pilot

Interesting change...they took out the part I pasted above. Looks like the corresponding AFRCI hasn't changed yet to mirror it, despite the new one you linked saying it is applicable for guard and reserves as well. I wonder if they made that change because they are doing so many ETPs these days? Here's the AFRCI. My age ETP cites AFRCI 36-2602 A2.2 https://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/afrc/publication/afrci36-2602/afrci36-2602.pdf

AFI 36-2205 is your source for UPT age waivers/ETPs info. The link seems to be broken currently (I keep getting a "file not found" message) on the air force pubs website here: https://www.e-publishing.af.mil but check back and maybe you can find a copy. I'm sure you can find other copies elsewhere on the webs. Here's a clip from an old version of 36-2205 regarding ETPs..not sure if the current version is the same, but I believe it is. Exceptions to Policy. A2.4. If a member exceeds the age and/or TFCSD limits and does not meet the above criteria to be considered for a waiver, he or she may request an exception to policy (ETP) through their MAJCOM or ANG chain of command as directed in A2.3. Age and TFCSD limits exist to protect the interests of the total rated force and should not be taken lightly. Exceptions to policy will normally be granted only in rare circumstances when a commander can document sustained, exceptional performance and the deviation from policy is minor. Further, commanders must specifically and explicitly justify why supporting an ETP for an individual, considering a large pool of fully qualified applicants, is in the best interests of the Air Force, Air National Guard, or Air Force Reserve. Each ETP imposes potential increased risk to operational safety and effectiveness. Only the rare, truly exceptional individual should be endorsed and forwarded through the chain of command for ETP consideration. Note: You don't have to be prior service, but you'll have to document "sustained exceptional performance." Maybe they think that's easier to do for prior service guys who have a documented history in the unit. But the unit that hired me also hired some non-prior service guys who needed age ETPs. Good luck.

The guard has more AGR spots than the reserves, especially units with alert missions. The reserve has a lot of full time guys, but most are ARTs (active reserve technicians) and are GS 11-13s...so they wear a uniform and rank all the time, and work/fly full time, but are not AGR. Those technician slots exist in the guard as well. As to finding a recruiter, that’s not a simple answer. For guard, you basically have to go rush a unit, get hired, then they will help you with a recruiter for that unit to bring you in. With the reserves, most people do the same...that is they rush a unit, get hired, but have to get a Reserve Officer Accessions Recruiter to do the official hiring. They then have to get picked up by the centralized AFRC pilot board. Generally (lately anyway), sponsored candidates get picked up. If you are going mil helo to ARC helo, you don’t need to go to the AFRC board, but still need an officer accessions recruiter to do the magic.

I think they only hire legacies.

Planning on doing the same thing. 4 kids. 2 little ones, one in HS soon. Gonna suck. At least I’m not getting shot at and am not on the other side of the world while at upt? Beats some of my deployments in that regard. At least there is FaceTime. I am giving up significant pay and QOL at my airline job to go back in the military, so it’s not a sacrifice for my family...I’d feel better about it if it was, but I’m just selfishly taking a pay cut and time away from my family to go fly a viper and serve again. I guess it’s kind of an insurance plan if the airlines go south and eventually I will live in base for both jobs. For me, it’s a temporary (albeit long) situation that’s going to suck for my family. But at least on the backside sts I’ll be home more than I am now, which is what I tell my family and myself.

I look forward to being a humble sponge and learning as much as I can from them.

Taking a pay cut from my major airline job to go back in the military, leaving my family (couple little kids and a high schooler) in a different state so my daughter can go to only 2 high schools instead of 4, while I go re-learn to fly for 2 years. I think I need my head examined. Sure hope fighters are worth it! But yeah, going through as a 35 year old will probably be a lot more difficult in many ways than when I went to army pilot training when I was 22.

ANG/AFRC: doable so long as a unit hires you and pursues it. No idea about AD...I never had luck when I tried AD. And for AFRC board, you’ll need to be sponsored if a waiver is required, or at least that’s how it’s been.

Fwiw I had an AF 3 star try to help me with an AD to AD transfer several years ago when I was about to get out of the army. He emailed his buddy who commanded AETC, as well as some of his other 4 star buddies searching for an age/commissioned service waiver for UPT, and it ended up being a dead end, even with high ranking people trying to help me. The shortage wasn’t a thing though, so maybe it’s different now. But you’re probably a lot better off trying to go ANG/reserve regardless, and I’m glad that’s how it ended up working out for me. I’ll be 35 starting UPT with over 5 years time in grade as an O3.

I think your chances are good for the unsponsored board depending on how many they take unsponsored. Apply to as many units as you can. Rush the ones you can afford to get to.

