A little advice needed

[ChristisKing]

Hey all,

 

I was picked up by a heavy ANG unit last March with the contingency that I get my PPL by the end of the year. I had knocked out nearly all of my PPL requirements aside from my solo XC and had to abandon flight training and cancel my Checkride in October for COVID related reasons and have had a heck of a time rescheduling ( I live in a very rural area and getting a DPE out here is tough).

 

Anyways, The chief pilot who gave me that offer has since retired. In speaking with the new chief pilot, I was informed that the PPL was no longer required.

 

My question is ‘should I continue pursuing my PPL?’

 

It’s no longer required and I’ve already blown through $10,000 in loans to get this far.

 

The only justification I can see in spending another $2000 or so is to bypass IFT. Is IFT going to add a bunch of time to my training? Has anybody experienced delays because of IFT? Is IFT normally before or after OTS?

 

I realize the decision lies solely with me but, what would you guys do? Thanks.

 

 

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[nunya]

I’d let the AF train me.  

[ryleypav]

IFT is usually after OTS I believe, someone correct me if I'm wrong. I'd want to get any extra training out of the pipeline if you can help it with how availability and lead time is these days. Plus, with how long it takes to get to training these days anyway, you'll likely want to fly in your spare time anyway so why not get it? Unless you plan on not flying at all for 2 years before you get to UPT. I know I'd wanna fly and keep building confidence and skills before I strap into a T-6.

If you can't find a DPE near you, travel to one. I had to drive a few hours to my DPE. I'd get the PPL done, but that's just me. You can accept the spot and still get the PPL done. You're not locked into IFT the moment you accept the slot. There's lots to accomplish before you apply for training and you should have plenty of time to get your PPL before that. 

[AW91]

At the end of the day it really comes down to what you want to do. If you want to continue flying by yourself while waiting for UPT to start then go for it and finish your PPL and keep flying.

When you graduate UPT you will be able to take the Military Competency Exam and end up with a Commercial rating (and other ratings) all paid for by the Air Force. Basically, if you're concerned about losing money with your training, let me tell you that you didn't because you did exactly what the unit asked. You don't have control of the circumstances that prevented you from finishing your PPL.

Backtracking a little bit, IFT IMHO is a fantastic foundation for what's to come in UPT. The way you learn to fly the military way without risk of it affecting your MASS is great, and again, paid for by big blue.

Just my humble 2 cents

[jazzdude]

There also used to be some people out at Pueblo that would top off your IFS training to get your PPL as well (I think it was primarily for the RPA guys with a longer IFS), so that's another option to look into if you want to fly on your own before or during UPT. Plus you'll have the added benefit of not having to pay as much to get comfortable for the checkride.