Altus Training questions

[Guest dmahan78]

Anyone know the training time length at altus for C17s and KC135s?

[Scooter14]

KC-135 = 4 months

[Guest jcam753]

C-17 is about 3 months.

From my understanding 135's are more like 4 1/2 to 5 months.

[Chucktown17]

Yeah. The Rock might not be paradise. But it's a far, far cry from Altus.

BTW, C17 PIQ is SCHEDULED for around 100 days. They get backed up on the flightline. I got about an extra month of LTS appreciation and had to have my orders extended. It sucked.

That being said, the guys on the flight line are pretty top notch. They do the best they can with what they have.

[POKESC17]

I'm in C17 PIQ and I'm about to be in the same boat as Chucktown was. Oh and after being to both LR and Altus, no comparison what so ever.

[ 02. December 2006, 14:27: Message edited by: wannafly ]

[Guest Goodole boy]

just finished up PIQ school for 135's and if you fly in the 55th it will take 4 1/2 months and longer with the 54th

[Guest AirGuardian]

For those of you that are Guard/Reservists,

Try to ensure you have the 90 days of Active Duty Days allocated for "seasoning!" Sometimes they try to give you only 45, but its normally 90 for the Guard... It's a good way to maintain pay, let alone being the fourth pilot on augmented trips to some great destinations depending on the unit your with. That will prepare you for Nat crossings, AOR events perhaps, and whatever else your unit has been committed too! Good stuff for the newbies, great to have another body for long overwater crossings and whatnot...

Good times, good times...!

[Fozzy Bear]

I was in the 54th at Altus and it does seem we're there another week later than the 55th. I don't know why. All in all, I got there on 25 April and left on 7 September. It's a vacation; enjoy it.

If you're going to Altus, stay in the Ramada. The folks in La Costa REALLY take care of you. Ask for Ramone; tell him Ross sent you.

[HookEmAll]

Can anyone, FAIP or OSA mainly, going through ACIQ give some insight on how that program is with the transition to a new aircraft after several years in another? Why is it seemingly so much shorter than PIQ?

[HerkDerka]

Originally posted by HookEmAll:

Why is it seemingly so much shorter than PIQ?

Because you have SA. All they have to do is teach how to fly the plane.

HD

[Guest C-21 Pilot]

Can anyone, FAIP or OSA mainly, going through ACIQ give some insight on how that program is with the transition to a new aircraft after several years in another? Why is it seemingly so much shorter than PIQ?

There is no longer the ACIQ course....only PIQ - you will do the same stuff that fresh from the farm stds are doing. About 3.5 months long. You'll leave that as a UP until you get MR at your gaining base. I've been told I'm "expected" to be an AC by late spring....we'll see (McChord).

As far as learning old vs. new....not too difficult. You'll definately have negative transfer, but flying the plane is simple - nothing to worry about.

[wacky]

AFAIK ACIQ is gone for the C-17

[Shut up 'n color]

Here's the story in a nut shell. I have been engaged a while now and have taken every effort to plan my wedding for after UPT graduation, but before any follow on training. I put in a special request with my Flt CC to ensure I could get a few days before my wedding and a few days after off of leave, and in hopes AFPC slots me in a class that goes around the dates I requested in that MFR and special request. Turns out, the phrase "nothing's a guarentee" is completely true. While I have been halfway expecting this, my RIP has come in and it sends me a SERE, then a couple days later I need to report to Altus 4 days prior to my wedding!!!! I have just spoken with my Flt CC and he's going to see what he can do, however, is there anything I can attmept at this time? Call AFPC myself? Try to see if they have recieved that special request?

I imagaine there are tons of C17 training dates, that it shouldnt' be too hard to just put me in a later class, but then again this is the AF. Any ideas? How about if it doesn't change? What are the chances I can get there and immediatly take leave at Altus? Any help would be great, thanks.

[Tone deaf]

From what I hear from C-17 guys in the sandbox.. you should not have much difficulty slipping your training start date. The C-17 training is not too structured, and a particular class may only consist of a couple of students since much of the training is on CBT and doesn't depend on a class of a particular size. I would suggest calling the airlift flight commander and see what you can work out, he may be able to help you more than the folks at your UPT base. Good luck.

[Guest Rainman A-10]

Did someone tell you it would be a good idea to plan a wedding between graduation and your follow on training? If they did you should kick them in the junk for giving you bad poop. If you came up with this on your own without asking anyone first...lesson learned.

You can ask the Air Force to change everything they do to try and put training dates in place for you so it fits into your plans. This should be no problem since the training pipeline is very easy to adjust for each and every member who has special personal requirements.

[Shut up 'n color]

You know how many people I asked and posts I made to figure out how to get leave after UPT. The bottomline answer was don't plan a wedding DURING UPT b/c you can request time off and if it's for YOUR own wedding, you should be fine. Granted I understand the word should, and never assumed things would run smoothly. I had to bite down and pick a date at sometime, there is "some" planning involved needing a specific date. We have been engaged 1 year and 6 months b/c we were trying to find the most oppurtune time to get this taken care of, and figured it shouldn't be too hard to get time off after UPT. So yes I looked into it, and did follow people's advice, but the bottomline is that now I need to slip my training date, somthing that also doesn't seem like it should be that hard, but who knows....AFPC doesn't seem to positive even though they read me my MFR on the phone showing they had it and ignored it. Any other advice?

[JeepGuyC17]

So here's the deal. I'm heading off to Altus in Aug for C-17 PIQ, and the course info online says I need a helmet with a boom mike for NVG training. Since I did primary at Whiting, I was never issued a helmet by the AF (I had to give my navy one back). I've been asking around Vance trying to get a hold of a helmet, but the folks at life support and in my squadron say they don't issue them here. Does anybody know if they will issue me a helmet at Altus or will they bitch me out for not getting one prior to showing up?

(and yes, I used the search function prior to posting this thread)

[Guest JimmyH]

Go back to life support. I was in the same "boat" and got mine from life support at Vance. If they're giving you the run-around, Altus will hook you up. Either way, Vance won't be able to hook you up with the boom mike and NVG mounts, so you'll just have to bring the helmet (if you get one) still wrapped up to Altus life support for that. You won't need it until several weeks into PIQ, so don't sweat it. The absolute worst case scenario I can imagine for you is Altus run the "short on funds" game at you and gives you a loaner and you end up finally getting one issued to you at your local life support at your C-17 base. Either way, it won't matter.. you already know the loaner helmet gig having done VT-3. No big whoop.

Edited June 28, 2007 by JimmyH

[flyinap]

I was in the same boat also. I talked to one of the ADO's in the 32nd and he typed up a MFR and I took it over to LS and they got me a helmet to take to Altus.

[POKESC17]

Have the Vance LS guys call Altus LS. That is what I had to do. They know the drill. Sounds like they are just giving you the run around

[brabus]

It might depend on who you talk to in LS...just a guess. A couple of those guys in there (Vance) get pissy whenever you ask them to DO THEIR JOB. I would just think they'd quit w/ the attitude I get every time I go there for something. They must really hate their job.

[nrodgsxr]

I was in the same boat as you but I was ignorant and didn't even know I needed a helmet at Altus. I just checked out a loaner while I was there. When I got back I outprocessed and a life support guy casually informed me that I needed a helmet before I left. He gave me a brand new one and sent me on my way. You probably just aren't talking to the right guy.