I understand that you are not guranteed a jet if you join the navy. the needs of the navy + your performance decides what you fly. I was just wondering, in the Air Force, since they have a lot more fighter planes, what are your chances of getting to fly fighters in the AF vs the Navy? Do you have any say in the matter in the AF, and if so, how much?
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likelihood to fly jets in AF vs Navy
- Thread starter bulldog06
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I see some of the VT-3 guys around here, same thing, they still have to compete - nothing is guaranteed. I don't understand why anyone would want to join the AF, but here is a journal about a guy that did (http://home.earthlink.net/~kschlappi/kyle.htm).
I saw a similar question to yours on f-16.net, and here was the reply that he received.
To LtCol Ventura,
Sir I am DJ Baker and I would appreciate it if you could tell me what it takes to be an F16 fighter pilot of the USAF. What classes should I take in high school to help the career I want to take later in my life. What could I do to get in the academy.
Sincerely
DJ Baker
-----End of Original Message-----
Subject: FW: Anybody want to help this poor kid from Cyberspace?
From: Lt Col Ventura
Dear DJ,
Obviously, through no fault of your own, your young, impressionable brain has been poisoned by the superfluous, hyped-up, "Top Gun" media portrayal of fighter pilots. Unfortunately, this portrayal could not be further from the truth. In my experience, I've found most fighter pilots pompous, back-stabbing, momma's boys with inferiority complexes, as well as being extremely over-rated aeronautically. However, rather than dash your budding dreams of becoming an USAF pilot, I offer the following alternative.
What you REALLY want to aspire to is the exciting, challenging, and rewarding world of TACTICAL AIRLIFT.
And this, young DJ, means one thing - the venerable, workhorse C-130! I can guarantee no fighter pilot can brag that he has led a 12-ship formation down a valley at 300 ft above the ground, while trying to interpret a 9-line to a new DZ, avoiding pop-up threats, and coordinating with AWACS, all while eating a box lunch, with the engineer in the back taking a piss and the navigator puking in his trash can!
I tell you, DJ, TAC Airlift is where it's at. Where else is it legal to throw tanks, HMMWVs, and other crap out the back of an airplane, and not even worry about it when the chute doesn't open and it torpedos the General's staff car! No where else can you land on a 3000' dirt strip, kick a bunch of ammo and stuff off the ramp without even stopping, then take off again before range control can call to tell you you've landed on the wrong LZ!
And talk about exotic travel-when C-130s go somewhere, they GO somewhere (usually for 3 months, unfortunately). This gives you the opportunity to immerse yourself in the culture enough to give any local population a bad taste in their mouths, not something those strat-lift pilots can do from their airport hotel rooms!
As far as recommendations for your course of study, I offer these. Take a lot of math courses. You will need all the advanced math skills you can muster to facilitate the calculation of per diem rates around the world, and when trying to split up the crew's bar tab so that the co-pilot really believes he owes 85% of the whole thing.
Health sciences are important, too. You will need a thorough knowledge of biology to make those educated guesses of how much longer you can drink beer before the tremendous case of the ****s catches up to you from that meal you ate at that place that had the belly dancers in some God-forsaken foreign country whose name you can't even pronounce!
Social studies are also beneficial. It is important for a good TAC Airlifter to have the cultural knowledge to be able to ascertain the exact location of the nearest titty bar in any country in the world, then be able to convince the local authorities to release the loadmaster after he offends every sensibility of the local religion and culture.
A foreign language is helpful, but not required. You will never be able to pronounce the names of the NAVAIDs in France, and it's much easier to ignore them and go where you want to anyway.
A study of geography is also paramount. You will need to know the basic location of all the places you've been when you get back from your TDY and are ready to stick those little pins in that huge world map you've got taped to you living room wall, right next to that gigantic wooden giraffe statue and beer stein collection.
Well, DJ, I hope this little note inspires you. And by the way, forget about that Academy thing. All TAC Airlifters know that there are waaay too few women and too little alcohol there to provide a well-balanced education.
A nice, big state college would be a much better choice.
Good luck and see you on the SKE scope!
Maj. Lowenfast
I saw a similar question to yours on f-16.net, and here was the reply that he received.
To LtCol Ventura,
Sir I am DJ Baker and I would appreciate it if you could tell me what it takes to be an F16 fighter pilot of the USAF. What classes should I take in high school to help the career I want to take later in my life. What could I do to get in the academy.
Sincerely
DJ Baker
-----End of Original Message-----
Subject: FW: Anybody want to help this poor kid from Cyberspace?
From: Lt Col Ventura
Dear DJ,
Obviously, through no fault of your own, your young, impressionable brain has been poisoned by the superfluous, hyped-up, "Top Gun" media portrayal of fighter pilots. Unfortunately, this portrayal could not be further from the truth. In my experience, I've found most fighter pilots pompous, back-stabbing, momma's boys with inferiority complexes, as well as being extremely over-rated aeronautically. However, rather than dash your budding dreams of becoming an USAF pilot, I offer the following alternative.
What you REALLY want to aspire to is the exciting, challenging, and rewarding world of TACTICAL AIRLIFT.
