The best UPT base?

[SMan]

Wow! Thx for the great replies! You've given me lots of info to chew on. Like one of the gentlemen said, there's a decent chance I won't have ANY say in where I go, but if I do, I'll be better prepared to make a decision. Thx again!

SMan

PS. If there are any more opinions out there, I'd love to hear them and it DOES stink that they closed down Willie in PHX. That's where I'm from and I would've loved to fly out of there!

 

[T-38Dude]

SMan,

If you happen to be going to a fighter, don't forget about Sheppard AFB in sunny hot hot Wichita Falls, TX. The town is not to bad (about 100,000) and your only a couple of hours away from Dallas and OKC. The flying is great as well. I was a student at Columbus, active duty IP at Sheppard, now a reserve IP at Columbus and have a good friend at Vance. In my humble opinion, the training is pretty darn close no matter where you go. So I would'nt worry to much about it. Just keep in mind, I think Sheppard is the last scheduled base to get the T-6 if your wanting to fly that airplane. Anyway, you've never lived until you've flown that mighty "tweet". Good luck and fly safe.

T-38 Dude

 

[SMan]

So, I am flying a fighter and I've thought about Sheppard, although I haven't heard much positive about it (don't know why), except that you get to fly more and less sim time. Also, it seems everyone wants to go there since they hand out fighters, but since that's not an issue for me, I'd like to hear other reasons why someone would want to go there. Comments?

SMan

 

[F16fixer]

SMan, I think I finally have every thing together for a package to submit for a UPT slot. Sounds like you had the right stuff! Congrats. Is there any advice or help you could throw me to up my chances? I have my BAT, AFOQT, 1st class, and LOR's. Is there any special form you had to fill out and send with your package and what was the interview like if you don't mind. Thanks a lot for any help

 

[SMan]

F16fixer,

I definitely feel fortunate to have the opportunity that I've been given. I hope things continue to go well. You never know when something might happen and it all goes away.

I don't recall sending anything special with my packet. I believe I had all of my test scores, BAT, college transcripts, LOR's, cover letter, resume & copy of PPL. I put it all together, along with a nice cover I made that had the unit's shield on it and had it bound at Office Max for a few bucks. I wouldn't spend much money on putting it together. In fact, many people just send their packets in an envelope. I'm not sure how much it matters either way. I just tried to put my best into it and be as professional as I could be.

The interviews were actually quite enjoyable. I did my best to prepare before hand so I could ask some intelligent questions and so I would feel more confident and less nervous. I dug up all the info I could on the unit and memorized names, dates, history, etc. I also studied up on the airframe quite extensively, which really came in handy when I had a chance to talk with the pilots. Both of my interviews were panel interviews. The first one had three pilots and the second one had six I believe. Both interviews were pretty standard behavioral interviews where they asked a myriad of questions from one extreme to another. I had questions about work ethics, morals, education, background, study habits, character, patriotism, family, sports, job experience, leadership ability, etc, etc. They tried some off the wall questions to see if I was a whacko, funny questions to test my sense of humor, difficult questions to see if I could think on my feet, situational questions to see how I would act, and just plain get to know you type stuff.

The best thing for me was to spend a LOT of time preparing beforehand, which really helped me to relax and be myself. Being able to regurgitate statistics about the airframe or call the pilots by name wasn't all that great in and of itself, but it did show them that I was serious about my desire to be a member of the unit and that I was willing to put in the time and effort to get what I wanted. Does that make sense?

The last thing that helped me (I think) was taking every opportunity to show them that I wanted this job more then anyone else. I firmly believed that I did and took every chance I got to let them know that through my actions, words and demeanor. Be careful though, there's a fine line between showing them your desire and annoying them because you won't quit bothering them.

I don't have any magical formula for success, other then work hard, prepare well, give it everything you've got and be persistent. The unit that hired me was my third unit I interviewed at. I sent countless applications and about two years just to get those three interviews and so don't be discouraged if it takes a while. Be patient, do all you can do and hope for the best. If things don't work out at first, be grateful for the opportunity, learn from your mistakes and keep after it. Good luck!

SMan

 

[F16fixer]

SMan,
Thanks for the info. That all sounded like good stuff and I'll put it in the memory bank. Did you have to send the same package over and over to the same base at each selection time period or is it a one time deal? I was just wondering if I should make up about 30 packages! Thanks again

 

[F16fixer]

SMan,
I did 6 months at Sheppard and if I never had to go back it would be too soon! You can always make the most of where you go, but if you have a choice I wouldn't make SAFB your first. Thought I would try and help you out a little bit. Take it easy.

 

[Mud Eagle]

SMan,
I did 6 months at Sheppard and if I never had to go back it would be too soon! You can always make the most of where you go, but if you have a choice I wouldn't make SAFB your first. Thought I would try and help you out a little bit. Take it easy.

Bro, if you think your time at Sheppard sucked, then you'd better brace yourself for places like Columbus, Del Rio, and Enid. Wichita Falls is pretty nice in comparison!

If I were going to UPT these days and had any kind of choice as far as just location was concerned, I'd think about Moody.

 

[RichO]

Hell-Rio

All the bases are pretty much the same, like all the previous posts have commented.....BUT.....there is only one place you can find Crosby's..................and it isn't at Vance, or Columbus.....

 

[Hugh Jorgan]

Seriously, ask for Pensacola.