Load Master/ Boomer for ANG or USAFR

[eaglemaster]

Enlisted Crew, a question for you Please.

I am considering enlistment in the Air Guard. Is it possible to be a Load Master or Boomer with no prior service? I am 37 years old with a backround as a Civil Air Patrol Stan/Eval pilot. Also, I have 3000 hours total in small planes and some 135 flying. Im to old for a pilot slot in any of the services, so I was curious what would be needed to be enlisted aircrew. Im short a year in my BS degree and may not have time before a deadline based on my age to complete it, or even if I need an age waiver anyway.
My closest unit would be the 136 TAW in Ft. Worth for C130, maybe Oklahoma or Louisiana for KC135? I can travel for drill I suppose.

Thanks, I just need some advice

 

[JungleJett]

You might be a little old...I think the age cutoff is 35 but I could be wrong.

Both are good jobs.

 

[AirCobra]

You may also want to check into a position as a Flight Engineer in a C-130 or C-5 unit. The prerequisite if you have no experience as an Air Force Mechanic is a private pilot certificate.

 

[JungleJett]

You may also want to check into a position as a Flight Engineer in a C-130 or C-5 unit. The prerequisite if you have no experience as an Air Force Mechanic is a private pilot certificate.

hmmmm...yeah....not really. Off the street FE's in the Reserve Components is extremely rare. Most come from MX or AD. Having a PPL will do you little good as an FE on Herk or Fred..or anything else for that matter.

My old Guard unit picked up ZERO FE's from the street in my 12 years there. My current unit (HH60G's) would NEVER pick up a guy from the street for the engineers position.

Loadmasters, Boomers, Gunners...different story.

 

[AirCobra]

hmmmm...yeah....not really. Off the street FE's in the Reserve Components is extremely rare. Most come from MX or AD. Having a PPL will do you little good as an FE on Herk or Fred..or anything else for that matter.

My old Guard unit picked up ZERO FE's from the street in my 12 years there. My current unit (HH60G's) would NEVER pick up a guy from the street for the engineers position.

Loadmasters, Boomers, Gunners...different story.

Just letting this guy know what the regs say. The AF must think a PPL has some applicability to FE otherwise they would not list it. They also list time as a loadmaster or boomer as prereq for FE, besides a PPL, or being a 5 level in one of several aviation maintenance AFSC's. I think its all about trainability and the likelyhood of completing flight engineer school, not about jobs that directly relate to flight engineering. Like what does a college degree have to do with flying? yet its still a prereq for being and AF pilot. FE's at some C-5 and C-130 units are in short supply with government contractors luring away FE's for lucrative jobs, especially in the C-130 community, so I would not say its impossible. I also know of two C-5 units that have taken people off the street and made them FE's, and a KC-10 unit that put a reservist through that had a prior AFSC that was not on the prereq list. I am not surpised about helo's since there are so few in the AF, and the FE job is much more maintenance related than FE on a transport aircraft.

 

[JungleJett]

What the reg's say and what happens in the real world usually differ. I think the AF's reasoning is that having a PPL gives you some "air sense", which fine, but you need to couple that with a in depth understanding of aircraft systems, how to deal with their failures, and how to work as a crew to get it corrected.

The college thing weeds out the 10 zillion resumes they would get by the folks who just saw the Thunderbirds waaaay toooo long routine. It shows commitment to a higher goal....but you're right, has ZERO to do with flying an airplane.

Like I said, it is more the exception than the rule to hire an FE off the street. As far as FE's on helo's, it is no more MX intensive than a fixed wing FE. In my experience in both aircraft, your typical fixed wing FE has more system knowledge than your typical helo FE. I have NEVER seen a helo FE (in the USAF) turn a wrench while on the road, I have however seen a lot of fixed wing FE's work on the airplane.

I have sat on hiring boards for new aircrew and would NOT hire an off the street FE on any USAF aircraft.

To the original poster, talk to a recruiter and find out what the max age is for enlistment and go from there. When it comes time to ask about a flying job, go directly to the shop that you want; boomer, load, gunner...THEY do the hiring and have the recruiter do the paperwork.

 

[AirCobra]

What the reg's say and what happens in the real world usually differ. I think the AF's reasoning is that having a PPL gives you some "air sense", which fine, but you need to couple that with a in depth understanding of aircraft systems, how to deal with their failures, and how to work as a crew to get it corrected.

The college thing weeds out the 10 zillion resumes they would get by the folks who just saw the Thunderbirds waaaay toooo long routine. It shows commitment to a higher goal....but you're right, has ZERO to do with flying an airplane.

Like I said, it is more the exception than the rule to hire an FE off the street. As far as FE's on helo's, it is no more MX intensive than a fixed wing FE. In my experience in both aircraft, your typical fixed wing FE has more system knowledge than your typical helo FE. I have NEVER seen a helo FE (in the USAF) turn a wrench while on the road, I have however seen a lot of fixed wing FE's work on the airplane.

I have sat on hiring boards for new aircrew and would NOT hire an off the street FE on any USAF aircraft.

To the original poster, talk to a recruiter and find out what the max age is for enlistment and go from there. When it comes time to ask about a flying job, go directly to the shop that you want; boomer, load, gunner...THEY do the hiring and have the recruiter do the paperwork.

One thing is for sure, neither one of our experiences with the Air Force encompass every situation. I have seen AF FE's tearing apart a helo in the field, and I have also seen four AMT's travel with a C-5 and stay to work on the aircraft, while the two FE's left with the pilots. Oh well.

I still would encourage someone with pilot experience, or someone who wanted to be a pilot but can't because of their age or education, to go for FE first. It was what the airlines did for 40 years. If th FE door gets closed then move on to one of the other AFSC's you mentioned. Heck if I can go from pilot to 727 FE in a few months, I don't think its impossible for someone else to do the same.