Information on PIT (Pilot Instructor Training)

[Guest drelyn8]

I would like some input on T-1 PIT. Length of training, typical day and how students are treated. Gentlemens course? I haven't found this addressed directly via the search engine, so please elaborate. I have alot of experience flying multiple aircraft but never an IP or in the T-1.

Thanks to all posters!

[Guest Mack2004]

I know some guys going through the course right now, I'll point them in the direction of this thread for you. Based on what I know from UPT, it can't be that bad. The T-1 is really easy to fly and the autopilot/fms are user friendly. The academics are the same the studs go though at UPT, and they are really easy. For someone who hasn't gone though the T-1 before I would imagine there is more studying. There is a lot of minutiae that must be memorized so you can in turn harass the studs at UPT with it. My friends have been there for a couple of months and are yet to mention anything particularly hard about it, but they were just a few months displaced from flying it at CBM, so they definitely have an advantage there.

[BigFreddie]

I would like some input on T-1 PIT. Length of training, typical day and how students are treated. Gentlemens course? I haven't found this addressed directly via the search engine, so please elaborate. I have alot of experience flying multiple aircraft but never an IP or in the T-1.

Thanks to all posters!

To be blunt - it sucks balls!

Academics are like any CBT based course - work at your own pace. Sims aren't bad depending on the instructor. The flightline is a bear - pretty much 12 hours there working/studying/planning/flying and the other in crew rest. The instructors (in the 2005 period at least) had no touch with reality or the UPT flightline in the previous 20 years. Most flew when AMC was MAC and they had C-141s. The T-1 is fairly fun to fly and some instructors can be cool but that is not the norm!

BF

[pittsdriver]

Anyone in 38 PIT right now or very recently? Just curious about the pacing of the program, etc. I head down to 38 PIT in a few weeks.

[RangerMateo]

I would like some input on T-1 PIT. Length of training, typical day and how students are treated. Gentlemens course? I haven't found this addressed directly via the search engine, so please elaborate. I have alot of experience flying multiple aircraft but never an IP or in the T-1.

Thanks to all posters!

I started in Feb weekend after Valentine's day, scheduled to finish first week of June but we're running about two weeks ahead of schedule right now. It's a decent pace once you're out of academics, but nothing compared to UPT. It tends to be faster than what the MWS guys were expecting though, oddly enough. The hardest part for guys coming back seems to be playing the game. All in all, it's not bad at all. I'd suggest finding a house to live in though as opposed to living on base. There's quite a few dudes around with houses that they rent out for $27/day.

Typical day (early pit - AM lines):

0500 show to print wx, notams, etc

0600 brief time

0800 Takeoff

1100 Land/Debrief

1200 Lunch

1300 Schedule is usually fleshed out so you come back in to mission plan for the next day

Mission planning depends on the person. Especially for Qual phase there are very few options (Brady - GRK/SJT or Kings5 - CRP/VCT) so you kind of have your bag of tricks already. Proficiency/Instruction get a little more involved with the Form/AR/AD with AD being the most involved...but even at that the charts are already prepared by the Navs so you just have to check chum and AP/1B currency (The charts do suck though, a lot of turn points are airfields...). Out and Backs will have their own special considerations (Call ahead, check fuel contract, etc). There's adequate gouge when you get here though and even a thing called the magic kneeboard that does all your AR calculations ahead of time. I'd say an hour to two to get your plan together if you don't jack around bsing with people and stuff. For the form stuff you're also expected to make up this white board thing with the mission plan on it. Most retarded thing I've ever seen, but they all expect it so we all do it. You're also forced to use BRI during Qual.

All in all, there are very few basic missions/profiles so once you have a good library of fuel plans/175's/data cards you're good to go. I even have a word document with links that pull up all the NOTAMs we use day-to-day, weather, AHAS, etc so I can have everything ready to no-notice brief in like 20 minutes. Look on the share drive when you show up =). Most the IP's here are pretty cool...there are a few guys that people would rather avoid, but they aren't the norm....most the IPs are really cool and want to help you out. Good luck!

Is this a written policy, or somthing internal @ AFPC?

It's written. I saw it on some website on AFPC about the IP positions at Randolph and it was listed as a requirement. Sorry I can't point you to it, but I do remember seeing that it was listed as a requirement.

[BigFreddie]

Most the IP's here are pretty cool...there are a few guys that people would rather avoid, but they aren't the norm....most the IPs are really cool and want to help you out. Good luck!

