![]() |
| | #1 |
| Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 79
|
Hey all, I was wondering, is it tough to get into the AF as a pilot? And when you get done with your pilot traning do you get to pick which aircraft you want to fly or does the AF pick one for you? I want to fly the C-5 one day then move on to Commercail, I'm starting to have doughts about going into the AF at all. Also what is the life like and do you like your job now? Thanks in advance |
| |
| | #2 |
| Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: San Diego
Posts: 678
|
Getting is competitve but possible.If you have good test scores and a decent gpa you have a good chance.If you are able to select the C-5,your lifestyle would be awesome.Fred only flies into nice places and they are only gone for 3 or 4 days because they break.No living in tents and usually nice hotels.If you have more ?'s just ask.I know a lot of C-5's because its my favorite also.
|
| |
| | #3 |
| Old Skool Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Utopia
Posts: 12,564
|
[ QUOTE ] Fred only flies into nice places and they are only gone for 3 or 4 days because they break.No living in tents and usually nice hotels. [/ QUOTE ] You mean he's a wuss?? ![]() Sorry, no offense...I couldn't resist... |
| |
| | #4 |
| Old Skool Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Utopia
Posts: 12,564
|
Sickbird...come back when you have something real to say.... |
| |
| | #5 |
| Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Tucson, Az
Posts: 110
|
Hopefully someone like Mike D can answer this question about the C-5's which might actually influence your thoughts/decision on joining the Air Force. I remember hearing they were pulling apart a C-5 and thoroughly examining every square inch of it to see how much life was really left in the airframe. Based on what they found they were either going to keep a good portion of the fleet and upgrade them, or nix them. Does anyone know if that study has been completed yet? So basically there is a chance you won't have the C-5 as a choice in the future, but hey, the C-17 is one bad mother of a transport. |
| |
| | #7 |
| Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Tucson, Az
Posts: 110
|
[ QUOTE ] Sickbird...come back when you have something real to say.... [/ QUOTE ] I think you love me... |
| |
| | #8 |
| Old Skool Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Utopia
Posts: 12,564
|
[ QUOTE ] I've got a friend who flies the C-17 and hasn't said a syllable negative about the airframe. [/ QUOTE ] The C-17 is about as bad-ass as an Air Force trasnport can get!! The mofo can land and stop on a 10-cent (as my primary instructor Magnus Nordstrand - from Norway - would say.... )!!! |
| |
| | #9 |
| Administrator Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Pinal Airpark
Posts: 6,897
|
[ QUOTE ] Hopefully someone like Mike D can answer this question about the C-5's which might actually influence your thoughts/decision on joining the Air Force. I remember hearing they were pulling apart a C-5 and thoroughly examining every square inch of it to see how much life was really left in the airframe. Based on what they found they were either going to keep a good portion of the fleet and upgrade them, or nix them. Does anyone know if that study has been completed yet? So basically there is a chance you won't have the C-5 as a choice in the future, but hey, the C-17 is one bad mother of a transport. [/ QUOTE ] C-5s are doing better than they have been lately. The biggest cost for them during their life was the re-winging of the fleet, and the troublesome TF-39 engines thet had. Supposedly, C-5s might be getting re-engined with CF-6s, which would dramatically improve their in-service rate. But to date, from what I understand many of the problems with the jet have been improved and in-service rates have been steadily increasing. That said, we're really going to have to figure out how to sustain the C-5 fleet since they are our largest transport aircraft. There's about 6 or 7 of them parked in the boneyard in Tucson right now being parted out. We can't afford to put many more in there. |
| |
| | #10 |
| Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Tucson, Az
Posts: 110
|
I personally love flying on them as they are so cush, towards the non-freezing ass front section. I also think they sound cooler than any other a/c when the engines are spinning, especially when spooled up for the take off roll. It's sad riding my bike past the boneyard seeing those bigguns wasting away out there.