Of all my guard/reserve fighter bro’s, I only know a handful who got hired by the first (or second, third, etc.) unit they rushed. Takes a lot of no’s for most. Good luck.

I know a marine AH-1Z guy who got hired by a reserve tanker unit and is going straight to Altus for KC-135 school...his only FW time is T6s back in the pilot training day almost a decade ago. They aren’t making him go to T1s, or any other fixed-wing course prior to Altus. That said, I can’t imagine a fighter squadron (or those conducting the ARB, NGB, and/or AETC) could/would send a helo guy straight to IFF/B course without a robust (or full phase 3) T38 syllabus. While rushing fighter units, I met a couple guys in your boat and they never got a clear answer from units or NGB for that scenario. Answers they got ranged from having to do all of UPT like us army dudes, to just phase 3 T38s/IFF b course, to just IFF/B course. None I know ended up getting hired, so don’t know how it would have gone down. I would THINK on the fighter side that doing phase 3 T38s/IFF/B course would be the appropriate track, but I don’t know, so take that with a grain of salt. I just know on the heavy side, my bro didn’t have to do any FW phase 3 when crossing over. But that doesn’t make sense for single seat jets. Good luck...and if you find out something for sure please share.

Apply to the AFRC board unsponsored. Some of the averages for various non-pilot AFOQT sections have been in the 60s-70s, so there are guys with low scores getting picked up. Can’t hurt to try, and it’s an avenue to UPT. Midnight tomorrow is the deadline for paperwork submission for the May board, which will take unsponsored candidates but depends on the number of sponsored dudes. No idea what the rest of the year’s AFRC unsponsored hiring will look like. But getting close to age waiver territory, I would consider it.

-Oct 2017 hired by reserve unit. -Nov MEPS -Feb FC1 -Feb - Waivers for age/commissioned service signed by NAF/CC -Mar AFRC board -Jan 2019 UPT Caveat - AFRC apparently only has fighter slots at Sheppard...none at other UPT bases. AFRC had a May ENJPPT slot for a Jan board select and apparently no more ENJJPT slots until 2019. So I guess it depends when in the year you finish the AFRC board and what their T38 track availability is. Perhaps that varies year to year.

You chinook guys and your necro posts.

I’ve heard, but haven’t seen in writing, that unsponsored slots won’t go to anyone needing an age waiver. The issue I see is that part of the AFRC UPT board packet is any age waivers (more correctly ETPs, or exceptions to policy), must be signed by the chain of command thru the NAF commander, a 2 star, for the sponsoring unit. Without this ETP, I don’t know that the board would accept the packet and approve it. I know my packet (similar boat, but sponsored) couldn’t go up to the AFRC board without that signature. Do you have a reserve officer accessions recruiter? https://www.arpc.afrc.af.mil/Service-Center/Guard-Reserve-Factsheets/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/637906/accessions/ 800-257-1212 is the number to get in touch with a recruiter...you’ll have to go through a phone screening before they will assign you a recruiter for your geographic location. Reserve officer recruiters are different than active duty ones, and they will be able to answer your questions about the AFRC UPT boards. Good luck.

You’re a legacy. Use your legacy connections to find out?

I know of a guy in that situation who ended up in a reserve squadron for seasoning and has the choice to stay or go back once seasoning is over.

Extremely high scores are 99s, and high hours are several thousand...those are probably outliers though, and no idea how unsponsored stats compare to sponsored, as the data/avgs are combined. Recent averages are below. Jan board avgs: pilot-91, pcsm-83, avg hrs: 500 for selects and 100 for alternates. Mar board avgs: pilot-93 pcsm-85, avg hours: 81 Board 18-04 will accept unsponsored applications. However, unsponsored selections will depend on the number of sponsored applicants the board receives.

Don’t get me wrong, I would never commute to HI. Unfortunately I temporarily commute across the country, often in an offline 737 middle seat or jumpseat. And it’s brutal. But my days of driving to work again are almost here. If I was in the HIANG I’d live there. But I do think pilots with access to jumpseats have a decent amount of options with as many A321s/757s/767s/widebodies as there are for 737 JS avoidance purposes, plus perhaps FedEx. Not ideal for anyone, but probably not as bad as some commutes.

I don’t think jumpseats are bad to HI are they? I get nonrevving isn’t viable for HI, but I’d think there aren’t a whole lot of people filling jumpseats.

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Goose does not approve

No idea. They have about 40 hours on them and I needed a TSOd set for my airline job, so I got A20s 4 years ago when I started in the airlines. I like the A20s more than the Zulu 2s, but I know some like Zulu 2s (or others) better. Depends on nugget shape.

Buy a used pair of A20s, then sell it if/when you’re done using it for about what you paid for it. Or buy my pair of lightspeed Zulu 2s that I haven’t used in a few years.