Aircraft specific info

[SentryIP]

My Story

Hello All,

Lackland (FSPOT and OTS), Laughlin (T-37 and T-38), Wurtsmith (B-52 and T-37), Castle (B-52), Langley (ACC Staff), Geilenkirchen (E-3 and NTCA) and Tinker (E-3 and TC-18). Was set to retire this November 1, but someone took care of that for me. I just completed the B-737 type rating and I'm treading water in the SWA hiring pool. Best wishes to all and Happy Holidays.

 

[Nocturnal1]

Three tours in Air Force Special Ops. B-707,MC-130E Combat Talon, Casa-212/Casa-235 (STOL), LearJet, and Army helos. Been flying goggles since '82 down in the dirt and lovin it!

 

[Piggy]

Did Navy ROTC and flying the mighty USMC Battle Herk, in West Pac and the FRS............hoping for a nibble next year!

Incidentally, for all you computer smart people, how do you get your personal 'cool pic' on the signature. I'm not smart enough.

 

[Purple Haze]

Retired AF. OTS (90 grueling days). C-17, C-9.

FedEx swimmer/telephone watcher

 

[FastCargo]

USAFA grad (don't hold that against me)

Laughlin AFB (UPT)
Beale AFB (Non-flying)
Dyess AFB (B-1B, T-38)
Laughlin AFB (T-38 Instructor)
Beale AFB (T-38 Instructor)

Separated in Nov 01, DC-10 for FedEx as S/O and T-38 reserves at Laughlin AFB (can't seem to get away....)

 

[EvilJim]

Navy Trained

I'm the last fully Navy trained pilot to fly the mighty E-6A/B (B-707)(LOL) . Anyway did that for 4 years at Tinker AFB, I shoulda been in the Air Force. I love my crew rest. Now I am a T-34 pilot in Pensacola flying the Navigators/NFOs around. It is all First Pilot/PIC/IP time. Navs don't even log the landings or approaches they talk you through. A lot less stress than the pilot trainers.

I am starting with jetBlue in Feb and interview with SWA in Jan.

Good luck to all.

Evil Jim

 

[hiflier]

All the services covered

Army Hueys (AD and Guard)
OTS
UPT at Willy
Tweet FAIP and PIT IP
F-15
T-34s
U-2/T-38

Hopefully retiring in July 02.

 

[maverick_fp00]

I was just reading back and came across this thread. I don't fly in the military..... YET.... It's my biggest dream to become a pilot in the Air Force, but an even bigger dream to be able to fly a fighter in the Air Force. Just one thing, don't know if I'm being too cocky or not but... I really don't want to get stuck in a helo. Yes, I'm a pilot and I'm in the air, but I just don't think I'll get a hardon flying a helo as much as I would flying an F15. Anybody know an average percentage rate of the guys from UPT that get selected to go fly a chopper?

Another question... FAIP (I think First Assignment Instructor Pilot) but, what is it exactly? Your first assignment is an IP? Would you consider that good.... or well, I really don't know how to ask it, but you get my point...

Thanks Guys!

 

[Purple Haze]

maverick_fp00,

<Anybody know an average percentage rate of the guys from UPT that get selected to go fly a chopper?>
As far as I know, 0%. Maybe it is possible to get a helo out of UPT, but I have never heard of it - I can only speak for USAF.

<FAIP (I think First Assignment Instructor Pilot) but, what is it exactly?>
When you graduate from UPT, FAIPs (good guess on the name) go to PIT (pilot instructor training). It's a pretty intense course that makes you an instructor in a primary trainer (T-37, T-6, T-1, or T-38). Then you spend your first assignment teaching students how to fly (normally 3 years).

<Would you consider that good....>
For most guys - no. It really is a good job, but most guys want to go out and do something operational. Life as a UPT IP would likely be a lot more fun as a second assignment. I have some buds who loved it - good flying and most nights at home. A couple down sides: After your FAIP tour it is tough to land a great assignment (it can happen) - and- you will be a few years behind your peers in operational experience when you get to your first ops assignment. On the plus side, FAIPs usually turn out to be some of the better sticks and they rapidly upgrade to IP (I can only speak for the heavy world).

