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Flying Class 1 Physical

If you’ve been following, sorry for the long delay between posts, but things move kind of slowly during the application process.

Once you’ve completed your MEPS visit, the next step in the process is to wait for your Flying Class 1 Physical (FCI). The FCI scheduling generally takes a few weeks, however, mine took a bit longer because I went on vacation shortly after finishing up at MEPS. 

The FCI is done at Wright-Patterson AFB near Dayton, OH. Once you’re scheduled, your recruiter or your unit should notify you. You’ll also receive an e-mail from one of the personnel at WP. Read the welcome letter thoroughly (the link will be in your email), as it will detail everything that you will need to know and what you will need to bring. This visit is funded by your unit, so, unless you’re one of the ‘unsponsored’ candidates, you will have to have interviewed and been accepted by a unit.

While the FCI is paid for by your unit, you may be paying out of pocket to get to WP. Guard candidates are sworn in at MEPS and become E-1s with their unit for the purpose of commissioning. This means that you are already in the ANG, but with a delayed date for boot, since you’re expected to be going to OTS. Because Guardsmen are already in, this trip will be arranged by your unit. This means that they will pay for your airfare, a rental car (maybe), and a per diem. Reservists aren’t so lucky here. If you are a Reserve candidate, you will be paying out of pocket, but will be reimbursed for your trip later. The reimbursement may take a while, so make sure you can go without the cash for a good while (tickets to Dayton, OH are not cheap). Save your receipts, and choose a cheap flight over a nice flight; you may be denied the reimbursement if you select an expensive trip when cheaper ones were available. For my departure city, Southwest was the cheapest, and most convenient option, and might be for you, too.

The exam starts on Monday morning, but try to arrive Sunday afternoon so you can iron out any issues with getting through the security checkpoints. You don’t want to be running around at 5 AM on Monday trying to get things straightened out. Also, you should receive an e-mail the week prior telling you what group you are with and, as a result, where you need to be Monday morning. If you don’t get this the week prior, call AND email the staff at WP. I did not get this email, and it made things very difficult for me, because my first morning involved a lot of guesswork. 

Before we get started, let’s talk about things to bring. If you’re reading this, you’re probably not prior service/current enlisted or officer. That means you won’t have your ABUs issued to you, yet. So, you’ll be asked to dress in conservative business attire. Google Images showed pictures of business suits, but I will tell you that I was waaaayyyy overdressed for this visit. A simple button-up shirt or polo with slacks and dress shoes will do it. As far as paperwork, make sure you print your orders and the visitor’s pass. They will already have your forms and everything on file. 

Most likely, you’ll be staying at the Wright-Patt Inn on base. If it’s full, they’ll put you up at a nearby hotel, so don’t book the hotel on your own, or you won’t be paid back (yes, you do have to pay for your stay at WP Inn and you’ll get paid back...it’ll be $60/night). If you are at the Inn, it makes things really easy if your morning starts with bloodwork (this depends on your group). The hospital where the bloodwork and x-rays are done is right down the street from the inn. If you’re not starting here, you’ll have a bit of a drive. WPAFB is divided into two sections. Area A is where the Inn is located. Area B is across the highway and down a few miles. Factor in about 10 to 15 minutes to drive there. At the checkpoints, any of the airmen can direct you to the building you need to go to.

Day 1, you will have to fast for 12 hours prior for your EKG. You can bring snack food, but don’t eat it until after the EKG is over. There is going to be a lot of sitting and waiting while other people are completing their tests. You’ll have to wait until techs or doctors are available at each station. However, unlike MEPS, many of the people here are civilian contractors, and the military personnel that do work here are generally pretty friendly. While it is still tedious and boring, it is a much more pleasant experience than MEPS.