And this, young DJ, means one thing - the venerable, workhorse C-130! I can guarantee no fighter pilot can brag that he has led a 12-ship formation down a valley at 300 ft above the ground, while trying to interpret a 9-line to a new DZ, avoiding pop-up threats, and coordinating with AWACS, all while eating a box lunch, with the engineer in the back taking a piss and the navigator puking in his trash can!
I tell you, DJ, TAC Airlift is where it's at. Where else is it legal to throw tanks, HMMWVs, and other crap out the back of an airplane, and not even worry about it when the chute doesn't open and it torpedos the General's staff car! No where else can you land on a 3000' dirt strip, kick a bunch of ammo and stuff off the ramp without even stopping, then take off again before range control can call to tell you you've landed on the wrong LZ!
And talk about exotic travel-when C-130s go somewhere, they GO somewhere (usually for 3 months, unfortunately). This gives you the opportunity to immerse yourself in the culture enough to give any local population a bad taste in their mouths, not something those strat-lift pilots can do from their airport hotel rooms!
As far as recommendations for your course of study, I offer these. Take a lot of math courses. You will need all the advanced math skills you can muster to facilitate the calculation of per diem rates around the world, and when trying to split up the crew's bar tab so that the co-pilot really believes he owes 85% of the whole thing.
Health sciences are important, too. You will need a thorough knowledge of biology to make those educated guesses of how much longer you can drink beer before the tremendous case of the ****s catches up to you from that meal you ate at that place that had the belly dancers in some God-forsaken foreign country whose name you can't even pronounce!
Social studies are also beneficial. It is important for a good TAC Airlifter to have the cultural knowledge to be able to ascertain the exact location of the nearest titty bar in any country in the world, then be able to convince the local authorities to release the loadmaster after he offends every sensibility of the local religion and culture.
A foreign language is helpful, but not required. You will never be able to pronounce the names of the NAVAIDs in France, and it's much easier to ignore them and go where you want to anyway.
A study of geography is also paramount. You will need to know the basic location of all the places you've been when you get back from your TDY and are ready to stick those little pins in that huge world map you've got taped to you living room wall, right next to that gigantic wooden giraffe statue and beer stein collection.
Well, DJ, I hope this little note inspires you. And by the way, forget about that Academy thing. All TAC Airlifters know that there are waaay too few women and too little alcohol there to provide a well-balanced education.
A nice, big state college would be a much better choice.
Good luck and see you on the SKE scope!
Maj. Lowenfast
petescheu
Registered User
bulldog-
True on the Navy selection. A/F is much more consistent, they'll almost always have 3 T-38 slots per class, depending on the class size. Those go to the 1,2,3 kids in the class (if that's their first choice, not always is though, not everyone wants jets). Navy you could have 1 jet slot one week and 7 the other, it's totally random. Don't get all strewn up in the jet thing though, flying is awesome, no matter what you fly. Everyone loves their community that they're in, if you couldn't tell my the Maj's post. I don't think anyone will disagree that it's about 1000 times better than pushing a desk in a 9-5 job. Also, there's nothing wrong with USAFA, or USNA for that matter. It just comes to what you want out of college. Just remember all of the commisioning sources will get you to the same place in the end, it's just that all of them will give you a different experiences.
True on the Navy selection. A/F is much more consistent, they'll almost always have 3 T-38 slots per class, depending on the class size. Those go to the 1,2,3 kids in the class (if that's their first choice, not always is though, not everyone wants jets). Navy you could have 1 jet slot one week and 7 the other, it's totally random. Don't get all strewn up in the jet thing though, flying is awesome, no matter what you fly. Everyone loves their community that they're in, if you couldn't tell my the Maj's post. I don't think anyone will disagree that it's about 1000 times better than pushing a desk in a 9-5 job. Also, there's nothing wrong with USAFA, or USNA for that matter. It just comes to what you want out of college. Just remember all of the commisioning sources will get you to the same place in the end, it's just that all of them will give you a different experiences.
The link to that guys journal has a lot of info in it. He went through the Navy training, and then to the T-38. There is a Q&A that has a lot more realistic gouge on the AF and their selection than I could ever provide.
If you count rubber rafts, then the Army probably does have more boats.
If you count rubber rafts, then the Army probably does have more boats.
wanaBpilot
Pro Rec'd NFO
I heard that when you apply for the AF, you apply for a specific position in a specific aircraft field, is this true? I'm speaking of applying for commission outside of the Academy.
Originally posted by EA-6B1
LoL. To enlighten my sense of humor, let me hear your reasons why you said that.Thanks.
All that I am saying is that I would be a scout master before joining the Air Force. That doesn’t mean that someone else isn’t sincere about it, if so they can look at that guy’s site who put a lot of time into explaining things about the AF way.
AviatorSMD said:
Or if you're a backseater. In the Air Force, those guys are assigned right away to their area. I know those guys who are at Trawing Six already know they're in the WSO pipeline, the only competition is when they get to VT-86 and have to fight over whether they get F-15Es or B-1Bs.
In the past, that was the case for their pilots as well, but it's since changed to a free-for-all.
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