Hueys

[scoobs]

Is it possible to fly Hueys for as long as you want? Or do you have to transfer over to the 60 and 53?

[ 22. February 2006, 21:41: Message edited by: scoobs ]

[Guest DangerousLT]

It's definately possible, but eventually you'll meet your gate requirements and will take a staff job if you want to stay in. You definately do not have to transfer to the 60/53 - they only want volunteers as I'm told. At least that's what I gleaned from AFPC's website. I could be wrong...

[Guest croftfam]

You're right. They're not going to throw anyone into a 60/53 that doesn't want it.

Being in a Huey isn't a bad way to spend your career if you don't want to deploy. They don't have the best base selection, but hey, huey's are a blast to fly and depending on where you are, it's like a flying club. So I hear.

[Eeyore]

Yes, you sure can; if you do not desire H-53/H-60. A few drawbacks are 1. assigned to AFSPC the most nontactical flying in USAF though efforts are under way to change the Missile mind set(RISK ADVERSE). 2. Limit potential for advancement staying Hueys and in one command. 3. Limited CC/DO positions with only 4 squadrons to choose from. 4. Limited to no deployments which are now tracked on promotion boards which could impact advancement. Hey, if you are willing to accept these factors then press on. I've certainly enjoyed both weapons system during my 25 + years.

EE

[scoobs]

Thanks for the info. Is it even possible to make 0-5 staying in the Huey?

[Guest ruckerstud]

Yes it is hard (sts), but you can make O-5 as a career Huey guy. I have seen it done.

[scoobs]

Cool,just looking at my options. The Guard/Reserve looks good but its just part time. Plus there are not to many helo units and there locations aren't to good. I would have to live in my car at Moffett or freeze my tail off and deal with crazy Eskimos in Alaska. Thanks again.

[rescue]

Rescue is all about heart, not location. Besides, the natives (nobody calls them eskimos) may be crazy but when you've been working with PJs, it's all the same. We are also the busiest rescue squadron in the entire AF and have the best personnel in my opinion too! Where else can you do mountain ops, water ops, live fire ranges, slings, shipboard ops, etc. Hey, if you don't get it by now...get lost (we'll find you)!

[Guest rotorhead]

Originally posted by ruckerstud:

Yes it is hard (sts), but you can make O-5 as a career Huey guy. I have seen it done.

To the O5 point, the type aircraft you fly is virtually a nonfactor in promotion. Consider:

Promotion boards which nonflyers are promoted at higher rates than flyers...remember, there are supply, UAV, cop, missileer, and AAFES colonels and generals.

Helicopter rates are frequently higher than stiffwinger promotion rates.

I personally know a Huey-only pilot who was the number one push to major in the 89th Wing.

I personally know a Huey-only pilot who was promoted 2 years below the zone to LtCol with a "P".

I personally know a Huey-only pilot who was promoted to O6 and was never a squadron commander or even DO.

(And BTW,the newest V-22 pilot selectee is a Huey only pilot.)

There have been test pilots and astronauts who were "lowly" C141 pilots and T-41 pilots (but were good at math).

It's not the aircraft...

...it's the attitude

...it's the energy

...it's getting good jobs

...it's doing jobs good

...it's having raters who can write

...it's having promotion boards who can read

...it's being in a small year group

...it's blooming where you're planted.

[ 23. February 2006, 23:24: Message edited by: rotorhead ]

[HeloDude]

I guess I'll weigh in on this issue since this is the airframe I'm currently in. Hueys are a lot of fun to fly and from what I've heard from people who have flown multiple airframes, pretty tough to fly since we don't have any of the newer systems that the other helos have (it's all hands). Having said all that, the mission is where the Huey lacks. We are the only MWS that does not deploy, ie you can spend your whole career in a UH-1N and never go overseas. Other than the school houses, the only missions for the Hueys are space/missle support, flying DV's around DC or Tokyo, or flying for the survival school and doing civil SAR (I'm biased but by far the best Huey assignment). The leadership here at the survival school (who are all tactical helicopter guys) always tell us to get out of the Huey. They tell us of you want to make rank, have a chance for upper level staff posistions and commands, etc then you need to crossflow to a tactical airframe or another airframe.

On another note, a lot of Huey pilots I've spoken to love the flying (flying a helicopter is a blast regardless) and love being home almost every night with their family as well.

So basically it all depends on what you want to do. A lot of us in the Huey community are keeping our fingers crossed for a tactical crossflow. Others as I've just mentioned are perfectly content with bouncing around the other Huey bases, never seeing anything overseas or being involved in anything tactical, and being content with the fact that it will be tough to make O-5.

