military@cbnews.ATT.COM (William B. Thacker) (02/02/90)
From: wbcs!rob (Brown)
I am posting this in response to a series of articles that I
saw on the net some time ago about becoming a pilot in the Air Guard
in the hope that this may help and inform other readers and also
in the hope that someone out there may be able to share some
additional information or experiences with me. I am new to the net
so please hold down the flames.
I hope all of this information is correct. I have got most of my
information from a recruiter, but I have cross checked it
with a Guard pilot I know so I believe it to be good information.
I am a 26-1/2 year old engineer currently employed in Wichita
Kansas. I am trying to get into the Tulsa Air National Guard
as a pilot. I am trying there because a friend in the Guard
(who by the way is an F-16 instructor) suggested that it would
be easier to get in in your home state (yes Im a Okie).
So far I seem to have gotten a favorable response in Tulsa.
They seem to like it if all of your family lives there.
Unfortunately the Air Guard here in Wichita is only a training
base and only takes instructor pilots with lost of hours.
I have no pilot skills, but this has not caused any problems.
The response I get is that "We want to train you like we want."
You can not be more than 27-1/2 by the time you enter
flight training so time is an issue for me. They start a class
ever quarter (fiscal year) and my next chance is in Oct. 90
The problem is that all the classes may be full until 1991.
I was told that if there was room I would have to go in enlisted.
This would be on the condition of becoming a pilot. I would
be let go with no strings attached if this fell through.
As an enlisted man I would be put in a bogus administrative
position and "hang out with the pilots" until time to go.
I have taken all the necessary tests, AFOQT (Air Force Officer
Qualification Test), ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude
Battery). I have also taken the required flight physical.
>From pay scales I have received you will make about $23k to $27k/yr
during the 2 years of training. I am going to have to take a pay cut
but its worth it to me. Now if I could only convince my wife :)
The training consists of a 6 week officer commissioning course at
Mcgee-Tyson Air National Guard base near Knoxville Tennessee.
Upon completion you will be a 2nd LT and progress to 1st LT.
Next you go for 1 year to one of several places around the country,
Columbus AFB in Columbus Mississippi, Vance AFB in Enid Oklahoma,
Reece AFB in Lubbock Texas, or Williams AFB in Phenox Arizona.
During this time you get your initial flight training. (Single engine
prop 172, T37 jet, and T38 jet). Maybe someone out in netland can be
more specific on this one. After this first year you go to Washington
state for a 3 week survival course. Then you go to Holloman Air Force
base in Alamogordo New Mexico for 2-1/2 months of fighter pursuit
training. Finally you go to Davis Monthan AFB in Tuscon Arizona
for 7 months of fighter lead in school. During this 7 months you
will fly the plane that your particular Guard unit has, A7's
in my case. Rumor has it that Tulsa will be receiving the F-16
in the next couple of years. So I may have to turn around and
retrain on a new aircraft. Once your finished with training you go
back to your Guard base. You only fly one day a week and one
weekend a month. Then there is always the 2 weeks in the summer.
The money you make doing this is only about $3k/yr.
Questions:
1) Does anybody have any experience in dealing with
employers about getting them to let you off for
duty, training, ect?
2) Can anybody give me a breakdown of that first year of
training?
3) What goes on during the first 6 weeks?
4) Can anyone tell me about life in the Guard in general?
5) Can anyone recommend some reference material (books, mags,
ect...) about the Guard or that would be helpful?
6) Does anyone know of any other Air Guard pilot openings?
7) Can anyone comment on the aircraft/training?
8) Can anyone tell me about AFOQT/ASVAB scores?
Any information, opinions, or help anyone can provide would be greatly
appreciated. Please mail to me. If I get enough response I will post
the results. Please excuse the grammatical errors. Thanks.kyoung@auspex.com (Ken Young) (02/09/90)
From: kyoung@auspex.com (Ken Young) You have given a pretty good description of how a recruiter tells a recruit everything he wants to hear to get him to sign. I have escaped this trap myself. The bottom line is that nothing you are told before you sign is guarenteed. If they need an enlisted man somewhere to do something, you will be him. I think that the chances of things happening the way you described are remote. If you join as enlisted, and at your age, the closest you will get to a cockpit is when you wash the fusalage. Ken Young uunet!auspex!kyoung