About that time T-38s or T-1s?
- Thread starter Superfly7XAF
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Superfly7XAF
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ian
Well-Known Member
and depending on the heavy you fly, you can make A LOT more money (not that it should be a determining factor), but we have bedrooms, ovens, fridges, bathrooms, etc...the creature comforts are different among airframes.
JPilot9
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True, but they can be cross-assigned. Say the -38 drop has an AWACS and the T-1 drop has an NSA; if studs in opposite tracks want the aircraft the flight commanders can make the trade.
They told us that, then gave my classmates two of them. One from -38s and one from T-1. Bottom line; nobody is safe. And you can be FAIPed to T-6s from both tracks. Don't get sucked into the mindset that 38s/fighters/attack are tough and T-1s/heavies are easy. Both have their own challenges; talk to the IPs in your squadron. . . then go heavies!!
ian
Well-Known Member
and then you would have nothing to complain about
mhcasey
Well-Known Member
I guess I'm biased and don't get my wrong, I have tons of respect for the heavy drivers out there, but I think if you go T-1's you will always wonder "what's it like to fly one of those pointy fast jets?" And for good reason, because it's pretty damn cool.
That said - the fighter world is brutal. I'm just finishing the Viper B course and already I'm exhausted, with no additional duties, from 12+ hour days and spending all my spare time in the vault. So understand that there are pros and cons to both tracks. I do think the -38 will give you more options since they are dropping heavies out of those too. Just don't get slow in the final turn...
That said - the fighter world is brutal. I'm just finishing the Viper B course and already I'm exhausted, with no additional duties, from 12+ hour days and spending all my spare time in the vault. So understand that there are pros and cons to both tracks. I do think the -38 will give you more options since they are dropping heavies out of those too. Just don't get slow in the final turn...
It's only going to get worse. A fighter unit, as an active duty guy, will become your life. Additional duties will become the name of the game, and you'll still be expected to do and know everything else for your qual level. It's all about working harder, never smarter. As a TR, you luckily won't have all that crap to deal with.
Likely with the letter of Xs they have, about 4-6 days per month in addition to the normal drill weekend. AND thats assuming that the sorties flown on those 4-6 days a month all cover the WIDE variety of CMR tasks of the Letter of Xs.....which in an F-16 unit, is pretty large. Hell, my HH-60 unit is down the street from my civil job at BP......less than 1/2 mile away. And it's even difficult for me to get the "right" sorties needed to stay fully current across the board, since may of the items needed require things outside my and the unit's control (available tanker aircraft for refueling sorties, available guns for gun lines, available airspace, etc)
Conversely, there's a C-17 reservist in my BP unit, and he's able to do drill weekends from home. (lives in AZ, unit is in Riverside, CA)
bunk22
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I tend to agree here and of course, I flew the Navy version of "heavies" in the fleet from the boat. Granted, I put strike first but got my second, E2/C2 and now fly T-45C Goshawks. I was certainly happy in the end but if I were given the chance to chose, I would take the pointy nose stuff. The flying is much more demanding, even from little clown jet trainers. I know a lot of the Hornet/Harrier types are burnt out and that's why they go to the VT's, a lot less stuff to know and train. I think one can always go heavies later on? No? In the Navy, it's not easy to go from E-6B's or E-2's to strike.
I was told by a guy I work with who is former F/A-18, that C-2s is the "hidden gem" assignment that no one tells you about in flight school, and that as his career progressed, he wished he'd known that.
bunk22
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The COD life does not suck for a carrier aviator, that's for sure.
///AMG
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That's probably the way it was in the past, though I will say that when I went through more recently, we were all definitely well aware of the COD and it's good deal. That being said, in spite of that knowledge, a lot of guys (myself included) still just wanted a grey jet at the end of the day, which a COD is not. Also, nowadays, you fly the T-45 for a good 4-6 months before you ever choose between E2C2 and strike, and after that pain (of intermediate jets) and seeing your friends doing all the cool strike syllabus flights, it is maybe a tough pill to swallow for some. And even if you are one of those guys that really wants CODs, you still have to put up with the very likely possibility that you will end up in E-2's rather than CODs once they count heads and give assignments at VAW-120. I knew a couple guys that voluntarily went E2C2 out of T-45's, and I think they are both glad they did, but most of the others just didn't have the grades to keep on keepin on in the advanced/strike syllabus in -45's. It's a weird paradox, because the ultimate test of night CQ is probably much easier in the Hornet......at least it seems that way after comparing my own experience, and those of friends who fly E-2's. Of course they don't have to deal with the tactics, the single-seat mentality, the monumental hours of studying, the every flight a checkride type lifestyle. Would I trade? No, absolutely not....but I would have definitely said yes a while ago, after I got my wings and was staring down the barrel of the RAG.
bunk22
Well-Known Member
Certainly what I wanted as well but I got it out of primary and I flew COD's at 30 when it wasn't such a good deal, living on the boat, flying nights. You get used to the life though, no tactics, no aggressive flying and when doing it the right way, living on the beach, boosing it up. We were in Hawaii for a month, our COD det met at Duke's on Waikiki beach every night. Lived in a 5 star hotel in Singapore for two months, partied almost every night. Good life but you give up things, like what AMG talks about. It's all perspective I guess. I do like the the more dynamic flying.
///AMG
Well-Known Member
Yeah, that would be another benefit of the C-2 route....a good opportunity to go back to T-45's and do some fun flying on a shore tour. I doubt there are as many VFA types beating down the door, with TOPGUN, FRS, TPS, CAG Paddles tours and the like being higher on the list. I knew of more than a couple C-2 and E-2 IP's during my time in Meridian, and it sounded like they were having a great time.
traumachicken
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as i was discussing with bunk, I was told, that with that track chance of promotions were slim.
bunk22
Well-Known Member
It seems some of the pointy nose guys come down here as it's easy for them, very basic so it's not such a workload.
alphaone
Well-Known Member
Hey dude, good luck with your drop. Here are some things that maybe can help you out. I went T-1's and worked hard and ended up getting my top choice. I would say that if you work hard in T-1's, you will most likely end up getting something you really want. Some of my bro's on the 38 side worked hard and got NOTHING they wanted. Obviously every situation is different but that was just my experience. What base are you at?
Hacker15e
Who am I? Where are my pants?
On the USAF side, at least, O-1s and O-2s should never make choices about ANYTHING in their career based on perceptions/beliefs/rumors/conventional wisdom about chances of future promotion.
By the time one gets to the O-4 and above ranks where promotions are truly competitive, it's 10 years down the road in your career. 10 years might as well be a lifetime in the military, and just about anything and everything can change during that time. Whatever is 'true' today will very likely be different by the time you get to that point...including your own personal desires about what you want from the military and life.