After you complete your bloodwork, x-rays, and EKGs, the next step really depends on who is available that day. Our group went on to do hearing tests, a series of vision tests, doctor visits, and so on. The tests are all pretty self explanatory. Simply follow the directions the doctor or the tech gives you, and you’ll be fine. There really is no prepping for these tests. Some of the tests will be similar to MEPS, such as the hearing test or the depth perception test. However, with vision especially, they will administer additional tests beyond what you’ve probably ever done before. Vision tests especially will take up most of your time. They will test peripheral vision, central vision, color vision, depth perception, far sight, near sight, eye pressure, and just about anything else you can name. You will spend a good majority of the week staring at charts or into machines. There will be one afternoon where your eyes will be dilated so they can check your retinas. Yes, it is a pain in rear. You will have poor vision for the rest of the night. It won’t stop you from continuing about your day, but you won’t be able to read or send text messages.

Most of the techs, doctors, and airmen that will be helping you don’t want you to fail. They know that you are there because you want to be an Air Force pilot. If you fail a test, they will give you extra chances. Initially, the stress caused me to fail my blood pressure test, but they allowed me to take it again the next day and I passed. Many of the items that you fail can have waivers. Even with vision, the optometrist will make you glasses on the spot, and you won’t fail. However, color vision is an exception. Should you fail the color vision part, there are no waivers, and no exceptions. I hate to say it, but if you fail the color vision, the road ends here for you. It’s not a simple “can you see red, green, blue, etc.” They test every shade. About four people in our group found out they couldn’t discern a certain shade of green from the others and failed. 

Helpful tip: though your USAF pilot career is done if you fail color vision, we did find out that the Navy can waiver this item. So, if you’re one of the unfortunate ones who fails color vision, just ring your local USN recruiter.

The welcome letter says to plan on staying through Thursday. For special conditions, like people who have had corrective surgery for their eyes, you may have to plan on Friday. However, most of us, including myself, were done by Wednesday early afternoon. I was able to switch my flight and leave that night, however, your unit will not reimburse you for any airline change fees (another good reason to fly SWA). One person in our group was able to leave Tuesday evening. However, buy your ticket for Thursday evening and plan on departing then, just in case you have to do extra tests. For example, because I was born prematurely, I was required to do a respiratory test, where I had to breath into a machine for an hour. This test is rather unpleasant (especially because I was sick), but it’s an example of something that can delay your departure. 

On one of the days, most likely Tuesday, you will have to do a cognitive function test. This is a computer-based test with four parts. It’s very similar to the AFOQT with sections regarding math logic, word analogies, and spatial thinking. There is a section that tests your short-term memory by giving you a series of numbers, then having you type them out in the same order, and other similar exercises. Another section is a 200 question personality quiz that asks the “strongly disagree/disagree/agree/strongly agree” type questions. DON’T PANIC about this test. None of it is graded. This is simply to set a baseline in the event that you receive a head injury. So, there is, as far as any of us know, no failing this test. However, it will take about 4 or 5 hours, so be ready for a tedious morning. 

You will be doing your FCI with other people. Our group was made up of about 15 people in total (which, apparently, is one of the bigger FCI groups) and was a mix of reserve/guard candidates, enlisted airmen, and ROTC cadets. These are people you are going to see every day, and, potentially, people you may see again in OTS and UPT. So, this really is a chance to start meeting people who are going to be heading down the same path as you. In my case, I met three other reserve/guard candidates that were heading to the exact same airframe at different bases. 

Most days, you will start at 7 or 8 AM, and finish around 4 or 5 PM with an hour or so for lunch in the middle. If you didn’t bring a snack, there’s a sandwich shop on the second floor of the building where you’ll do most of your tests, but it’s not the greatest place to eat. If you have a rental car, you’ll probably have more than enough time to hit a restaurant off-base. After the tests were over each day, I would head out to town with a few other people from our group. There’s a lot of restaurants, a mall, and even a casino nearby the base. However, if you end up like I was, sick, and also exhausted since I usually work evenings (meaning I’m not yet used to getting up at 6 AM), you’ll probably pass out for a solid 10 hours every night. 

