brabus

I'm pretty sure the rules don't forbid you from owning property in another country. As long as you're an American citizen (who just happens to own property in HK), it shouldn't matter. You may have to deal w/ some extra security clearance questioning, but I couldn't imagine much beyond that.

On a 1/2 way related topic...can you get PFPS for personal computer use? I figured it was just another program you had to use at work.

I've never said a word and never been asked either, even with 3 gun cases just laying in the back seat. I'd say something if I got the random inspection deal, but otherwise no need to mention it.

Sounds like you have good reasons for enlistment. Have you thought about student loans to pay for school/living? You may qualify for FAFSA...in which case the rates are ridiculously low and you don't have to start paying them off until 6 months after grad/commissioning. You even have further option to defer payment. I recommend looking into that avenue before you give up just b/c you don't have a lot of money to pay for school/living. I'm not bashing enlistment by any means, but if you know what you want, go for it and use student loans as a means to get there. Not to mention you could get a scholarship from ROTC and then you're really set. Money should not be the deciding factor (student loans are not a bad thing); take the cost of school/living out of the equation and then decide w/ the remaining variables if enlistment is still a better option.

I know I don't have total SA on the enlisted to pilot gig, but IMO it seems like a dumb idea to enlist knowing full well you want to be an officer/pilot some day. If that's your goal, go for it NOW, don't wait. Enlisting is a good idea if you're not sure what you want or know you want to do the enlisted track. If you're sure about wanting to be an officer/pilot, don't waste time getting to that goal. If it's about money, that's what low-interest-rate student loans are for. Compared to ROTC, it is EXTREMELY competitive to not only get the AECP type stuff to be commissioned, but get a pilot slot. I can't give you odds, but just to make some up...ROTC - 1 in 10 chance of pilot, enlisted route - 1 in 1000 chance. I know those numbers are pulled out of my ass (sts), but they should give you the overall perspective. Choose wisely.

Didn't know that. Despite that fact, I'm still pretty sure that from a commissioning standpoint you can only be a US citizen. I'm not 100% sure, but I've definitely heard that a few times. I'm sure your cadre can dig up a reg somewhere that addresses this better than the one you found.

I've heard way too many bad stories about storing your firearms w/ the sky cops. I will NEVER do it, under any circumstances. I'm sure people don't have problems (ref Hacker), but too many people have problems to make it worth it. If you care about your guns, do you really want some 19 yr old d bag cop either shooting them or even just merely handling them (i.e. banging them on walls, throwing them around, etc)? There should be no problem having one of your buddies store them in his house off base. At Vance, they allow us to keep them in on base housing, just not in the dorms. So that may also be an option of CBM. Either way, find out what the exact reg is an do whatever it takes to avoid the cop shop. Also, on another note, you have to usually give 24 hr advance notice that you're going to come by and pick up your guns. Some may be fine w/ that, but if I decide to go shooting Sat morning, I want my guns now, not be told "too bad, you gotta wait till Sun."

I think BL is it may not affect your secret clearance, but you will have to denounce for commissioning/getting your TS. On somewhat of a side note, I thought the US didn't allow dual citizenship period (civilian or military), but obviously the OP has/had it...so does the State Dept only allow dual citizenship w/ certain countries?

I also remember it being about a month to get one, so I wouldn't waste money on the "rush" thing...and I paid about 80 bucks, so look around a little more.

No one cares. But, don't say you don't drink due to religious reasons, but then one day get caught having a beer (b/c you like to have a beer once in a while, but don't like getting tanked...therefore you thought "religious reasons" would be an easy out). If that's the actual case, then be honest and don't bullshit the religious thing. But, if it really is religious, no one will care and everyone will respect your decision.

Shack. I should have just said that all along...regardless of your's or my opinion on if PC sims are useful is irrelevant. It is GUARANTEED that you have way more important shit going on than those. Prior to UPT, the important shit is knowing boldface/ops limits like the back of your hand. If you really want to get sporty, look at the "T6 by the Numbers" on t6driver(dot)com. If you're good on boldface, look at that, but don't go any further. Between those two things, you'll have plenty to look at prior to UPT. EVERYTHING else should wait until you start UPT.

The only relatively useful thing is flying instrument procedures...but more just for the procedural aspect and not the actual aircraft specific aspect. However, by the time you get to the instrument phase, you'll be right at home in the T-6 and basically the PC sim would only be useful for "chair-flying" approaches...but in my opinion, I do just as well, if not better, just doing it in my head than having to try and spin CDIs w/ a frickin mouse cursor.

I don't assume, I know. By all means, buy sims/planes for fun, but my recommendation is not to by either for the sole purpose of an "advantage" at UPT; You'll be 100% wasting your money. But if sims et al are something you like to do for a hobby or whatever, then go for it. Expecting to get an advantage, even if a slight one, out of something like this is dumb. Sorry, but that's the way it is. Take it from someone who has been thru the whole UPT T-6 gig...it won't help at all. I doubt you'll find one person on this board who has been thru T-6s and actually thinks a MSFS sim will give you an advantage. I'm not coming down on you personally, but just the idea that a computer game can give you any advantage. I'd hate to see anyone spend money/effort on something that helps zero.

