Two C-130 Questions

[Mike LLC]

Hello,

I have two questions regarding Air GUard C-130 units:

1) If sponsored by a C-130 unit to go to UPT, will I fly T-38's?

2) Can you list the Guard C-130 units you know of that hire only from within?

Thank you for your time.

-Mike.

 

[250scp]

Mike,

You'll fly a T-44 after finishing T-37s in UPT. (Sorry, no breaking the soundbarrier stories to tell the women...)

As far as hiring from within, there are too many C-130 units to know what each is doing. My only experience is with Milwaukee; good unit and they hired from both inside and outside the unit.

 

[Tweetdrvr]

Go to www.ang.mil or baseops.net to seek out a list of the ANG C-130 units.

Most units hire from both within and off the street. Sometimes an in house guy may get the nod over someone from off the street for a particular slot if there are special circumstances. For example, SSgt Jones, a Flight Engineer who just finished his degree, is coming up on the age limit and has been a part of the unit for 8 years coming up through the ranks as a maintence troop and then as a crew member and has been on several deployments versus John Smith 23 year old CFI college graduate. Both candidates will go to UPT, but SSgt Jones will go first, and if that is the only slot that year, he will be the only one that fiscal year.

C-130 students can either stay at JSUPT and fly the T-1 or go to Corpus. There are pros and cons to both. You should ask the students on this forum to weigh in on that subject. I'm old school and have had only one cross flow ride on the T-1 as a mission observer. I can say that I have heard great things about the Navy training at Corpus, but the students I observed on the T-1 ride were former Tweet students that I had flown with, and they had come a long way.

There used to be a limited number of ANG heavy unit SUPT slots that were designated to fly 38s but the program ended last year. The Guard Bureau wanted to keep certain amount of fighter possibilities open to its members in case of unit conversions down the road, or just to broaden the experience base of its pilots.

Cast your net far and wide, don't just limit yourself to one unit, or one particular airframe. The numbers of people out there competing for those few slots is too great to limit yourself in that manner. Every thing has an advantage. KC-135s get you a type rating on the 707 type airframe that will be a nice collectors piece on your ticket in a few years, plus they may convert to some sort of 75/767 airframe. C-17s get lots of overseas trips and are the newest toy on the block. I'll let the fighter guys like Albie and Talondriver weigh in on the merits of their airframes.

Good luck and fly safe!