Once the FCI is done, you will have to wait about 6 to 8 weeks to hear anything back. Though, if you failed, you’ll probably know on the spot. From here, your medical paperwork will go to the board. 

Oh, and one last recommendation. If you are scheduled any time between Sept to about probably April, Ohio is extremely frigid. The highest temperature during my entire visit was 29F. So, I recommend you pack some nice and thick coats. 

Cheers. 

[futureupt-blog]

MEPS

If you’ve ever been to MEPS, or heard anything about it, you probably just get stressed hearing the word. 

MEPS stands for Military Entrance Processing Station; it’s the place you’ll go to get your physical done. Every prospective member of the military must go through MEPS before shipping to basic training. Most people visit MEPS twice, once for the initial screening, then again just prior to shipping.

“It’s just a physical,” you might think, “I’ve done physicals before, how bad could it be?” MEPS is a physical exam like you’ve never had before. They will check and test every single thing on your body. You will get a drug test, blood test, hearing test, vision test, mobility test, and flexibility test. They will check every single nook and crevice on your body.

This particular entry I want to write because I found the internet was quite devoid of personal experiences at MEPS, and I wanted to know what to expect. Most people you ask will tell you stories of lining up naked or being stripped down in a room. 

I will tell you right now, the absolute worst part, is the waiting. MEPS will prepare you for a life of government work. You will fill out this paper, stand in this line, do this test, stand in another line, then wait for 45 minutes.

Your day at MEPS will start at 5:30 AM. Your recruiter will provide a hotel nearby for you to stay in the night before. For reservists and people living in the vicinity of the MEPS office, you may have the option of driving down the morning of. I chose to drive, simply because I live only 15 minutes away, and I would rather sleep in my own bed. 

If you choose to stay in the hotel, you may be assigned a roommate who is also going to MEPS. Even in this case, I would recommend you bring your own car. The entire exam can be finished by noon, but, if you take the MEPS shuttle, you will be waiting in the lobby until 5 PM.

The night before, you will be nervous, and, if you work late like I do, you won’t be tired. I forced myself to go to bed at 9 PM, even though I’m usually gearing up for bed at 1:30 AM. I ended up lying down and staring at the ceiling for six and a half hours until my alarm went off. So, if you get no sleep before MEPS, you’re not alone. I was terrified that I’d fall asleep during the exam and get chewed out for it. I drank some cold water to keep myself awake, but, by the time I got to the MEPS office, I was so nervous, my heart was beating so fast, that I was wide awake all day until I left at noon. In short, you might get no sleep, but your nerves will keep you up.

To start off, don’t drink. DO NOT DRINK. One of the very first things you will do at MEPS is a breathalyzer test, and, if you register even a 0.01, you’re disqualified. So, it would be best to refrain from alcohol for about 48 hours prior.

When you get into the building, you will be lined up in front of the security checkpoint until they decide to let everyone in. The line will probably get to be 60 or 70 people long. 

Once past security, you will surrender your bags at the coatroom, then you will check in with your service. Your service office will take your cell phone from you (you can’t have it in the MEPS office) and then you will sit in the lobby and wait. 

It is extremely important that you be expeditious and respectful. You are still a civilian, so everyone at MEPS outranks you, and they can make your time there a living hell. MEPS is already miserable enough without having servicemen pissed off at you. 

You will wait in the lobby until everyone is processed. I would recommend drinking water, because you will be taking a drug test later on. In-processing takes a very long time. There could be upwards of 200 people that day. Some people reporting to MEPS are getting ready to ship, and will be boarding a bus to head directly to boot camp. So, naturally, they are the priority.

Once everyone is processed, you will be taken to a classroom where they will brief you on the day’s schedule. You will fill out loads of paperwork. Make sure you go over your medical history with your recruiter prior to MEPS. Review the forms with your recruiter and your answers. Putting the wrong thing, or something unnecessary, may create more issues for you later.

