Forum: Future F-16 crew

Hello Gentlemen/Ladies.

Just wanted to make my intro here in the section that suits me best. I have been lurking around this website and forum for some time. The F-16 airframe is obviously my most favorite of all the aircraft currently in the sky.

Im a 27 year old graduate from Embry Riddle. I have an Aerodyanmics degree, and a pilots license. I have a 4.0 GPA and have a few nice awards and accomplishments. I currently fly aerobatics in an Extra 300L.

I am taking the AFOQT soon and am confident I will do great on it. I have some nice LORs from previous fighter pilots to help in the selection process.

I know that fighters are being reduced by the day at this point, but feel that if they even offer 1 fighter slot in UPT, that I will work my darndest to achieve it.

I feel that my flight aptitude (particularly in high-g environments) will help me fly the "Texan" very well.

My question for anyone is "What does it take in UPT?". Is it mainly your flight aptitude or is it a combination of that and scholastic work?

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I'd say teamwork is the biggest part, thus far at least, and I don't see that changing. Everyone studies for the scholastics and there's all kinds of study material. For sure the stronger you know your general knowledge the better. The IPs are there to teach you to fly how the Air Force wants. So yeah, it takes some smarts and flying skill will speak for itself, but working with your flightmates and being a team player is great for everyone. Help out your flightmates and the rest will take care of itself. If you're flying an Extra you're probably pulling a lot more g's than you will flying the T-6! I bet that's a blast!

Wow you sound like your on the right track so far. You sound like a shoe in so far. I have taken the AFOQT and it is nothing to be scared of. It is a general aptitude test and you sound like a smart guy so I think you will do well. As far as I know you may only take it twice and if you do decide to take it the second time those scores will be permanent. They will not take the higher of the two, so if you decide to retest be sure you know you will do better. I am not a pilot I am a mechanic and I scored very high but I cant fly, Im too tall and poor vision. Hope all else works out. Any questions just ask

It all boils down to attitude (and I'm not referring to the ADI). They can pretty much teach a monkey to fly, but they can't teach everyone how not to be an a-hole.

tjodalv43 wrote:

I'd say teamwork is the biggest part, thus far at least, and I don't see that changing. Everyone studies for the scholastics and there's all kinds of study material. For sure the stronger you know your general knowledge the better. The IPs are there to teach you to fly how the Air Force wants. So yeah, it takes some smarts and flying skill will speak for itself, but working with your flightmates and being a team player is great for everyone. Help out your flightmates and the rest will take care of itself. If you're flying an Extra you're probably pulling a lot more g's than you will flying the T-6! I bet that's a blast!

Thanks for your reply. Good info. Pull somewhere around 6-8g's on a given day.. Split-S generally does it. Do they allow tail slides in the T-6 ? lol

Nope, tail slides are prohibited! T-6 is stressed to 7 but you shouldn't ever come close to that. Most g's I ever pulled in it I think was about 6 and that was usually doing a nose low recovery from a botched cuban-eight or something! 5 g's is the most you'll pull on a day to day basis, though they're probably more sustained than aerobatics in an Extra I'd guess. I've always wanted to fly an Extra. Most of my civilian aerobatic time is in a Super Decathalon, a far cry from an Extra 300! Though I did have one flight in a Pitts S-2C which was awesome!

tjodalv43 wrote:

Nope, tail slides are prohibited! T-6 is stressed to 7 but you shouldn't ever come close to that. Most g's I ever pulled in it I think was about 6 and that was usually doing a nose low recovery from a botched cuban-eight or something! 5 g's is the most you'll pull on a day to day basis, though they're probably more sustained than aerobatics in an Extra I'd guess. I've always wanted to fly an Extra. Most of my civilian aerobatic time is in a Super Decathalon, a far cry from an Extra 300! Though I did have one flight in a Pitts S-2C which was awesome!

Yes I am very priviledged to fly it. Very sensitive stick! Cool thing is that you dont really need to use alot of energy management, like you would in a pitts or super decath. HP/weight ratio is fantastic. I would say you would find it easier to fly an Extra versus other airframes, besides the perfection required on the stick.

Any of you F-16 guys that stop by Macdill, give me a shout, the Extra is waiting!

The only thing I worry about is my timing. They just cancelled the last rated OTS board, which means the hundreds of applicants that applied to that one are now rolled into this next one..and the AF is still leaving it "tentative". I worry that slots are so hard to come by, that they might not have any fighter tracks available?

Well, you'll be shooting to get a pilot slot out of OTS. Unless you go Guard, you won't know if you'll fly a fighter until your drop night, which is 2 weeks before you get your wings. I don't know how far you are into the OTS process, or exactly how pilot slots work from there, but I would set "near rocks, far rocks" goals. I.E. first, get into OTS, then get the pilot slot, then track '38s, then try hard to get whatever airframe you want. Always having in mind what you want your endgame to be, but concentrating on the next big thing. But you're concerns aren't misplaced, OTS pilot slots will probably be few and far between in the near future, but do your best to stay competitive. Like you said, even if there's only one, do everything you can to be the guy that gets it! Good luck!

I heard that if you do rock solid in OTS, you can potentially get moved up to ENJJPT.. which has a guarantee of tracking T-38s and most likely fighter/bomber airframes. What are these overachieving folks doing at OTS?

You're right about tracking T-38s, but sadly gone are the days when almost everyone got a fighter/bomber. 2-4 fighters are now the norm (minus the Guard guys) with a lot more Spec Ops and heavies than times past. Haven't dropped any UAVs for a while, and keeping fingers crossed it stays that way! Despite not everyone getting a fighter, ENJJPT would still be the way to go, IMO. Your chances of getting a fighter out of T-38s are probably a bit higher than at other bases.

aerobaticsnut wrote:

I heard that if you do rock solid in OTS, you can potentially get moved up to [Link pending approval] which has a guarantee of tracking T-38s and most likely fighter/bomber airframes. What are these overachieving folks doing at OTS?

I’m not certain about the OTS part, but I am certain that there are no guarantees of getting fighters/bombers out of ENJJPT. I attended ENJJPT from 02’ to 03’ and the going rumor at that time was that everyone who attended ENJJPT would automatically get a fighter slot. Before we graduated, the DO held a brief that turned the world of my classmates’ upside-down. Apparently not everyone was getting fighters anymore—now our class was sure to have some bomber drops (I was a ‘gard’ guy so luckily I still had a shot). Fast forward to Dec of 09’, I returned to ENJJPT to attend a graduation. Low and behold they were dishing out heavies and SPEC OPS assignments. To make matters worse, as we all pushed to the BIG house following the wing ceremonies, my four-ship offered up some fighter pilot songs that were not only scoffed at by everyone (except for one guy) in attendance, but everyone left the club in disgust. That one guy, however, justified our presence—for he was a decorated fighter pilot of viet-eff’n-nam. Now I’m not saying, but I’m just saying, that the days of the guaranteed ENJJPT fighter/bomber slots have be relegated to years past. My only advice is to work hard, do your best, and maintain a great attitude!

Its sad to hear all of this happening in the AF. I want to fly fighters! And besides most of the youngbucks that make this statement, I know I am capable of doing it. Doh

Finally took the AFOQT, feel strong about it. Scores coming next week. Not too worried as the board only cosiders it (10-15%) of the criteria in which we are weighed. TBAS is up next...

Info: Applying to June Rated Board.

Scores came in

Pilot 99 / Nav 90 / Acad 75 / Verbal 59 / Quant 81

Forum: Future F-16 crew

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