Lifestyle of Helicopter Pilots

[Guest waxgoblin]

do people FAIP to UH-1?

[Toro]

No.

[PapaJu]

https://www.pacom.mil/special/0412asia/factsheet2.html

Some of the Kadena helos went to assist in the tsunami relief. Plus there are various exercises the helo squadrons attend...

[Guest Dactyl]

What base assignments are available to helos. I know UH-1s are pretty much restricted to Vandenburg, FE Warren, Minot, and Malmstrom. What about 60's and 53's?

[Guest ruckerstud]

As far as the Huey world goes, there are a couple of options. Vandy hasdecent location, varied mission, but you become a jack of all trades master of none. FE Warren, is also home to 20AF, which means entirely too much adult supervision. Malmstrom used to be cool, but got lifeflight and now is no longer the place to be in all the helo world to get a save. Minot is probably the best kept secret in the Helo world, all you do is the mission, but the location may not be the best for some. Then there is Andrews, which does some cool stuff (single pilot IFR), but is too high profile and you run the risk of flying in blues. Fairchild supports the SERE school, so those guys can hold a 25ft hover like no other, but they don't fly as much as some other folks, but the leadership up there is working to make it more tactical and the DO is the man. For second term folks, there is Eglin, doing test support similar to Vandy, but you fly a whole lot less, probably a great assignment if you want to see you family. Hopefully this answers you location questions about the Huey.

I will let someone else talk 60 stuff, but the 53s may or may not be there if you start training in 06, but by that point they should have the 22 stood up.

[craino21]

There's also Yokota for Hueys, also flying DV support like Andrews. -60s have Moody, Davis Monthan, Nellis, Kadena, and Keflavik. There are also Guard -60s at Patrick, Moffet, Kulis (moving to Elmendorf per BRAC), and somewhere I don't remember in New York. May have missed a Guard assignment in there.

[Guest medik6]

The other guard assignment is Mofitt Field in Ca. (between San Jose and California)

[PapaJu]

53's are at Mildenhall and Hurlburt.

The NY Guard -60 unit is on Long Island.

[Guest ruckerstud]

One caveat to the Mildenhall thing, the last initial qual guy going there has already completed Kirtland. They are now only taking already spun-up folks.

[Guest ptwob179wif]

My husband has recently shown great interest in flying helicopters. He started UPT this week and has told me that his commander is already asking if anyone is interested in flying heli so that they can begin working to find slots. I of course am a bit hesitant about him speaking up...if he does show intrest in helicopters this early in the game, will he be flagged from now on and not really given the choice to fly anything else? Second, I fear that helicopters have far more dangerous missions that fighters or heavies (flying so low and slow)? I guess I am just wondering if there are any helicopter pilots/spouses out there who might be able to tell me more about your missions and the overall community--thanks!

[HerkDerka]

I suggest not holding him back if that's what he really wants. On the other hand, people tend to change their minds on what they want when they go through primary.

HD

[Guest CGPILOT]

Young Lady, Support your guy for helos. After 4000 hours and 14 years of flying them I can tell you there is no more rewarding career. SAR(Search and Rescue)is our mission and the Air Force does the same. Taking someone out of harms way and handing them back to their family has to be the most gratifying part of our job. Hope this helps.

[Guest CGPILOT]

I am a former Army Pilot and went through "Mother Rucker" in the early 90s. I lived in Enterprise and it wasn't that bad. I don't know who trains AF helo pilots there but do know they train at Rucker. Flying helos is like riding a bike-it takes a while to master but you never forget how. I have not idea as to what a T-6 IP can tell. Tell your guy good luck and I'd be happy to answer any of his (or your) questions.

[scoobs]

There is a rescue unit in Portland moving to McChord.

[busdriver]

60's at Moody here. Deployments tend to be pretty short and predictable.

[Guest Dactyl]

What kind of reserve and guard avenues are there for helo pilots that want to stay in military aviation but not neccesarily on active duty?? Thanks.

[Guest Rainman A-10]

There are several ARC helo units.

I have a question for you...WTF is an ROTC cadet who has yet to serve a day on active duty already worrying about the Guard/Reserve?

Finish college, go to UPT, apply to an ARC unit after your ADSC. Easy.

[dmeg130]

Other guard -60 unit is at Gabreski, Long Island. Initial cadre for the Osprey are still at New River, NC -- Kirtland has got a sim but no planes. Prereq for Osprey was -53 or -60 IP or MC/HC IP. Active duty -60 guys are pulling about one to two deployments a year. Portland no longer has any aircaft, just PJs.

[Guest ruckerstud]

After having searched the forum, I have found all kinds of neat stuff on being an ALO if you are a fighter guy, but nothing about helo guys going that route. My question is, can a helo guy go and do an ALO tour? Thanks for the help.

[Guest rotorhead]

There are "bills" to pay in the ALO world, just like the whitejet world. For example, the trainer assignments honcho at AFPC goes to the various MWS AO's, and says "Taclift owes ten guys...stratlift owes 5 guys, helos owe 1 guy...give me names by the end of the week." The MWS AO's do their voodoo, and forward the names to pay the bill. The same is true for the ALO jobs. Theoretically, I suppose a helo pilot could fill an ALO job (there would have to be AFSC substitution negotiations), but THERE IS NO BILL. The helo AO would be crazy to take an AC or IP out of an undermanned MWS, and use him to pay a bill owed by a better manned MWS (and have to work the AFSC substitution negotiations). I never had an example during my tenure at AFPC, and would not expect it in the future. It never came up, and I would not have entertained it if it had.

[ 04. December 2005, 03:33: Message edited by: rotorhead ]

[Guest Hoser]

Rotor,

Not being sarcastic here, but how is the helo world different from any other MWS? For example, in the F-15E, the FTU's are ALWAYS undermanned, and in the Ops units, they are WAY low on WSO's, but that doesn't stop AFPC from sending WSO's to be ALO's and sending pilots back to white jets instead of to an FTU assignment. Every MWS has bills, and whether that MWS is undermannded or not, the bill still has to be paid.

Hoser

[Guest Flight]

Are there MH-53J's still being given out from UPT? Or are they trying to move the drops to the 22. I would love nothing more than to be flying around a MH-53J, but I know they are on the out. Thanks for the help.

[HeloDude]

The word is that very few Paves will be given out anymore to Rucker studs...though you'll prob see it on an occassion or two depending on the individual and AFPC needs.

As for the CV-22, my guess is you won't see those being dropped out of Rucker for atleast another year if not two.

Still waiting to see if the idea of every Rucker guy going to Huey's first is going to take effect in the future or not.

[Guest ruckerstud]

According to AFPC's website, they aren't giving 22s out until FY 08. So, if you aren't yet at pilot training, there is hope. When I talked to some of the 71st guys while I was at Kirtland, they were saying the same thing. As for a 53 out of Rucker, it will be tough. I think while I was there I saw a grand total of 2 given out. And if anyone has any word on the program where everyone out of Rucker gets a Huey, please pass that on. Thanks

[ 11. March 2006, 12:20: Message edited by: ruckerstud ]

[Guest Flight]

So in the future, if everyone gets a Huey, how would the move to other helos go? Any ideas on how long of a time frame before a new pilot would move to the spec. ops side of things? Like most, thats what I would want to do.