Ship, and eventually Instructor Pilot upgrade before you are a candidate for WIC. If you end up being a candidate for Weapons School, your age or prior enlisted time won't be a liability. They do look at your date of officer rank. A young captain is preferable to a senior captain or major.

Hey Waxgoblin...don't stereotype man. I like all kinds of music...Hip-hop, classical, country, alternative...you name it. I think all religions are a colossal waste of time. I like just about any girl who weighs under 160 pounds and is willing to have sex with me. I played college football for four years, but women's tennis is my favorite sport. ...and I still think soccer is gay. But, if it's any consolation...I do let my little girls play soccer--just not my boys. [ 15. June 2005, 09:56: Message edited by: B-O-double-Z ]

Nice job Greasy...that's what it's all about brother!

My favorite was Parham, near Framlingham, in Suffolk. It was home of the 390th Bomb Group. The control tower was restored and housed many historic artifacts and pictures. I got to be friends with some of the old geezers who volunteered their time there. I was stationed at RAF Bentwaters/Woodbridge (now closed). I used to rent planes from the Lakenheath Aero Club back then (don't know if they even have an aero club now). A couple times I landed on the old bit of runway that was still there and took the geezers up for plane rides. They really dug that. I miss England.

If you have no ROTC and no enlisted time in the Guard/Reserves...I'd say your chances are slim. You've just let too much time pass before getting your degree and getting serious about it. If your dad is a Guard or Reserve squadron/group/wing commander, that would help. That's the best way into some of these backwater Guard units out there. Good Luck.

The marine pilots are outstanding at CAS. Overall, they have internalized the role better than the Air Force. The Harrier however, in my humble opinion, has got severe limitations. It is tiny, doesn't carry much ordnance, and can't loiter in the target area for very long. The Hornet and Tomcat are much better CAS/FAC platforms than the AV-8.

Meltdown...meet scoobs. scoobs...meet Meltdown. Now, why don't you two run along and play.

I've done DACT against helos quite a few times and heard this argument from Apache pilots before. Yes, you can lock up an airplane with a hellfire...but once launched, the missile doesn't have the aerodynamic maneuver capability to hit an airplane. It just wouldn't hit something going that fast--doesn't have the ability to process the angular line of sight rate or proportional navigation algorithms. Like a Maverick missile, it has a big heavy body and small fins. Contrast that to an Air-to-Air missile which has a narrow body and huge fins/canards. BL...Locking something doesn't equal hitting it. The best tactics against helos from an A-10 perspective... Stay high, keep them in sight, roll-in with a steep dive angle (like dropping a dive bomb) and use the AIM-9 or Gun. In my experience, helos can be real hard to lock with an AIM-9. The gun becomes the weapon of choice. The A-10 doesn't have a radar to augment an air-to-air gunsight. It uses assumptions input by the pilot for low aspect and high aspect shots. The plane allows you to input assumptions for two different adversaries. We normally include inputs for a nominal fast moving fighter, and a helicopter. You don't want to get down low and slow and try to "dogfight" a helicopter. It's best to stay considerably higher, keep the speed up, and if the shot doesn't work out, then come off and do it again. It's kind of like how a smart F-15/16 guy fights an A-10. You don't want to negate your advantage by fighting them in their natural regime.

A couple talking points that are on my mind... --It's crazy to think you can predict the potential of a pilot based on the first couple months of UPT --If you are forced to split the pack that early, the guys with prior flying experience will probably have an advantage --Air Force UPT shouldn't reward the students who know the most about flying on the day they show up --Most UPT instructors can critique a students effort and attitude...but IMHO it takes a guy with previous fighter experience to discern the other indicators for success in a fighter squadron --The instructors at UPT should refrain from talking sh*t about the other teams airframes and pilots (heavies vs. fighters), especially in the T-6/T-37 phase. --It's one thing to be proud of what you flew, but it's another thing to convince young impressionable dudes they "don't really want to be fighter pilots, because fighter pilots are dicks and it's too hard." --I don't know if the right qualities are being rewarded. I hope they are. (I'm assuming it's not politically incorrect to call getting a fighter a reward...maybe it is). I know this is not exact science. That's why I hate to see it reduced to academic test scores, shoe shining, yes sir/no sir, and TP stalls. --There needs to sufficient representation in the T-37/T-6 instructor cadres, from all weapons systems, and enough time to make a fair appraisal of a students capabilities I don't presume to know what the indicators are for success are in a heavy unit, but I have been a SIC and PIC on civilian crew aircraft (about 1000 hours in Learjets), and I do know that it's a totally different kind of flying than Attack/Fighter.

This is an interesting post. It's been a long time since I was at UPT, but it got me thinking about how I would have done in this new dual-track system. I started out slow in T-37s. The only flying experience I had was the 15 hours or so of C-172 (T-41) that you got prior to UPT back then. I probably wouldn't have gotten to go to T-38s in today's program. Eventually the light bulb came on, and I did well in T-38s and got an A-10. I would think, that with the track selection coming half-way through UPT, that you'd want to get a great start out of the blocks. For you FAIPs and recent UPT grads...do you think this system favors folks with a bunch of previous flying experience? I could see how it might. One of my problems early on wasn't the flying part, but that I just didn't have any overall aviation awarness/savy (things like radio calls, clearances, airspace, pattern deconfliction, instruments). I would have really benefited from some previous flying experience, but I had time to "rebound" under the old system where everyone flew T-38s. One of my main concerns is...what basis do the instuctors have for being able to predict who is "fighter pilot material" and who isn't? Are there enough fighter pilots flying T-37s/T-6 to have the overall picture, and a basis for deciding who is best suited for fighters? What are the percentages of FAIPs/Heavy/Fighter guys instructing in T-6/T-37 these days? Are these guys (UPT students) being split into the heavy and fighter tracks for the right reasons? Some of the guys I've instructed in A-10 FTU in the past few years don't seem all that swift to me. But...I know they must have made it to the top of their classes in UPT...somehow. I'm bias...and a product of the "old" system, but I think you need more than six months in a T-37 to know who's got "it" and who doesn't. Anyone?