Hope some of this helps. A lot of the information the other guys have given is great info as well, not to mention most of them have been in many years longer than I have. I just thought I'd give my $0.02 as well.

[ 24. February 2006, 15:35: Message edited by: HeloDude ]

[scoobs]

Now I'm confused. You guys contradict each other. One says its tough and easier if you transfer airframes while another says that doesn't matter. What a conundrum. Thanks for the info.

[Guest ruckerstud]

Scoobs,

The crowd that is saying you need to crossflow to make O-5 and that the Huey lacks a mission are the Huey co-pilots. The guys who are saying that you can make O-5 as a straight Huey guy are the guys who are at Space Command and who are ADO types at the School House ( read that as guys with 18 years and 3000 hrs). For the most part, those are the guys who know how to make O-5, because they are O-5s. I say this because I have met most of them. Hopefully , you will listen to what the old heads have to say, but also consider that a lot of the co-pilots are trying to crossflow and make decision based on that.

[Champ Kind]

Originally posted by scoobs:

What a conundrum.

You're a conundrum.

[scoobs]

Haha. Any Huey pilot want to describe a typical day? I know it will vary by mission.

[Guest ruckerstud]

On the space side, a typical new co-pilot's day is like this:

Show around 7 or 7:30 depending on when brief is

Mission plan for about 30 min

Brief and fly a 2.5 or 3.0

Debrief

Another 2.5 or 3.0 (you will probably double turn two or three times a week)

Do about 30 minutes of office work

Go home

All is all, 10 to 11 hr days are pretty much standard.

Hopefully this is helpful

[Guest croftfam]

Originally posted by ruckerstud:

On the space side, a typical new co-pilot's day is like this:

Show around 7 or 7:30 depending on when brief is

Mission plan for about 30 min

Brief and fly a 2.5 or 3.0

Debrief

Another 2.5 or 3.0 (you will probably double turn two or three times a week)

Do about 30 minutes of office work

Go home

All is all, 10 to 11 hr days are pretty much standard.

Hopefully this is helpful

Wow, where you located? My buds in Hueys rarely pull more than an 8-9 hr day.

[Guest ruckerstud]

Maybe the folks at Yokota or Andrews do that, but everyone I know in space works at least a 9 hr day even if they are not on schedule. And from what I have heard, Andrews is a great 2nd assignment, but because of the amount of single pilot they fly, as a Co, or administratively downgraded MP you don't really fly a lot there. Definately not the 45 hrs or so a month we fly in Space.

[scoobs]

Andrews would be a cool assingment flying around DC. Can helo pilots fly C-12's for the different embassies?

[Guest KoolKat]

Scoobs...wow, I'm goin' go with....no.

BENDY

[Guest Hydro130]

Scoobs,

You can not work for a different embassy on the US coin...

OK, before some JAG-wannabe jumps my case about this assertion, I know there have been exceptions to the rule, but we are trying to help "Scoobs" out after all...

Let's keep things simple!

Cheers, Hydro

[Guest ruckerstud]

Since you brought it up, your only real bets for fixed wing stuff once you have become a helo guy is the T-6 or the U-2. Other than that, you are pretty much a helo guy.

[scoobs]

Thanks I had heard helo pilots could fly the C-12.

[HeloDude]

Originally posted by scoobs:

Thanks I had heard helo pilots could fly the C-12.

They can. One of my IP's out at Kirtland flew C-12's in Pakistan and then came back to the Huey. I've also heard of guys from Andrews switching airframes from the Huey to E-3s, etc though I'm sure that's a rare exception, not the norm.

It will be interesting to see what they're going to do with all of us. The Huey communtiy is well overmanned from what I hear from our leadership.

[Guest croftfam]

Originally posted by ruckerstud:

Since you brought it up, your only real bets for fixed wing stuff once you have become a helo guy is the T-6 or the U-2. Other than that, you are pretty much a helo guy.

Not a completely accurate statement. There are opportunities to do other things. Rare, but there are.

[Guest ruckerstud]

Helodude, yeah, I am with you, it will be interesting to see what they do with all the Huey guys since I know my unit is 150% manned. That and I hear everything from 100% cross flow to you are stuck in Hueys.

Heloguy, I said that was the only real bet. There are other things that happen, just like there are 60 guys who realize that they are rescue and not special operators, but they are the rare exception (speaking of new 60 guys, not the old heads like Eeyore and possibly Rotorhead, who flew for the old 55th)