|
| |
| | #11 |
| Agent Smith |
[ QUOTE ] The mofo can land and stop on a 10-cent [/ QUOTE ] Or as my mother would say "I just don't like that half dollar guy on the radio, they just play his song too much!" |
| |
| | #12 |
| Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Tucson, Az
Posts: 110
|
[ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] The mofo can land and stop on a 10-cent [/ QUOTE ] Or as my mother would say "I just don't like that half dollar guy on the radio, they just play his song too much!" [/ QUOTE ] That would be an understatement. Same goes for the kings of Crunk. What the hell is Crunk anyways??? |
| |
| | #14 |
| Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: DTW
Posts: 122
|
[ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] I've got a friend who flies the C-17 and hasn't said a syllable negative about the airframe. [/ QUOTE ] The C-17 is about as bad-ass as an Air Force trasnport can get!! The mofo can land and stop on a 10-cent (as my primary instructor Magnus Nordstrand - from Norway - would say.... )!!! [/ QUOTE ] And take off in no more than 1000 ft like the one I got to see when edwards came to Dubuque....the C-17 is as bad ass as they come. |
| |
| | #15 |
| Old Skool Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Inside your OODA loop
Posts: 7,003
|
[ QUOTE ] airport SIDA-friendly! [/ QUOTE ] Huh? |
| |
| | #16 |
| Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 79
|
Ok so either the C-5 or the C-17 are good a/c? and for tests in school do you mean like high school? im a freshman in highschool right now and the only subject im not doing good in(bad tests and so fourth) is math. Does the AF look for people who have straight A's or what? Also would it help if i got my PPL before i went into the service to try to get a pilot position? |
| |
| | #17 |
| Senior Member |
[ QUOTE ] Ok so either the C-5 or the C-17 are good a/c? and for tests in school do you mean like high school? im a freshman in highschool right now and the only subject im not doing good in(bad tests and so fourth) is math. Does the AF look for people who have straight A's or what? Also would it help if i got my PPL before i went into the service to try to get a pilot position? [/ QUOTE ] First, concentrate on your grades in HS (including math). Second, start now thinking about whether you want to go to the Air Force Academy, AFROTC in college, or OCS after college (or whether you are going to try for a ANG/AFRES unit after college. Highly competive, even more so than active duty slots.) Third, getting a PPL will help somewhat in any of the above cases, but it's not a deal breaker. Plenty of people go to UPT without a PPL. Fourth, don't worry too much about what aircraft you are going to fly after UPT, just be glad to graduate with wings, and let the aircraft assignment take care of itself. Aircraft assignments depend on how well you do in UPT. Fifth, if you want to fly military solely to go to the airlines afterwards, then stop right now. You will be very unhappy with the military lifestyle and 10 year commitment after already spending a year at UPT. The military is a fine way to gain the experience required for a civilian career, but it is not a shortcut. You will have to be dedicated to being a military officer and pilot (in that order) for a long time before you can explore civilian career opportunities. |
| |
| | #18 |
| Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Eastern NC
Posts: 121
|
Their talking about college grades. You have to go to bachelors(sp?) degree to get a commission in order to fly for any service, except the Army. If you have a 3.0+gpa you should be good grade wise, but remeber they look at the whole person, not just your college grades and test scores. So people do get in with lower gpa's and such. And yes, the C-5 is one badass airplane |
| |
| | #19 |
| Administrator Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Pinal Airpark
Posts: 6,897
|