After a couple hours of paperwork, you will get your blood pressure checked. I was very stressed - my heart rate was through the roof - and that resulted in a very high blood pressure, but I think they understand, and I still passed that part, even with a 140 systolic.

Next, you will be sent to the urinalysis lab for your drug test. This isn’t your everyday pee-in-a-cup test. You will be lined up with three or four of your fellow recruits while a technician watches each of you very closely. If you’re a little gun shy about that....sorry. You will have to get over it. If you cannot produce a sample by a certain time, they will send you home.

The blood test is next. They will draw a vial of blood from your elbow. If needles freak you out, just find a way to relax. The technicians typically don’t have a lot of time for you to find your bearing since they have so many other tests to do. I know ‘just deal with it’ isn’t great advice, but that’s the attitude they’re going to have in the military.

The audiology and visual tests follow. The hearing test is terrible. You will put on an old set of headphones and raise your hand when you hear the tone. The tones come in through the left, then the right. The tone will keep changing in pitch. If you think you hear something, press the button. 

The vision test is pretty straight forward. They are very similar to standard FAA vision tests. Read the line of small letters with one eye, which number is the arrow pointing to, etc. The depth perception test can be tricky, and, as a pilot, you MUST pass this part. You will see rows of 5 circles. In each row, one circle is slightly elevated above the others. You need to identify which one that is. Take your time and focus carefully on each line. As you glance at them, you may see some of them appear to rise. It helped me to close my eyes and clear my vision after each line. A good way to prep for it is with those Magic Eye posters.

Next is the one-on-one. A physician will meet with you privately to discuss your medical history and your forms. Again, go over your medical history with your recruiter beforehand so you know how to answer these questions correctly. This is where the physician might tell you if you need a waiver. Waivers aren’t a big deal, it simply means that you don’t pass, but you can receive a waiver that bypasses that particular qualification. Many people have them, and they aren’t a big deal as long as it’s not something serious. I had to get one. If you’re going in as a pilot, it really doesn’t matter what the MEPS doctors say, as you’ll be doing a flight physical later on, anyways. The flight doctors’ opinions supersede anything that MEPS says.

With the physician, you will do an ear, nose, and throat check. You’ll go through the standard ‘check your breathing’ tests with a stethoscope. After that, the test begins to diverge from that of a family practice doctor’s. For females, there will be a pregnancy test. Males will have an inspection of their private parts and a prostate check (yes, that one is done through the back door).

After that’s over, the groups are separated by gender for the flexibility/mobility test. In a room, you will be stripped down to your underpants for a height/weight check, then a series of movement tests. For some of you, I know that being in a room full of people with nothing but your boxers sounds like a nightmare. However, no one in there is comfortable, so no one is focusing on anyone else’s body. 

The tests are a series of movements to check your joints and your posture. Many of them are very basic, and the technician will demonstrate each one for you. For example, one of these maneuvers requires you to curl your arms over your head, then snap then down to a position where they are straight out. Simple.

You may already know about one of them, however: the dreaded duckwalk. It is not nearly as bad as people make it out to be. You will squat down and place all your weight on the balls of your feet. You will step forward by swinging your right leg around to the front while remaining crouched. Then rotate to the left, swing your left leg forward, and keep going. There are tons of videos on YouTube that demonstrate how it’s done. Overall though, don’t stress out about it. It’s not nearly as bad nor as hard as people make it out to be.

Once it’s over, you’ll be glad it’s over, but you’ll realize it wasn’t actually that bad. It’s mostly just hours of ‘hurry up and wait.’ But, getting bounced back and forth and operating on no sleep are probably things you’ll have to get used to once you get into OTS. 