Go to t6driver(dot)com...it'll have everything you'll need.

Except on every full stop...at least that's how it was at Vance.

...without the EZ pass.

And what I'm saying is there will be zero advantage. Trust me...the best way you can help yourself is know the boldface/ops limits cold. Anything else is worthless before UPT. There's only 2 ways to have an advantage over others in UPT: 1) You just have the hands, flying ability, whatever you want to call it better than others in your class and/or 2) You study a lot harder than some of the other guys and know your shit better. That's really the only 2 ways you can have any kind of an "advantage" over others. Don't be the guy who tries to make a third way to have an advantage, if you know what I mean. Secondly, I think franchise's post puts the kabash on this specific topic. Bingo.

Doesn't matter...check flight trumps the FCIF and says you still have to have the normal paper pubs. So the only thing that E-pubs helps w/ is just printing out the pages w/ FCIF changes instead of having to write them in. At least they're useful for something.

The prop acts like a barn door when you pull it to idle and the speed brake does have a pretty quick affect...so I don't know how fast it's slowing down in the sim, but sounds like it's behaving relatively realistically. As far as the flaps...do you mean it floats a lot on landing at full flaps? The real final approach speeds are 100 kts full flaps, 105 kts T/O flaps and 110 kts no flap (excluding any gust factor), so coming in for landing at that associated speed in the sim should give you a clear picture as to how realistic the flight characteristics are.

I'm just saying, this is along the same lines as reading the Dash 1 before UPT to "get a head start." It really seems like it would help you, but it won't help at all. The T-6 is not complicated...you could go in cold turkey and after about 2 hrs in the UTD you'll be able to go through the entire start sequence no problem...not as fast as you'll be down the road, but you'll be able to do it. Any advantage you'll have from flightsim will be gone in a matter of days during Phase I. Sorry to burst your bubble, but that's the way it is. Buy the plane/sim to fvck around and have fun if that's your thing, but don't waste your money if you're buying it thinking it's going to give you a great prep for UPT...it won't.

Whatever floats your boat. But just so you know, a picture of the cockpit could do the same thing. Not to mention during academics you can always go checkout a UTD sim...looking at a flightsim graphic on the computer is one thing, actually sitting in the cockpit physically flipping switches is quite another.

I like how the SUV in the far left lane obviously sees this dude plow into the toll booth, but just keeps driving through like he didn't see anything. Standard asshat in America. But geez, that's a hell of a stop.

Rocker - 1, Iris - 0. Owned! But to their credit, it does look good. But, it cost 40 bucks! So if anyone is thinking of buying this to "prep" for UPT, don't waste your money. Go buy some instead. It's not going to help you at all.

I'm not arguing against anything Hind said, he obviously has more knowledge on the subject than I do. However, from what I've read, been told by friends, etc., the guard is not a flying club in the way you wish it was. In some ways it is a flying club compared to AD, but you have to to think about some big things: 1) You can't expect to just find a unit that will hire you for UPT in a short time frame. It could very well be SEVERAL years before you find the right unit that's willing to hire you. Yes, you could get lucky and find one w/in a year of graduation, but pretty unlikely. I'm not saying you are guaranteed to have a tough time finding a unit, but it would be smart to plan on it taking a couple years to really get in w/ the unit, hired, med stuff done, blah blah. Then maybe in 3 years you go to UPT. 2) It's not steady flying all the time. Every unit is different. Some may fly more, but don't be surprised to only fly a few times a month at points, same as AD. You just never know...that crap is all over, not just in AD. Not to mention kind of the point of the guard is flying a few times a month...full time positions are very rare. 3) While you may do a few years out of the cockpit on AD, you will probably go back. Yes it sucks/will suck to not fly for a few years, but chances are you are not screwed out of flying the remainder of your career. Bottom line: The grass is always greener on the other side. If you really have a desire to fly civilian and military, then go for the guard, but if you have your heart set on military flying, then not in my opinion, but based on the words of several crusty BTDT guys, start in AD and then move on later if that's what you decide down the road. Just remember, you have a ticket to UPT now, if you don't take it, you probably just added several years onto your chance to go, at the minimum. Maybe that's worth it to you, maybe it's not. The guard is not an easy ticket to a military flying club...it'll take a lot of time and effort to get to UPT through that route (in addition to what you've already done), so to me, that's a big reason to really think about this whole thing.

What I was told by an IP (who's an A-10 MWS guy), is that some dudes are FAC qual'd, but don't necessarily fly that mission all the time. So one day you could have a FAC mission and the next day you could be doing the standard CAS mission. They fly the same jets, just loaded up differently. So I guess if you are FAC qual'd, you could technically say you fly the OA-10.