[ QUOTE ] Fourth, don't worry too much about what aircraft you are going to fly after UPT, just be glad to graduate with wings, and let the aircraft assignment take care of itself. Aircraft assignments depend on how well you do in UPT. Fifth, if you want to fly military solely to go to the airlines afterwards, then stop right now. You will be very unhappy with the military lifestyle and 10 year commitment after already spending a year at UPT. The military is a fine way to gain the experience required for a civilian career, but it is not a shortcut. You will have to be dedicated to being a military officer and pilot (in that order) for a long time before you can explore civilian career opportunities. [/ QUOTE ] The above is gospel. Don't worry about what kind of aircraft. ALL aircraft are cool to fly, yes, even helos. I always get a kick out of guys that complain that they got a T-37 or T-38 assignment following pilot training, and will be "stuck" flying those for the next 3 years. I remind them "you have ANY idea how many people woul KILL to be in your boots right now?" |
| |
| | #20 |
| Lurker
Posts: n/a
|
[ QUOTE ] Ok so either the C-5 or the C-17 are good a/c? and for tests in school do you mean like high school? im a freshman in highschool right now and the only subject im not doing good in(bad tests and so fourth) is math. Does the AF look for people who have straight A's or what? Also would it help if i got my PPL before i went into the service to try to get a pilot position? [/ QUOTE ] Cool, someone younger than me. You still got time bro. Focus on school for now. I'm a sophmore in hs and I'm still not to the point where I should start to worry about aviation. Don't mess up in school and keep up a good GPA. |
| | #21 |
| Senior Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Colorado Springs
Posts: 818
|
[ QUOTE ] Getting is competitve but possible.If you have good test scores and a decent gpa you have a good chance.If you are able to select the C-5,your lifestyle would be awesome. [/ QUOTE ] Due to some C-5 going to the Boneyard and units switching, getting into the C-5 is getting increasingly difficult. My unit isn't hiring any new C-5 pilots, only taking qualified C-5 pilots. It isn't impossible though. [ QUOTE ] Fred only flies into nice places and they are only gone for 3 or 4 days because they break. [/ QUOTE ] I don't consider Baghdad and Balad "nice" places, and a vast majority of our trips are longer than 3 or 4 days. Usually 2-3 weeks because of the war. During peacetime, they are usually a week. [ QUOTE ] No living in tents and usually nice hotels.If you have more ?'s just ask.I know a lot of C-5's because its my favorite also. [/ QUOTE ] Usually we are in nice hotels, but we get the tents sometimes too. Overall, the C-5 is a great plane with 6 bunks. |
| |
| | #22 |
| Senior Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Colorado Springs
Posts: 818
|
[ QUOTE ] I've got a friend who flies the C-17 and hasn't said a syllable negative about the airframe. [/ QUOTE ] The C-17 is great when they use it for what it was designed for (intertheater airlift) unfortunatly, they like to try to do long haul with it and it either needs a tanker or the cargo load is greatly reduced. |
| |
| | #23 |
| Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 79
|
ya i guess you have a point with the just being glad to get into the AF as a pilot that would be kick ass flying any aircraft i guess! as for college does the AF let you chose where you go or how does that work? as for my GPA i think its at a 2.6 or something in the 2 range guess i should concentrate on getting that up before i even start thinking of becomming a pilot in AF
|
| |
| | #24 |
| Old Skool Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Inside your OODA loop
Posts: 7,003
|
[ QUOTE ] Third, getting a PPL will help somewhat in any of the above cases, but it's not a deal breaker. Plenty of people go to UPT without a PPL. [/ QUOTE ] Not anymore; in the post-Flight Screening Program era, if you don't have a PPL, the AF pays for you to go get one while on casual status. If you don't git 'er done within a certain timeframe, you don't go to UPT. (This according to a bud of mine currently in the T-6 phase at Moody who very nearly didn't git 'er done in said timeframe). To be honest, I don't know how the Riddle/USAFA thing affects this. |
| |
| | #25 |
| Senior Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Colorado Springs
Posts: 818
| [ QUOTE ] C-5s are doing better than they have been lately. The biggest cost for them during their life was the re-winging of the fleet, and the troublesome TF-39 engines thet had. Supposedly, C-5s might be getting re-engined with CF-6s, [/ QUOTE ] The C-5 is getting re-engined with the CF-6. There is already at least one that has been switched and it is going through testing. The C-5 is also going to a glass cockpit, which should make it even more reliable. |
| |
![]() |
| Thread Tools | |
| Display Modes | |
| |