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The Interview

This section will only apply to reservists and guardsmen. Active Duty can just move right along :)

By now, you’ve hopefully put together an application packet. A full packet should consist of a resume, cover letter, 3 letters of recommendation, your college transcript, your PCSM and AFOQT scores, copies of your driver’s license, copies of your pilot certificates and logbook (if applicable), and some AF forms. Make sure you fill these forms out with your recruiter. Your recruiter will ensure that you fill them out correctly so that issues don’t arise later on in the process. 

If you’ve called enough, units will begin inviting you to interviews. These interviews are typically done on a unit’s UTA weekend. The UTA weekend is the one weekend every month that every reservist or guardsmen must report to their unit. So, you may have to be patient. The UTA weekends appear to be the first weekend of each month, but your unit will let you know.

When invited, your unit will provide you with directions and a tentative schedule of the day. Most likely, you will not be the only candidate interviewing. Depending on the unit and the aircraft, you could be interviewing with five or six or more applicants. Fighter units tend to be the most coveted, but, since they rarely take brand new candidates, most people seem to be fighting for the C-17 slots. 

I was lucky enough to only have to do two interviews until I found my home in the USAF, but each of them were very similar. Each unit may have their own method, however, and there’s no telling what one unit might want to do instead of another one, so be prepared for anything.

First off, getting to your interview is up to you. Your unit will not compensate you for anything. That means the airline ticket, hotel stay, rental car, and anything else you might need are all out of pocket, so try to find the cheapest way to travel. If you plan on doing a lot of interviews, I would recommend flying Allegiant or Spirit; both are cheap and don’t offer much in the way of service, but you can typically fly one way for under $50. 

By now, your unit is familiar with your qualifications. They’ve seen your (fluffed up) resume. They’ve read your letters of recommendation. They’ve seen your test results. If you weren’t qualified, you wouldn’t even be invited to an interview. This is not going to be your standard HR interview. You might get a couple boilerplate questions like “why do you want to be in the Air Force Reserves?” or “why do you want to be a part of our unit?” My suggestion, be honest. If you’re interviewing at Maxwell, don’t lie and tell them that you ‘just really want to live in Alabama.’ They know that you don’t. Be honest, tell them that you just want to fly in the USAF and that you will take any opportunity, even if it’s in Alabama. 

The interview is more about getting to know you as a person. Especially if you’re interviewing to be an airlift pilot, they want to know that you are the kind of person they can sit in an airplane with for 12 hours. While they may ask you a couple cookie cutter interview questions about why you want to join or why you might be a good fit, they’ll probably follow up with some questions about you in general. “What do you like to do on your free time?” “Who’s your favorite college football team?” 

The interviews I had were all panel-style interviews, where multiple members of the unit were asking me questions. There were no group interview sessions where multiple candidates are interviewed simultaneously. I have heard of this happening with some units, however, so be prepared for anything. 

Your unit will probably invite you to lunch (if they don’t, you can probably scratch them off of your list). Be friendly, but be respectful and professional. Like I said, they want to know if you’re the kind of person they can work with. Later in the day, you may be invited to their squadron bar for a drink. Hang out, and have a drink with your future fellow pilots. Get to know them. 

While you are only required to bring yourself and anything else they ask, you should also bring a box of donuts and/or a bottle of liquor to donate to their bar. It’s certainly not expected, but it tends to be a well-received gesture in the pilot community. It is not a bribe, and the unit will not see it that way. Of course, if you don’t feel comfortable doing so, it won’t hurt your chances to not bring that stuff.

Save the entire day to hang out with your future squadron mates. They may call it a day and head home at 4 PM, or some of them might take you out to the dinner or the casino afterwards. Either way, just remember that this trip is about your future and getting your flight slot. Enjoy yourself, but this is not a vacation. 

Your unit will typically get in touch with you within a few days to let you know whether or not they want you. Most units tends not to let their applicants hang in the dark. As for my interviews, I heard back within 5 days.

