Air Force Pilots

[galaxy5]

I would equate joining Active Duty AF for "quality training which i would get through the Airforce" to signing up for the Air Force Academy for "a Division I NCAA football scholarship." Sure, you'll get the quality training (or get to play Div I ball) but at the end of the day if you haven't signed up to be an AF officer first (I think the vast majority do eventually figure this out) you'll be miserable.

Younger guys will always say that all they want to do is fly and complain about all the additional duties we do when we're not flying. 3 things to consider when reading these complaints...
1) They'll grow up, get married, have kids, and look forward to a break on a staff somewhere (Then immediately realize that flying is better and start complaining again).
2) They're right, the additional duties aren't fun but they need to get done.
3) If you take away a pilot's right to complain you've taken away a huge portion of the available subjects to discuss on a 14 hour AR sortie to some crappy place with a bunch of sand. We aren't going to discuss the last episode of Desperate Housewives...

 

[RampFreeze]

Galaxy5 - Shack! Well said!

 

[Laxman]

Only 7 hours? I'd add at least an hour or two for just a CT ride. Upgrades are what keeps me at work 12-14 hours a day. Then again, being a scheduler does that too.

 

[Gorilla]

Not normally. I'll give you an example for a short 1.2 hr SAT (Surface Attack Tacticts) mission.

Showing the Love...
Cheers

Good post Don Q. I've always wanted to break out what happens to generate that measly 1.2 hours, and why 1500 fighter hours is a lot of time. In the AT-38, the missions were usually 0.9 or 1.0. I've seen some BFM missions of 0.8 and even 0.7, when the MOA is close, you get there fast, and the burner lights early and often. RTB is a swooping dive to initial.

What you forgot to mention is the additional 5 hours in the day spent studying the threat in the vault, executing the dreaded additional duty, and generally being there to do work.

Laxman, I know the scheduler drill very well! imp:

 

[MalteseX]

Additional Duty=Full Time Job

Just a quick note to those considering the Air Force, and I apologize in advance if this has been covered (I didn't read the entire thread)=

The "additional duties" that people are referring to are most often A FULL TIME JOB. It is a misnomer to call them "additional". Just be aware if you want to fly, MOST of your time will be at your so-called "additional" duty.

Also, your evaluations will more than likely be HEAVILY weighted on how well you do that "additional" duty.

 

[psysicx]

Is it hard to find time to manage your additional duties on top of flying. If your a bomber pilot flying 3 or 4 times a week plus planning there doesn't seem like much time.

Everyone says go guard/reserves but is it really that much better. The airlines don't seem like a grand place to be.

 

[TankerDriver]

Is it hard to find time to manage your additional duties on top of flying. If your a bomber pilot flying 3 or 4 times a week plus planning there doesn't seem like much time.

Everyone says go guard/reserves but is it really that much better. The airlines don't seem like a grand place to be.

No, because you probably won't find a bomber pilot flying 3-4 times a week. They probably don't even fly that much at the school house. This coming Wednesday, it'll be two weeks since I've flown last.

It's more of the opposite problem. Finding the time to fly while "managing" your additional duties.

In the guard, you'll find Lt Col's who are part time and only come in to fly 4-5 times a month, whereas on Active Duty, the average Lt Col in a flying squadron has some sort of leadership position, ie: DO or Commander, and most likely flies once a month to maintain currency. We have commanders who come in from other aircraft, who've never flown tankers before but got sent to Altus for the "staff" course so they're qualified in the aircraft.

 

[psysicx]

I was told that Bone AC's fly that much.

 

[MalteseX]

Is it hard to find time to manage your additional duties on top of flying. If your a bomber pilot flying 3 or 4 times a week plus planning there doesn't seem like much time.

Everyone says go guard/reserves but is it really that much better. The airlines don't seem like a grand place to be.

I have never known a bomber pilot to fly 3 or 4 times a week; except maybe deployed in a war zone and even that would be high.

Like I said, your 'additional' duty is actually your expected full time duty and flying becomes secondary. It has been that way for quite a few years. You are expected to 'excel' at your additional duty. That is a bad term, because your it's a full time job--flying becomes secondary--and you are expected to make up the lost time in the office (when you fly) by putting in extra hours.

 

[Gorilla]

I have never known a bomber pilot to fly 3 or 4 times a week; except maybe deployed in a war zone and even that would be high.

Like I said, your 'additional' duty is actually your expected full time duty and flying becomes secondary. It has been that way for quite a few years. You are expected to 'excel' at your additional duty. That is a bad term, because your it's a full time job--flying becomes secondary--and you are expected to make up the lost time in the office (when you fly) by putting in extra hours.

Bingo. I sucked at my "additional duty." Foolishly, I thought the mission of the USAF was to fly and fight. It's not. The mission of the Air Force is generate streams of paperwork, kiss the correct, high-ranking butt, and make sure your mobility bag has the correct (number, variety) of underwear.

At least when I was active duty, the OER would usually read something like:

"Organizes a vast ground-training empire. Tracks squadron training requirements so the correct squares may be checked off. Executes numbing and tedious duties which have nothing to do with the ability to destroy the enemies of the United States. Excellent face-time management. Occasionally flies a jet."

Silly of me, but as a lootenant, I spent too much time doing threat study in the vault and discussing tactics and fighter ops instead of tracking squadron paperwork.