Glad to see it is changing for the better. I heard horror stories while I was in there of a Maj IP and a Lt Col student almost getting into a fight during debrief...

BF

[HookEmAll]

I went through back in 03, but I imagine things haven't changed too much, with respect to the core nature of the program. First, on the T-1 side of the house, I never met a non-prior UPT IP, and at my base we had one of our most amazing IP/EPs who had been an IP in two jets try to go there as joint spouse, and in spite of his great record, couldn't get a waiver with the OG and Wg/CC on his side.

The nature of the program is great. I went through as a faip, so it skewed my perspective, but I found it easy. Academics were optional, almost. The LSI instructors basically made the tests group effort. Sims were two hours of flying approaches with a friend. The flight line was chill too. You could knock out three or four events on one flight, so it goes by super fast. The IPs were nice, as a whole. Not quite first names, but there was no saluting.... I was still a Lt at the time, so that was huge. There were one or two hook em all kind of tools, but they were far and few between. Unfortunately, the "picture" is very narrow, and focuses on the one right way to do things, the AETC way. They do a fair job of getting you ready for flying with students, and while I left very confident and at the top (then) of my game, I still barely got the gear up on my first real student ride. So, how well does it prepare you? Not to well, at first, but I still rely heavily on things I learned as a huge part of my skill set years later.

[Guest drelyn8]

Lot's of good T-1 IP help.

Thanks!

[Shut up 'n color]

Not sure what the future holds for me as far as my next assignment, however, I did have some questions as far as going to PIT from an MWS location. Anyone who has done this could probably explain to me how things are usually run when you have a family and 2 dogs (assuming it's a TDY enroute). Do they make you live on base? If so, how does it work with the family and who do you argue to for funding off base, your losing unit or gaining unit? How often can you talk your way into getting a TDY out and back? I would imagine this is fairly a common scenerio, whether or not people bring their families may be the difference. Any info about this process would be great. Also, I'm not sure what the daily life of PIT students are these days and if the gayness of UPT is still there or not...if you could sum that up too it would make my decision making process easier. Thanks.

[pittsdriver]

Not sure what the future holds for me as far as my next assignment, however, I did have some questions as far as going to PIT from an MWS location. Anyone who has done this could probably explain to me how things are usually run when you have a family and 2 dogs (assuming it's a TDY enroute). Do they make you live on base? If so, how does it work with the family and who do you argue to for funding off base, your losing unit or gaining unit? How often can you talk your way into getting a TDY out and back? I would imagine this is fairly a common scenerio, whether or not people bring their families may be the difference. Any info about this process would be great. Also, I'm not sure what the daily life of PIT students are these days and if the gayness of UPT is still there or not...if you could sum that up too it would make my decision making process easier. Thanks.

I am here right now for T-38 PIT and can help you out. First, they will not let you stay in a TLF, no way, no how. The rooms they give you here are shitty and the rooms stay about 80-82 degrees all day as the AC sucks in the room. The AF will only pay you $27 per day whether you stay on or off base. So, if you stay off base which is your only option if you are accompanied, its on your own dime over the $27 per day they allot you. For this reason I left my wife back home. I actually just got back from the billeting office complaining once again about how hot my room is (its all the rooms in the 2 buildings they put you in, vintage 1940s rooms & AC) and asked for another room and they said nope, and they refuse to give me a non-avail letter to get off base so I will not be out of pocket. Our SQ/CC is even involved in this process of trying to get us out of these buildings that should be condemned, but no luck. Even if you do a TDY and back, AETC is still the one funding the bill, so they are not going to budge on the $27 per day. I am not sure about the T-6/T-1 side of PIT, but the 38 side is far from UPT mentality, its a big boy program and everyone here is there to help you succeed. So for me PIT is fun, but work. The lodging I could go on for days telling you about it. If you want to come, I say do it, but if you want to bring the family you better look for a place off base and pay out of pocket or just leave them back home.

[stract]

Finance Guy can expand, but don't forget about BAH you still get paid if you are doing a TDY enroute to your next duty station. I still got BAH for my previous duty station for the 6 months of my TDY enroute. That coupled with the lodging amount would have been plenty to find a furnished place in town where I wouldn't have had to pay out of pocket. If you will still get your BAH for your previous base while you're in SA...

[pittsdriver]

It is true you still get your BAH from your last base until you sign into your next base, and then your BAH will change to that location. I still get BAH but since I still have my house it is paying for that. If you don't keep your old place, you will have plenty of money to live wherever here.