Schedule as many interviews with as many units as you can. However, once you get accepted to one, it might be best to take it and move on, cancelling your remaining interviews. Flight slots are so hard to come by as it is, that you may simply want to take the first one you can get, rather than risk losing it for a slim chance at another. Remember, you can always transfer units and switch airframes later. Ultimately, it’s up to you. If you get offered another interview with a unit that flies aircraft that you absolutely love, then perhaps you might want to give it a chance.

[futureupt-blog]

Testing

Yes, testing. The road for most of you will most likely take you to the AFOQT and TBAS tests next. All USAF officers must take the AFOQT. This is the test the helps determine the best occupation for you in the Air Force. All flight candidates must take the TBAS test. Officer candidates do NOT have to take the ASVAB, so, anyone who tells you otherwise, is dead wrong. 

The results of these two tests, combined with any previous flying experience you may have, will give you a Pilot Candidate Selection Method (PCSM) score. This PCSM score helps units determine how successful you would be as a pilot. 

A competitive score on the PCSM is a 90 or higher. Let me repeat that, if you want to have a good chance of being a pilot, you need at least a 90 PCSM. Active Duty candidates, this will help the USAF determine whether or not you get a flight slot. Reservists and guardsmen, this will factor into the unit’s decision. Keep in mind that many units only have one flight slot to give to a handful of applicants, so a competitive PCSM score is paramount.

Amazon and Barnes and Noble have plenty of resources that will help you prepare for the AFOQT (this is different from the AFQT, which is the USAF enlisted test). Buy a test prep book and study, study, study. Become familiar with each section and then take timed tests. Here are the sections and sample questions:

- Verbal Analogies 

GLOVE is to HAND, as SHOE is to _____

- Arithmetic Reasoning 

If five shirts and four ties cost $173 and each tie is $12, what is the cost of a shirt?

- Word Knowledge

CENTRIPETAL means ______

- Mathematics Knowledge

Solve for Z: 3Z - 5 + 2Z = 25 - 5Z

- Instrument Comprehension

(This section requires you to know how to read an aircraft attitude indicator and heading indicator/compass. It will show you an attitude and heading indicator. The four answers will be pictures of airplanes facing different directions at different pitch and bank attitudes. You will pick which ones matches the instruments.)

- Block Counting

(This section shows you a stack of different shaped blocks, but only three sides of the structure. Each block is numbered, and you will have to determine how many other blocks a certain one touches. This requires you to visualize what the other side looks like.)

- Table Reading

(This section show you a table and you have to deduce information from it.)

- Aviation Information

The angle formed by the chord of an airfoil or wing and direction of relative wind is known as _________

- General Science

The reaction between sodium, metal, and water can be classified as _____

- Rotated Blocks

(This section shows you an oddly shaped block. The four answer options are also oddly shaped blocks. You have to determine which block is a rotated version of the original.)

- Hidden Figures

(This section shows you a mosaic, and you have to find shapes within it.)

Each section is weighted differently for each career path. Some sections are not that important to pilots. The pilot score depends heavily on the math, arithmetic, instrument, aviation, and table reading knowledge. The best way to prep for the aviation section, honestly, is to attend a Private Pilot ground school session at a local flight school. It will give you most of the knowledge covered in that part of the test, and may even help prep you for the academics part of UPT.

The TBAS test is an entirely different beast. This test, designed to test a pilot’s coordination and orientation, is incredibly outdated. The TBAS is comprised of two sections, the compass orientation bit, then the coordination part.

For the compass part, you will see a compass. You will also get an image of four boxes. Using the compass, you must determine which box would be to whatever direction indicated in the question. 

The correct answer to this question would be “C.” The compass indicates you are heading south (so think of south as being the top of the page; that is the direction you are heading). If the top of the page is south, identify the north parking lot. 

This section is timed, so don’t spend too much time trying to figure it out. Flashcards can be found here http://www.proprofs.com/flashcards/cardshow.php?title=_36014. These are the flashcards I used for my test, and I felt adequately prepared.

