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What UPT Base should I not put at the top?

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jstock

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 20, 2002
Posts
73
Just like the title says, I am wondering if there is any reason someone REALLY disliked an AF UPT base, and if there is a reason that I should list it lower on my dream sheet.

Truthfully, I don't care much about which one I get (I am going there to learn how to fly, not party) but, I am sure that there are some strong opinions out there.



Any input is appreciated,

Stock
 
Wherever you end up you'll discover it's the people you're with that make it a great time. I've known many guys who had a blast at Vance or Laughlin which are two supposedly dull places. Take a good look in the mirror at that area between your ears. That is what will determine the quality of your UPT base.

As a WSO, then Nav I had only one choice: Mather. I won't go into JOC night but the "more experienced" members of this board will crack a smile. Pun intended and I ain't talkin' 'bout the kind that's smoked!!
 
Put what you want...in the end it will come down to how well you performed during the year. The wings will look the same.


I went to CBM and had a great time but that was a long time ago.
 
Vance still has T-37s. I am not sure of the rest. I know the others have T-6s and -37s but Vance has the most -37. Go fly that. It is a fun JET. The T-6 is a great turbo-prop.
 
I've actually heard that Sheppard is one of the "better" bases. Hell, DFW and OKC are only 2 hours away in the car.

The town is ok...the women are NOT. :(
 
I would not put down Pensacola, even though it is more fun and less uptight. Some folks have had trouble transitioning to the AF way of training when they get to Vance for 38s which affects their assignment. Not to say you can't make it happen, but why take the chance. 6 months in P'Cola (which isn't THAT wonderful) hardly seems worth it. Just my opinion.
 
THat's crap. . . I"m in pensacola right now. . selecting next week. THere have been WAY more people go from here to T38's and MAKE it than not. And the numbers we have all seen from our IP's show that the wash rate is no higher for studs. comming from the Navy Primary program. Seriously, Pensacola is a GOOD DEAL! I haven't had a 12 hour day yet. . i wonder what that's like . . guess i'll find out soon. And sure, you're flying the mentor, but its miniscule in the big picture of your career.

Just remember Navy = sweet training. . Air Force = Sweet Career.
 
Thanks to everyone for the input.

Fury220- I would love to go to Sheppard but that is only for ENJJPT selected students. I have applied for it but I won't find out until November.

Later,
Stock
 
ellsworb said:
THat's crap. . .
I guess that's one opinion. Here's another. I don't believe I mentioned wash out rates as they are an abnormality in Phase III. Assignment, which is based on class ranking, is an issue for some folks. Guys from Whiting in general have a more difficult time out of the gate. That only makes sense to me since they are learning things in a faster jet that their peers have been doing for six months. For guys like yourself who are coming from Whiting it just means you are probably going to have to work a little harder if you want to be on top (STS) at the end. It can obviously be done, but I personally would not volunteer to put myself in that spot as I want (and usually need) every advantage I can get. Best of luck in your selection and follow on training.
 
Although I haven't been at Vance very long, I can somewhat agree that assignments for those from Whiting haven't been the ones they wanted. It seems everyone I've met from -38s that came from Whiting ended up in a BUFF or a -37 FAIP. That's just my very limited observation though.
 
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Troll said:
I would not put down Pensacola, even though it is more fun and less uptight. Some folks have had trouble transitioning to the AF way of training when they get to Vance
This is true. It's hard to figure out how to stick your head that far up your a$$ once you've seen reality.
 
Here's a scenario for ya. Say you go for Hercs, you do primary at Whiting, track to T-44's @ Corpus, you'd be an AF dude completely trained over the Navy side of the fence....now that's what I call a track!! From what I hear over at the Rock, folks THERE adjust fine to AF way. "Oh sh%t, you mean to tell me I'm in the Air Force?!.." :D


Training navy all the way? ...A little longer to graduate

Avoiding the 12hr/day and boy scout dynamics, taking study time @ oceanfront and STILL getting tracked Air Force?...PRICELESS
 
hindsight2020 said:
Training navy all the way? ...A little longer to graduate

Avoiding the 12hr/day and boy scout dynamics, taking study time @ oceanfront and STILL getting tracked Air Force?...PRICELESS
Not to mention the pu$$y factor. Not having to drive 2 - 4 hours to find a skanky biznatch to drag home.....even more priceless....
 
