EvilEagle

I'll be T-6'n it all week (original version)

Thread revival Anyone have experience with or know anyone at Billings Flying Service?

I'd add this: Why do you think you want to fly fighters? What do you know about the lifestyle? If you go into flying fighters with another goal in mind (astronaut) you will likely be a Sh!tty fighter pilot. TPS guys are typically not the killers in the squadron; they are normally the huge nerds. There's always an exception but you know yourself. Are you a linebacker or a punter? Going in late to the game with very specific (and hard to get) goals is a tough road. Realize there's a decent chance that if you go AD, you are going to end up with multiple years not touching an airplane and doing a job that pilots don't think of as "fun". Then you'll have to take a year off to go to school (probably twice) and start all over on your upgrades. Your 30's should be fun, being a wingman is *kinda* fun at the time but it's a thrash. All that being said, yes typically if you are the top of the class in AD, you get what you want. Age doesn't really matter last I checked. Good luck

Taz was one of my B course students. It was awesome to watch him get better and grow in the community over the years. He's missed.

My .02: find a new dream. If you aren't sure, you likely won't ever be. This will be a mental obstacle you don't need when trying to become a fighter pilot. Trust me, no matter how much research you've done, you have no idea what being a fighter pilot is really like. The good news is that since you really just think you'd like to be one, you have time to find something else you think you'd really like to do. I never asked myself whether I'd like being a fighter pilot until I had been one for more than 10 years. It's a real pain in the @$$. If you are questioning it now, just go find something else to be passionate about; there are a TON of cool careers out there. Good luck.

Careful guys - lots of people throwing around WOMs here. I'm an airline guy and I was a commander so I've dealt with both sides. Only specific types of orders are exempt and they will say "These orders are exempt from USERRA" right on them. There are waivers for anything but in general: Training orders (UPT, SERE, B-course, FWIC, etc) Seasoning orders (post b-course or TX course if unit is transitioning) Involuntary mobilization That's it. Your 10 year UPT commitment is most definitely NOT USERRA exempt. You can't stay full time for 10 years and come back to your airline job without working a bunch of non-standard stuff. You have a 10 year commitment, but don't have to be full time. Most guys go back to the airline post-seasoning orders.

The "I'll have you banned" part was my favorite BTW. Jaysus..... big talk for someone who's been on the board less than 2 years.

I said all scores matter as in when I sit on hiring boards I look at every score from the tests. If Pilot and Nav scores are great and the rest suck, I assume the applicant is lazy unless he/she has some reason that the rest of the tests didn't go well. Were you being sarcastic or did you really think I was stooping to the political garbage level?

Bad advice - all scores matter. A 44 isn't the end of the world, but I'd be asking about it if I was sitting on your board. Go rush the units you want to apply to and see how it goes.

I am officially a has-been. My fini flight was this morning, retirement ceremony this afternoon. Bittersweet to say the least. Getting out of that jet for the last time was a bigger deal than I was expecting. It's been a good ride - 21 years in and 18.5 of the last 19 flying the Mighty-Mighty (quick MC-12 stint in AFG back in '11). I haven't been posting much, but it's about to get a lot less. Thanks to all the warriors out there; keep fighting the good fight. Now I'm one of those guys that thank you for your service. I probably won't buy you lunch though - I'm still a cheap-ass airline pilot. Do your best to keep this place following it's roots - helping people in the fight (or trying to get there). Hasta-la-bye-bye. Evil

Have you visited the units you are applying to? If you only call, your app goes in the round-file.

Late to the fight here, but I have used the mini and find it to be perfect for GA. An air or pro would block too much crap IMO. If you can handle the feeling of earplugs, check out Clarity Aloft or Halo QT. I've been using Halo's for GA (non-warbird) flying for the last 8 years or so. They are great, no batteries to change and super light.

I'm not saying that they should have the same knowledge base as a C model IP. I was commenting on their lack of desire to learn, admit their mistakes or even consider they had something more to learn in the first place after being shown proof they were wrong. (again, not all but.... nearly all)

We wouldn't fight a strike Eagle in a clean C model - that's just not even sporting. I disagree that it would be like me calling a fight in the back of a fighting falcon (I've done that too). The control zone is the control zone, a wez is a wez; potential energy, bandit maneuver options based on said energy/jet capabilities and fight history are pillars of aerial combat that don't really change from jet to jet. (ie A C model has the same wez available to it when fighting an E model or a 16 & vice versa). If you think that BFM and the lessons taught in mastering that art form aren't useful in the rest of tactical aviation "nowadays" I'd say you are part of the problem. The ANG doesn't just do coastal defense. Honestly I'm shocked that anyone in the USAF thinks that's all the ANG does. Have you been living under a rock for the last 20 years?

When I was at Mtn Home, we started a thing to have all the new IWSO's and soon-to-be-IWSO's come over and ride in our D model for some more advanced BFM concepts. I think I did about 9 or 10 of those rides. Not one had a clue, they all said to do the wrong thing constantly. They would argue with me when I wasn't their voice-activated auto pilot. In the debrief, most of them were very cool and got some good learning out of it. A few of them might-as-well have crossed their arms, stomped their feet and put their fingers in their ears when I was trying to teach. Ah well.... I've never had to fly with WSO's. That one small window to the community was enough for me. It's not an opinion for the ANG. We don't have the money to fund enough pilots for our current jets. There simply isn't enough money to have twice as many officers; it's not like AD where they just say "we're doing this" and let the money people figure it out. I'll be completely shocked if the ANG starts flying with WSO's again even if AD force-feeds WSO's into a/a squadrons.