Before you get to the prize of all prizes - your shot at flying a genuine fighter jet, you will have completed the 6 week Introductory Flight Screening program where you conquered the Mitsubishi D-20 Diamond... Following that brief taste of flying you entered the military's rigorous flight training - the US Air Force Undergraduate Pilot Training or the US Navy Flight School will take you through challenging academic and physical training where every event and every day is graded and your performance determines whether you end up in the cockpit of a glorious fighter jet... or slow-moving prop-driven unmanned drone.  The pressure is immense during the 13+ months of training in two different advanced training aircraft.  You've tackled a combination of the T-6 Texan, T-38 Talon, T-45 Goshawk, T-2, and more.

As the months progress, those that are not weeded out of the program move from the static cockpit trainer to flight simulator and on to the flight line where you learn flight fundamentals, instrument proficiency, and then onto the fun stuff - formation flying and low-level tactical flight.

Think you have what it takes?  Guess what?  So does everyone else in your class - and you all are battling for the precious few slots to be come fighter pilots.  Confidence is a must, studying builds a foundation, and never discount luck (as any seasoned military pilot will tell you - "it's better to be lucky than good").  We started this website to help the zero-hour (no previous flight experience) pilot-to-be.  Flight school is like no other school you have even attended and becoming a fighter pilot is no regular career aspiration.

Don't Pay for a Costly How-To Course

Browse all of the FREE information on our site to find our what it takes to become an Officer in the US Air Force or US Navy (being an Officer is a pre-requisite to going to flight school).  Read about what it takes to be selected and given the opportunity to train and compete in pilot training.  Study our tips, advice, and FAQs from real bonifide pilots with tons of aviation, combat, and leadership experience.  This site is no gimmick - we charge you nothing and make no promises.  We simply offer you the "gouge" and offer you the tools to succeed.  Not everyone can become a fighter pilot - simply making it through flight school to join the brotherhood of winged military aviators is an honor in itself!

Join our online community and interact with 4,000 current and aspiring military aviators in our online aviation discussion forums.

Popular Topics of Discussion

• Who wants to be a Fighter Pilot?
   

• Information on Euro-Nato Joint Jet Pilot Training and Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals programs
   

• Examples of interview questions - ANG/AFRES or OTS Boards
   

• What advanced training to I attend after graduating from Flight School?

Pilot Discussion: Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals Course

"I'm just finishing IFF (3 rides left in high aspect) and this is my perspective, take it or leave it. I went through UPT at Vance, we did entires to Extended Trail from 6K line abrest tactical. I didn't know it at the time but its basically a 6k setup for OB or DB. In the 4 formation rides you get at IFF, they teach you all of the basic BFM stuff that you need to know in the Heat to Guns exercise and then later in OB and DB. The guys that struggled were the ones who couldn't fly tactical, and those who could not prioritize tasks. Over 50% of the hooks that we've had in our class have been for poor formation landings, bad SA/tactical, or just general baffonary.

I can't think of one guy who's hooked ONLY for terrible BFM (although they will hook you OB-4, DB-4 if you can't demo/pro) The rest of the hooks have been over-Gs. They'll teach you BFM (that's why its called IFF) but they won't teach you how to fly tactical or fly instruments. IFF is a lot of work, but its also a lot of fun. Big picture it really seems to be admin school more than anything else. They just want to see if you can stay visual, fly formation, and keep up with all the admin tasks which they build into the flights to see if you can prioritize and handle things in the correct order. I don't think my concept of BFM would be any different with 4 extra Fluid Maneuvering rides. Unless however you are talking about the last 4 rides of UPT in 38s. We call them post assignment rides at Vance. You go out 2 ship, fly some quick tactical and if that is all up to par you do Extended Trail with #2 being a full up fighter (AB etc) However, again I didn't really learn how to fly the T38 like if can be flown until IFF.

At UPT they make you think you're going to break the jet if you do anything aggressive to it. Anyhow, it seems I've dragged this subject way off topic! Sheppard isn't any more difficult than regular UPT and the washout rates are not higher. You get great training both places and I personally think regular UPT dudes work a little harder because our slots aren't guaranteed. Oh yeah and we had Italians, Pakis (watch out for them), Portugese, Japanese dudes, etc.) Everyone seems to roll out equal in the end. Anyhow, just the thoughts of a 250 hour, barely a wingman guy." - Read Post.

Pilot Discussion: Grading System and Choosing an Aircraft

"It's pretty much the norm at Laughlin AFB that the Flight Commander let's the IP's in on what the drop is. The studs are told a day or two what the OVERALL drop is (meaning for Laughlin+Vance+Columbus) usually, and NOT specifically what's allocated to Laughlin. That way the studs can fill out what they really want, and not try to game their drop as much.

