Late to Rate

[UncleRico1996]

I am a current AD 62E Officer who was lucky enough to get picked up for UPT on this year’s Active-Duty UFT Board. I am thrilled to finally be living out the dream but am seeking advice for those who have been in my shoes.....late to rate.

 

I am a 1st Lt who, pending any drastic UPT scheduling delays, should be completing UPT right around the time I hit Capt. As someone who is currently removed from the flying community, I have all of these aspirations for making the most of my flying time, and hope to get plenty of operational experience, and even have hopes of potentially attending WIC. I also (potentially naively?) plan to retire, as I sit here at a little over 2.5 years AD time under my belt. I say that because I want to be sure to check any boxes required to ensure desirable career progression (things like a staff tour).

 

Seeking out any and all tips/tricks/insight on making the most of my initial operational time and becoming an asset in my MDS, while not derailing my career. 

 

Unsure if advice would differ by platform, but for contexts sake, the dream is to strap into the Viper, but after 2.5 years of driving exclusively my keyboard, I would be happy flying anything.

 

P.S. I know this is likely unnecessary stress this early in my career, but I am a planner, what can I say.

[Ant-man]

Chang is that you? Can’t tell if this is a troll post or not.

If you’re serious, this doesn’t warrant a new thread, there’s decades (literally) of info on this forum about how to succeed in pilot training. Regardless of what you want to do with your life after wings, right now you should only be focused on doing your best at UPT. The rest will follow. You don’t even have to decide what you want to fly yet. You may want fighters now, but that could change the moment you pull more than 1G.

 

For now, get your affairs in order (finances, family, personal life) to maximize your ability to solely focus on training. Oh, and advice on succeeding? Work hard, be a bro (don’t screw your classmates over), and never study on a Saturday. That’s it. You’ll learn everything else you need to know when you show up. 

Edited February 12 by Ant-man
Grammar

[disgruntledemployee]

In all seriousness, most of my class was late rated.  Many went on to command, a few even at the wing level.

 

So show up, kick ass, and chew your bubblegum, even if you run out of gum.

[ViperMan]

You're describing my career exactly. Previous 62E. Late-to-rate. F-16s for approaching 18 years now. NBD.

I would say don't worry about becoming an asset to your unit. There's good pilots, ok pilots, shitty pilots, great pilots...you get the idea. Don't buy into the AF's idea that you need to go to UPT the day after you commission in order to be somebody, because it's not true now, nor was it ever. The AF's ideal model of career progression is obsolete to those who believe it is; so believe it's obsolete, and it will be. Get 4ucked with that staff-tour talk though...for realz.

[brabus]

Never have left the cockpit of a fighter and promoted on time to O-5…never played the game to do that. Was told multiple times in my career if I didn’t do X “good deal/career enhancer” it would put me behind my peers, blah, blah. Never was true. Always say exactly what YOU want and do what YOU want (in terms of job/assignment prefs, school in corres vs. res, AD vs. ANG, etc.) Never say or do something because some jackass Bob told you that was the answer. Choose a personally desirable path, not one that someone told you to take. You’ll be much happier and fulfilled for it.

[UncleRico1996]

ViperMan/brabus

That is music to my ears. Thank you both! No part of me wants to do anything but fly, I just wasn't sure what was "required" for career progression. A lot of my mentors have a 62E background and therefore haven't been able to provide a ton of insight on career progression in the flying communities. 

 

Oh and Antman.....