Forum: F-22A Raptor

Last edited by cloud22 on Nov 20, 2009 - 04:03 AM; edited 1 time in total

I'm really sorry this is so long, but I have a lot of questions to ask, and I feel this is the best place to ask them. I am brand new to this forum and I realize that this question is probably posted quite frequently, but I know that things change from year to year in the AF flying community. First off, I'll give you guys my current information. I am a senior in high school and I'm planning on going to ROTC. Let me say that I am overjoyed to serve my country first and foremost. Having the opportunity to be a commissioned officer is amazing, and it is my first priority. I also would like to say that I am aware of the ridiculously tough workload ahead of me, and I know that I will have to work extremely hard to complete whatever I set out to do. Finally, I want to let you guys know that I would be ecstatic to fly ANYTHING I possibly can, I will be satisfied with anything (except maybe UAVs Razz

). I have a 4.625 GPA and around 23 college credits already, I will be graduating top of my class, and I have been involved in many leadership organizations. I have recently turned 17 and I would first like to ask the following question:

Hypothetically speaking (I know it will take a TON of work), let's say I do get selected for UPT. How many ratings should I have?? Should I come in with just my Private Pilot's only? Or should I have my Instrument and Commercial rating as well? I've heard that coming in with too many ratings will only hinder your performance at UPT because the bar will be set much higher. What do you suggest? I plan on starting flight school for my Private Pilot’s license in the spring of 2010; I have already completed my FAA knowledge test.

Now for my next question:
What are the chances of getting a spot in UPT from ROTC? I realize my chances of getting to UPT would be a lot greater if I was going AFA, but is it still possible to go to UPT from ROTC? I will be graduating high school in 2010 and ROTC in 2014 if things go right and I work hard enough. I will do whatever it takes to get a spot in UPT from my detachment if it is possible, but with less military spending occurring, I fear that there might be less pilot slots offered, and thus slots offered to ROTC cadets will cease to exist (if I’ve understood the previous information I’ve been given, I realize that AFA cadets get UPT slots before ROTC cadets).

My final question (sorry this is so long!):
If I performed well enough (and I’m saying well enough to be top of my class, getting a fighter slot is a very hard goal to achieve and requires a lot of work that I am willing to do), is it possible to come straight out of UPT and go directly to the F-22A or the F-35? I know there is a small amount of F-22A’s being built (187?), but is it possible to still receive a slot? What about the F-35? Again please understand that I would be more than satisfied to fly anything that the Air Force has to offer, and I also realize that being an officer comes first. I am willing to work hard enough to achieve any possible goals that I set out for myself. If this is all possible, what do you recommend I do while in ROTC to get to UPT? I want to perform to the best of my abilities, and any advice on what to do would be greatly appreciated. What would it take for me to get from ROTC to UPT (or even ENJJPT) if it is possible?

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OOH, ouch. You called it the F/A-22. Your GPA just dropped to 4.621

haha sorry!! F-22A, much better!

Hold up, some Raptors (not many though) are officially F/A-22's as far as I remember from a discussion thread not to long ago on this very site. I'm to lazy to go find it though.

Cloud22,
You should check out the baseops.net website. They have a ton of information about pilot training, AFA/ROTC/OTS, and everything else you might want to know. Please search/read prior to posting.

From your post, it looks like you have all the ingredients to making it to and through UPT. Good grades, willingness to work, humbleness, and most of all a good attitude. I can give you some historical #s to go off of, but just like the stock market: "Past performance is no indicator of future results".

The historical %s for pilot slots from the 3 commissioning sources breakdown something like this:
AFA: 50%
ROTC: 25%
OTS: 10%

These numbers represent the % of graduates (that are medically qualified for a pilot slot) that received pilot training slots.

So if you really want to fly, start at the top. If you can't go to the Academy, then ROTC would be your next best bet. That being said, I applied to OTS/Pilot training and got accepted with 0 previous flight hours. And I knew I had a pilot training spot before I signed anything. That's the one advantage to OTS.

You don't necessarily need your PPL, but having some flying hours helps your PCSM score. Anything above about 60 hours doesn't raise your score any. However, if you're getting 60 hours, you might as well get your PPL. The PCSM is explained here: https://pcsm.aetc.af.mil/FAQS/FAQS2.HTM
The PCSM is not your total package for your pilot training application, it's just part of it. GPA, board scores (from the UPT selection board), and some other things are taken into account.

Yes, you can get an F-22A straight out of UPT. They started up the B-course about a year and a half ago, and now Tyndall puts through approximately 16 brand new F-22A pilots a year, in addition to approximately 24 TX-course graduates (pilots transferring from a different aircraft to the F-22). These guys (the B-course graduates) are straight out of UPT.

The first F-22 squadron was declared IOC in 2005, and the first F-22 B-course started in 2008. I would assume approximately the same timeline for the F-35. I can't give you an accurate date for the first IOC F-35 squadron, no-one really knows yet. There are projections out there, but don't believe any of them until the production variants start rolling off the assembly line at a decent rate.

Your college major isn't a factor in how well you do in UPT, but having a technical one (engineering,math,science) might help you get in. The Air Force's view being: If he washes out, we can use him in another capacity. Also, if you have Test Pilot School aspirations, you'll need a technical BS to apply. If you do have TPS aspirations, shoot me a PM and we can talk offline.

It sounds like you have some great goals, and good plans to achieve them. Work hard, don't slack off, and don't take "no" for an answer.

Good Luck!

-Jason

p.s. shep1978, you are incorrect. All the Raptors are now officially "F-22A".

mongoose wrote:

p.s. shep1978, you are incorrect. All the Raptors are now officially "F-22A".

No suprise there! Thanks for the correction.
Cheers. Wink

Forum: F-22A Raptor

Is the F-22A or F-35 Possible Coming Straight Out of UPT?