Transitioning Airframes

[Rated Flyer 4 Life]

I have a friend who is a rated fixed wing Rescue Pilot on the HC-130J. If he wanted to one day transition to another airframe in the Reserves what would that process look like? Is Rescue to Bomber or Rescue to Fighter/Attack possible? 

[brabus]

Anything’s possible. Probability of success will be highest with same airframe, decent with similar airframe (e.g. airlift/refueling), low for fighter/bomber. I’d imagine RW is also low. 

[Rated Flyer 4 Life]

I guess anything soon might be possible. Did you hear about how they are hiring civilian CFIs to instruct in the T-6? 

[CaptainMorgan]

Why do you keep saying Rated?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Rated Flyer 4 Life]

To differentiate between UPT boards vs Rated boards

[CaptainMorgan]

I have a friend who is a rated fixed wing Rescue Pilot on the HC-130J.

My point is you keep throwing “Rated” on everything. Your friend is an HC-130J pilot, everything else you said is totally extraneous. It makes it sound like you have no idea what you’re talking about.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Rated Flyer 4 Life]

You have too much time on your hands to worry about one word in my post. 

[LookieRookie]

are you your friend?

[Rated Flyer 4 Life]

On 6/10/2022 at 5:58 PM, brabus said:

Anything’s possible. Probability of success will be highest with same airframe, decent with similar airframe (e.g. airlift/refueling), low for fighter/bomber. I’d imagine RW is also low. 

When transferring units, is the TX course totally dependent on your background and the new airframe or would one have to go thru a whole process regardless? How long are most TX courses? 

[Rated Flyer 4 Life]

Just now, Rated Flyer 4 Life said:

When transferring units, is the TX course totally dependent on your background and the new airframe or would one have to go thru a whole process regardless? For example for the same airframe is it just a couple of differences in how the unit operates and then you’re good to go? How long are most TX courses? 

 

[brabus]

1 hour ago, Rated Flyer 4 Life said:

When transferring units, is the TX course totally dependent on your background and the new airframe or would one have to go thru a whole process regardless? How long are most TX courses? 

In the fighter world most pilots will do a “long/full” TX if they haven’t flown the aircraft previously, senior leadership types not withstanding. If you’ve flown similar aircraft (e.g. F-16 TX to F-35), you may get away with a shorter course, and a lot of that is driven by available slots/funding.