Forum: Future F-16 crew

Give it your best shot young man, you will need to be a good systems manager first in the Raptor, then a pilot. At UPT, you will concentrate on flying, which is a good thing. Be strong in computer science, physics, and calculus, then you will have to learn the aerodynamics involved in that airplane, its a different set of rules. I tried, came very close, was SH in college and ROTC and still didn't make it to UPT, and I was a C-ASMEL-I at the time, everything everyone has told you you so far dead on accurate, I will be submitting news on the Raptor in May, if it shows up at the airshow near me, will keep everyone posted. In the mean time, humble yourself alittle and do give it your best shot.

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No Raptor slots for nuggets right now (thank God!) The little ABM pukes that come through Tyndall have a big enough head as it is. I couldn't imagine giving them a $130 mil plane to play with. Shocked

If I were you dude, I'd stick with tyring to get into the Academy first. If you really (and I mean NO BRAVO SIERRA REALLY) want to get into the Academy then you should be making that your BIGGEST priority!!! If you're a HS Sophomore, that means you really only have one more year to show out, and get a good application package in. Just remember to be realistic too. Don't rule out ROTC or OTS either. Too many high school "Maverick" wannabes look at those commissioning sources as some sort of failure, as opposed to an Academy slot (which of course, they're not).

With the possibility of upcoming budget cuts to the Raptor program, it may be a long time, if ever, that a nugget gets a chance to fly the 22. The thing to remember is that there will never be a B model (read that, 2 seater) and there are several out there that don't hold with cutting a brown bar loose with a single seat (once again with feeling) $130 MIL JET! Hell, a Golden Arm out at Nellis planted one recently, but that one wasn't even his fault. Imagine what some puke with only T-6 and T-38 time under his belt would do! Shocked

Now, I've seen some brown bars that I wouldn't even trust with my Ford Ranger, much less an F-22.

But don't give up. Focus on your education right now, and worry about all the other Bravo Sierra after you get that piece of paper in your hands.

Lastly, like everyone else has said, listen to us guys who know. Don't just consult the advice of officers either. Listen to some of us who were/are enlisted too. All of us have a wealth of knowledge, and we love to share it with FNGs! Wink

Also, remember to roll with the humor around here dude. It's nothing personal. We do it to everybody! Very Happy

Beers and MiGs were made to be pounded!

I'm like futureflyer, Im a sophmore in high school looking to go to the academy and then fly. Ive talked to a pilot my family know who flies the F22 and flew the F-16 before he started on the F22, he also said that right now if i graduated the academy, chances would be alim to none, but also said by 2011, when futureflyer and i would graduate, there would be more spots opening up. By the way, is the F35 even in production yet??

The word from 19 AF (the fighter training guys) is that the first Raptor Lt's will go through IFF & FTU in FY08 - now take that with a grain of salt. In 2001, they also had said that they would start in FY05. What does seem to be decided though is that they will go through the multi-role IFF track (currently F-16 & F-15E pilots) which means they will do less BFM and do several range rides (i.e. basic surface attack.)

As for the young guys, you guys need to press forward with everything you can. The dream is great and some of us have accomplished our dreams - you have that possibility. It will be up to you, your skills, and, to a great degree, your motivation. USAFA is the best place to start, but not the only place. If you get there, your odds of pilot training should be much higher. If you get to pilot training, then the grind/testing will continue with SUPT (roughly the top 20-30% will get fighters - currently anyway) and I'd guess you'd have to be #1 in your extremely competitive group to get a Raptor. (They still won't have many by then - if ever.)

As for the JSF/F-35, I'd take one in a heart beat. In some ways it will probably be more capable than a Raptor, in other ways it won't. Kinda like the F-16 vs. F-15 debate.

Bottomline: Press with your dream but realize the dream alone won't get you there. It will be a lot of blood, sweat, and tears - as well a good dose of luck.

Godspeed

Awwwwwwwwwww...now HERE'S a thought...you COULD be "lucky" <cough> and be FAIP'd...maybe they'd hand you a Raptor follow-on. Hmmm...maybe that humor's lost on someone who isn't exactly "in the know" just yet.