For instance: "Well the FC told me I'm #7 and there are 5 C-17's and I think there are 5 or 6 guys above me that want them, and that's really what I want too, but I'm probably not gonna get one. So I'm gonna put C-5's down as my #1 'cause there's only 1 of those. That should give me a better chance, since I don't want a KC-135."
You hear that some times, and the reality of it is the FC MAY be able to trade a C-17 for that C-5 with another base if, for example, there was another kid at that base who wanted a C-5 over a C-17. Happens. So usually the Stud's aren't told what is specifically slated to the base. Just the overall.

Now to answer the 1st question. Is there anything official that lets the IP's influence what airplane you might get? Yup. 1st let's look at what governs the IP's, etc:


AETCI36-2205 Formal Aircrew Training Administration and Management
5.14.3 Track Assignment Procedures:
5.14.3.1 ... The student's assigned IP will make a training recommendation for each track on the AF Form 3849. The flight commander will concur of nonconcur with remarks. ... The recommendation will be based on each student's demonstrated skills and potential to complete advanced training.

Continuing on, [The SQ/CC will...]
5.14.3.2.3 ...provide the best match of the student's skills, potential, desires, and available training quotas. Students will receive their first choice of an advanced training track if it is available and if the individual student's IP and flight commander recommend the student for that track.

AF Form 3849 is the preference worksheet.
What you should realize when reading this is -- it allows IP / flight commander(FC) subjectivity to enter into the picture. If you score high enough to get a T-38 but your IP and/or FC don't think you have the potential to handle it. They can deny it. Delve deeper:

5.15.2 MWS Assignment Procedures:
5,15,2,1 ...students will complete AF Form 3849, indicating their choice of MWS aircraft. The assigned IP will make a first assignment instructor pilot (FAIP) recommendation for each student... Base the recommendation on the student's demonstrated flying and interpersonal skills, maturity, and potential to return as an FAIP. The flight commander will concur or nonconcur...
...
5.15.2.4 WG/CC's will be informed of other bases' aircraft assignments. If an appropriate MWS assignment is not available in the assignment block, WG/CCs are authorized to work assignment swaps (within an assignment block) with other WG/CC's to better meet Air Force needs and student desires.
...
5.15.2.6 The WG/CC will be actively involved in actions affecting JSUPT students in the assignment selection process and will make the final decision on the best match of student's skill, potential, and desire with available aircraft.


Now look at some of the phrases in there:
interpersonal skills
maturity
potential
appropriate MWS assignment
Air Force needs
student's skill

WHAT IT'S SAYING, is if the IP's don't think you can handle a C-17, they can give you a whacker, (no offense to you whackers out there), even if your scores are good enough to get you one. Now realize it does say "WG/CC" These decisions aren't made lightly. The man delegates authority down, gets recommendations up, etc. Don't know how often this happens in the 38's, but T-1's see it -- probably one person in every 3 or 4 classes. So not very often. I've seen it both ways, once a guy was shithot but tanked his check rides. So his MASS score was way low (I can't remember or figure out what 'MASS' stands for, even after reading the reg, but it's the rank merit score and it's defined on p104 of: http://www.e-publishing.af.mil/pubfiles/ae...etci36-2205.pdf ) and hence what he should have received was, how do you say, an airframe that is not typically picked by the top individuals. We (the IP's, the FC and the SQ/CC) made the decision that, due to the needs of the Air Force, this person should be in a 'more demanding airframe.' I've seen a really shitty guy get put in a plane that would never go low level, even though his scores and desires would have had it that way. He was no shit f'n scary down low. It was a good decision.

Now I know the IP's don't discuss any of this with you guys and you don't get issued this reg., but these are the rules of the game (and hence why I posted them). In the end it comes down to what everybody has always said:

Try hard, have a good attitude, be here to learn, and it'll all work out in the end.

Don't think that because (you think) a particular IP doesn't like you, that your chances of 'success' are low. You can bet your *** that the IP's all talk and have a BIG picture of how people are doing and what they deserve. The only person who is going to screw you is you." - Read Post.

Once a Fighter Pilot	Officer Candidate Tests	Military Flight Aptitude Tests
Eye of the Viper -- Making an F-16 Pilot	To be a US Air Force Pilot	Basher Five-Two Scott O'Grady's Story
Vipers in the Storm: Gulf War Fighter Pilot Diary	Bogeys and Bandits: Making of a Fighter Pilot	100 Missions North A Fighter Pilot in Vietnam

T-6 Photos & Study Guides T-6 Aircraft Spec Sheet  T-6 Article and More Photos

  © 2012 Baseops.Net - Terms of Use - Privacy - Disclosure