[Bluto]

PabloEscobar - Screw lodging and move off base. There are plenty of PIT houses that only charge you $27/day and you don't need a non-A letter for that because you will get reimbursed. I lived in lodging for 2 months and then moved off base for my last 2. Let me know if you need any other info regarding those houses.

Regarding bringing the family, I just left mine but mine was a TDY O&B and then I PCS'd. I did know others that just used their last bases's BAH and found a furnished apartment.

[Guest rlb]

Stay off base. I had a very nice 3 bedroom apartment with a 2 car garage in the Stone Oak area(which is a nice area) it was about $1400 a month ( I brought 3 pets along too). You get 27 a day for lodging and approx 27 a day per diem which more than covered it. Plus I was still getting BAH. So I was making an extra 1300 a month after all was said and done. My drive was about 25 minutes each way but was worth it to live in a nicer area. The area around base is not nice. This kept my wife and kids very happy.

[Shut up 'n color]

After recently discussing my future plans of possibly going to a UPT base for my next assignment, a friend of mine mentioned that he has heard people getting their PCS location changed while at PIT regardless of them having orders to that new base. Is this something that happens often? I know how the AF works by now and understand the "needs" argument, but I just wanted to see if people have any experience with this situation.

[Guest trashman]

Supposed to start PIT in Feb. Hurt my knee last June, came off of a PT profile and passed a PT test in OCT. My knee still bothers me and running has been tough lately. Will I be required to take another PT test upon my arrival at my PIT course? Thanks.

[Flare]

Even if you don't have to take one when you start PIT, with the new twice-yearly PT test, you'll have to take one in April.

[BADFNZ]

Anyone have any recent gouge/changes for T-6 PIT? I've been reading the stuff on T6Driver but the info there is 3-4 years old.

[flyguy2181]

Anyone have any recent gouge/changes for T-6 PIT? I've been reading the stuff on T6Driver but the info there is 3-4 years old.

Anything you want to know specifically? I grad. in oct. The gouge is still pretty good. The only incorrect info is that you don't go to the 'fuge anymore. Other than that, the info is pretty good. PM me if you want any more info or specifics.

[C17Driver]

Can anyone confirm that the AF will pay $39 per day for lodging if I decline on-base lodging at Randolph? It looks like that's the cost for VOQ.

EDIT: For clarity

Edited May 25, 2010 by C17Driver

[BADFNZ]

Can anyone confirm that the AF will pay $39 per day for lodging if I decline on-base lodging at Randolph? It looks like that's the cost for VOQ.

EDIT: For clarity

They will pay UP TO $39 per day. If you stay somewhere for $.69/day, that's what you're going to get. You also get $41 for meals and incidentals, so you can make some serious coin there.

[POKESC17]

They will pay UP TO $39 per day. If you stay somewhere for $.69/day, that's what you're going to get. You also get $41 for meals and incidentals, so you can make some serious coin there.

They are currently handing out Non-A's. Billeting is going through renovation and they have a ton of guys going to through right now.

[DC]

I'm headed to T-1 PIT this Aug-Dec. Any good recommendations on where to stay for the wife and I? It looks like the renovations there might help us out if they're still on-going in August.. I've found some of these "Pit Pads" online and through word of mouth, but they look more bachelor friendly. What's the latest and greatest? Any specific suggestions?

[DC]

I'm headed to T-1 PIT this Aug-Dec. Any good recommendations on where to stay for the wife and I? It looks like the renovations there might help us out if they're still on-going in August.. I've found some of these "Pit Pads" online and through word of mouth, but they look more bachelor friendly. What's the latest and greatest? Any specific suggestions?

I'm en route now, have a few options but they look like a pain in the ass. Looks like we'll have Non-As. Any new ideas?

Edited August 18, 2010 by DC

[Shut up 'n color]

I have a friend that's staying in the apartment complex Springs at Live Oak. He recommends it but they only have 6 month or more lease, so he's paying out of pocket for over a month!!! I'm not sure how long T1 PIT is, but T6 is 4 months-ish. Most people use Court Furniture rentals too inorder to get the necessities for the time you are there. I'll be going there in Jan, so PM me if you have recommendations b/c I have been looking online quite a bit and calling a few places. The Vantage at Converse and the Vantage at Schertz are both apartment places that are cheap...new and look pretty good from what I can tell online. Plus they are really close to base which seems convenient.