Hey, what's this I hear about ABMs having "big heads"??? No offense to any of you JSTARS/AWACS types...and yes, I'm aware that you're rated these days...but just remember...missileers were once rated too, and look what happened there. Maybe ABMs are just excited over the fact that they don't have to hang the hose for their marathon sorties. I'm not sure I'd get a big cranium over it, though. Whoever posted the thread about ABMs and their zeal, maybe you can pass that thought along to them? I'm assuming, of course, that you're THERE...at Tyndall.

You're not alone, future flyer. I'm pretty much in the same exact situation as you. Good luck to you!

Yeah, I am too, exept you guys have a little more time than me, my Junior year ended 3 days ago, because iI didn't think I was even eligible up until a couple of months ago. Anyway, I have a question for some of the experienced. If I join the ANG instead of th AF, would I be able to transfer into the AF? Flying a fighter is the ultimate goal here, but I would like to go oversees and things like that, so the AF sounds like where I want to be. If the ANG is the easiest way I can fly, then I'll probly go that route. I'm just curious as to whether the AF will accept the transfer. Thanks Guys.

There are ANG F-16 units in Iraq, aren't there?

If there are, then it shouldn't be a problem if you want to go overseas.

Yeah, the Richmond unit and the Syracuse unit, Now the Tulsa unit have all deployed to the sand box in the last couple years...

Oh, and it's official now, The Richmond ANG unit will be the first ANG unit to fly the F/A-22... (they are going to share hardware with the 1FW)

Some guys go from ANG to AF, and vice versa, but you can't just go Guard then Active Duty and back and forth. The Guard does have a few active guys (Called the AGR (Active Guard and Reserve) program. You can look into that too.

I know the first ANG guy to be a Raptor Pilot. A Lt Col from the Richmond ANG Unit...

OK. Thanks alot.

Hey kid, study hard and keep your head on straight. Move towards avionics integration and flight principles. When you get a big head like newbie up there the boss will put your butt in a sling and you'll be flyin 130's. He's full of [Link pending approval] Anybody with a degree in basket weaving can learn to fly a military jet. Repeatition is how they train, it takes a lot for them to kick you out. The problem is getting in. Most of the fighter types are complaining about something, ok whining, cause they don't get what they want. Don't gey caught up in that crap. Start flying now, whatever you can get in and keep a log book. Experience is a plus. Work hard go the extra mile and you'll get her done.

Ah. So, in other words, do what you are told by your superiors with no whining.

I guess I'm late on this thread, but one of my good friends and fellow ROTC grads is currently at ENJJPT and he started last January and will finish next January. Now he got my interest because I will be attending ENJJPT next March and he mentioned that there may be one, maybe two, F-22 drops for his class.

He also mentioned that by the time I come around (which is still a long ways a way and a LOT of work), that there could be as many as 5, maybe 6 F-22 drops. Now this is all from what he heard and he told me, so no one go crawling up my a$$ because this isn't true or something like that, it's just what I heard and I am awfully excited. I guess from what he said, while the F-22 program wants a good share of experienced pilots, it is about time to get the young, fresh-out-of-UPT folks in the Raptor seat.

I think TC works over at the 43rd at Tyndall, maybe you can shed light on if you have heard anything or seen any new butterbars? Anybody else know anything?

P.S. For all those who are considering the Academy, F*** the Academy, everything you need is at ROTC, plus a good time.

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he mentioned that there may be one, maybe two, F-22 drops for his class.

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there could be as many as 5, maybe 6 F-22 drops.

Dream on.

First of all, he couldn't possible know this, because the number of training slots is totally dependent on the number purchased by Uncle Sam. Since that hasn't been determined yet, that information is a total pipe dream.

Beyond that, if there were even 1 F-22 assignment per UPT class, that would require 5 pilots to start training at Tyndall every six (maybe three, these days?) weeks. That would be kind of like trying to stuff a full grown Saint Bernard through a toilet paper tube.

Unless, of course, you believe that only students who graduate from Sheppard should get F-22 slots. Laughing

Biggen, I said "no crawling up my a$$", I merely heard it through the grapevine. As for students from Sheppard only getting F-22 drops to start off, my cocky and arrogant answer is "YES" Wink

Forum: Future F-16 crew

Raptor pilot slots