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Hugh Jorgan said:
Not to mention the pu$$y factor. Not having to drive 2 - 4 hours to find a skanky biznatch to drag home.....even more priceless....

That hurts man. Accurate, but painful nonetheless.
 
Fury220 said:
I've actually heard that Sheppard is one of the "better" bases. Hell, DFW and OKC are only 2 hours away in the car.

The town is ok...the women are NOT. :(

I'm glad I went to Columbus. If I had gone to Williams, I would have never graduated.
 
Laughlin retired their last T-37s at the end of last year. CBM is probably close to half and half. Vance and SPS are still all T-37s, last I heard. Just remember if you go Navy or even to Moody you will have to move halfway through training, which will wash you back one class, giving you about three extra weeks of no flying right in the middle of UPT. The Navy is more laid back, but you also have to be more proactive with your training to finish in a decent amount of time. I just spent 4 years at Laughlin and if you don't like Mexico for blowing off steam you will have to drive 2.5 hours to SAT or a little over 3 to Austin, but the squadrons did seem to be a little closer and do more together (everyone invited) type of things. The experience that I have is that the guys from the navy do have to do a little catching up with their classmates (Air Force regs that you would normally get in Phase I and II, like AFMAN 11-217 and AFI 11-202v3) once they get to the Air Force side. hope this helps a little.
 
CobraKai said:
Laughlin retired their last T-37s at the end of last year. CBM is probably close to half and half.

Nothing could be farther from the truth regarding CBM. They have ZERO T-6's and won't get their first ones until sometime next year.

I don't have any experience training with the Navy. I can say I know a couple guys who went through there and did just fine. While the first part of UPT was a major pain, I could not imagine getting better training any where else in the world. And as far as flying Navy T-34's go, do you really want to fly a prop without an ejection seat in an aircraft that has been having wing spar issues (at least in the civ world)?

CB wasn't a bad location at all. Atlanta is 4 hours (kickass city). Memphis is 2.5 (kickass city). B-Ham is about 2.2 and Tuscaloosa is 1.5 hours. There's a lot within a short drive. For the longer weekends you can drive 6 hours to either New Orleans or to see your bro's at Pensacola who are 2 months behind you.
 
I UPT'd at Laughlin (DLF), and loved it. Sure, lots of folks complain about it, but if you get out and meet the locals, you are set. There are some great times to be had there. Good flying WX too.
In my current capacity, I see a fair number of pilots that have come out of the Navy track, and based on what I've seen, and their comments, I would say you would be better off steering clear of Pensacola. Sure, beaches,... whatever. You want to be a USAF jet pilot? Then train to be a USAF jet pilot.
 
ellsworb said:
THat's crap. . . I"m in pensacola right now. . selecting next week. THere have been WAY more people go from here to T38's and MAKE it than not. And the numbers we have all seen from our IP's show that the wash rate is no higher for studs. comming from the Navy Primary program.

The wash out rate may not be any higher but that doesn't mean there's not a difference. The studs who wash are too small of a sample to draw much of a conclusion.

Grades, on the other hand, are lower for Whiting grads in both T-1's and T-38's. Several master's degree research projects have been done on this (including mine) and have shown that the T-34 folks start out at a significant disadvantage. They catch up eventually but overall their grades are still significantly lower than the T-37 students.

Of course that doesn't mean much to any one particular person, most T-34 trained folks do fine. But if you're set on flying fighters, I'd skip Pensacola. Just my opinion from watching three years of assignment nights, but it seemed like the T-34 to T-38 folks rarely got fighters.
 
A million years ago I went to Moody. It was great then. Small town but JAX nearby, you could stay home and study or go to the big city on long week-ends.

But since then Moody has become an operational base and I understand it's now back to a UPT base. Just proves, the more things change, the more they end up the same.
 

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