Purple

 

[maverick_fp00]

Purple Haze:

Ok, answers my question. What I was saying is that I really don't want to get selected to fly a chopper for the AF. For some reason I thought there were slots being given away for after T-37 training for a helo spot.

Thanks!

 

[BluDevAv8r]

Nick,

My buddy from college tracked into 38's and was gung ho into fighters. He ended up choosing a FAIP slot over B-1's. He's now in his first year teaching in T-37's and loving every minute of......flying cross-country and getting out of Enid OK. He is enjoying the IP time but definitely looking forward to something with a more pointy nose in 2 years.

As for helo's...I am pretty sure you can go to them straight out of UPT. You do a conversion course at Ft Rucker in AL with the Army. One of his buddies at PIT at Randolph that I met flew HH-53's in the CSAR world. Low level high speed NOE type flying....lots of real missions. Sounds like a lot of fun actually. I think after fighters, the CSAR/Spec Ops world would be my next choice if I were in the position to choose.

I wouldn't worry too much about what to choose at the moment...finish school, keep building flight time, and do the best you can in everything you do. It will pay off later.

Neal

 

[Opie-wan]

Might as well join the list....

T-37 FAIP in Delightful Del Rio, KC-10 tour in McGuire (make that Abu Dhabi), a short stint back in the tweet at Randolph, then flying T-6s (the T-37/T-34 replacement) for the past 3 years. Still have about a year to go before freedom...

 

[Purple Haze]

T-6 vs T-37

Opie-wan,
Contrast & compare the Tweet & the Texan as a primary trainer. All I know about the T-6 is that it looks fantastic and it can pull a mean closed (saw it at Randolph). I'm a big fan of side-by-side seating in a primary trainer.

Curious what you think and how it stacks up overall. Thanks.
Purple

 

[trueblue]

No comparison. It's been too long since I've been in Tweets, but being a T-34C IP at NAS Pensacola, comparing the T-6 to the T-34 is like comparing a cheetah to a slimy slug. T-34 underpowered, but fun and reliable. T-6 nicely powered, new, probably a lot of fun, and reliability ??

 

[Opie-wan]

Opie's view of T-37 vs T-6

PH and Trueblue--

Here it goes--

Side by side vs tandem--being a high-time tweet guy, I had serious reservations going into the primary training arena with a stepped-tandem seat, (that's what the AF wanted with their new trainer, regardless of what airplane it was going to be.) But I was wrong. The airplane, from the back or front seat, tells the IP rather well what the student is doing either by the displays, aircraft feel,or one could simply look over the guys shoulder and see what they are screwing up at the moment, Every display repeats in the other cockpit. A little to get used to, but it's not that bad.

Airspeeds--The tweet trued out 240 TAS, we are about 10% faster on average. We can fly tweet speeds in the pattern, but are more comfortable a tad faster. 316 max a/s. It can fly 270 kt low-levels.

Legs--900 miles vs 300. Questions?

Engine--PT6-68, 1100 shp motor. it's gets you out of trouble in a hurry. It will get you in one quickly too if it hiccups.

We can't ditch in a prepared field like the T-34.

Gs--7.0 pos and 3.5 neg. (tweet was 6.7?)

Avionics--GPS, glass, etc vs. the tweet bastardized crosscheck. The transition to 38s and T-1s will be easier.

Pressurized cockpit, zero/zero seat, on-board O2 generating system--it's not a bad toy.

However, being a part of the Ops test team that ran it through it's paces when it was 1st delivered, I can say that we are still ironing the wrinkles out of it. Reliability rates are on the rise as our maintainers and TOs get up to speed. It will be interesting to see the rates after we've flown it for awhile in the field (DLF, Moody, etc).

Overall--I'd recommend it to anyone looking for job in AETC, AD or Reserves.

Shoot back with more Qs if you like...