The second part of the TBAS can be very frustrating. On a blue screen, you will see a red dot. Your job is to use the joystick and hold your yellow crosshairs over the red dot. The dot will move, sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly. Sometimes, it may jump across the screen. It sounds easy, until you realize most of the equipment was probably built in the 1980s and hasn’t received much maintenance. On my test, the joystick was stuck, and the crosshairs would always drift to the left. I finished my TBAS test feeling like I failed. It seemed like the crosshairs spent more time off-target than on, but I still nailed a really high PCSM score. So, it must not be weighted too heavily into your final score.

Whatever you do, study your tail off for this test. I said it before, but I’ll say it again because it’s very important. Reservists: you will be competing with several other pilots for one flight slot. If you score poorly on the AFOQT and you end up with a trash PCSM score, you can pack it up and look for something else to do. I do not know how they handle retests, but I’m sure a retest does not look good to a unit about to spend millions on flight training. 

Remember, if you truly want to be a pilot in the Air Force, this test is your future. Take it seriously, and you will do fine. 

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The First Steps

So, you finally decided to start down this road. It may seem like a long journey, and it is, but even the longest journey has to start with a single step. 

The day you decide to start down this path is a big one. Though it’s relatively easy, it’s a big step to take mentally. For me, this is what finally solidified everything in my mind. This is what it took for me to finally see everything as real. After this, it was no longer just a fantasy, it was something that was actually going to happen.

The first thing you have to do is get in touch with your local Air Force recruiter. Active Duty, Reserves, and Air Guard will have their own recruiters. Keep in mind that, for Air Guard, because it goes by state, your local recruiter may only be able to help you join that state’s units. 

Unfortunately for me, my local AFRES recruiter is located 200 miles away, so most of our correspondence had to be over the phone or via email. Either way, whether it’s in person, or over the phone, set aside about an hour for the first phone call. Your recruiter must take down a number of details about you. Your recruiter also knows that you will have a million questions. Remember, your recruiter is there to serve you. Use him or her as a resource. Ask every question you can. 

In case you were thinking it, no, you cannot skip this step. You must correspond with a recruiter. The recruiter is the one that will ensure your paperwork is done properly and will also schedule your tests and physicals. You cannot correspond with the testing centers or the medical entrance processing station on your own. Besides, there is so much to the paperwork that you will want a recruiter. 

Your recruiter will schedule an AFOQT (officer quotient test), TBAS (flight simulator and coordination test), and a MEPS visit (military physical). If you are joining the reserves, your recruiter will also tell you that you need to start contacting units. For reservists, finding a unit to sponsor your flight slot is entirely on you. The longer you slack, the longer this process will take. 

Your recruiter may provide you with a list of all the AFRES units and their chief pilots for you to contact. If not, reserve and guard jobs are frequently posted on www.usajobs.gov. Worst case scenario, you may have to find reserve units on your own, call their main numbers, and play through the maze of phones until you get to a member of the reserve unit. Many military numbers are provided as DSN numbers; you will know because they won’t have area codes. DSN phones are basically an intranet for units to contact other units. It is a closed network, but some DSN lines may have a commercial phone number equivalent. 

Use this website http://www.disa.mil/network-services/voice/sbu-voice/directory/conversion-conus to convert DSN numbers to something you can use. You CANNOT call DSN phones from an outside number unless you have a commercial number to dial. To use this list, just find the DSN prefix (the first three numbers) and see what the equivalent is for the commercial area code and prefix. The suffix (last four numbers) will remain the same. For example, it says that a 222-XXXX number can be converted to 703-692-XXXX. So, if the DSN number was 222-1234, the commercial equivalent is 703-692-1234. 

My advice here, call, call, call. Don’t stop calling a unit until they specifically tell you ‘no.’ Many times, you will talk to a chief pilot, and, the next day, it will feel like they have forgotten who you are. Don’t be discouraged, and don’t take it personally. Bombard their email addresses with resumes. Call them frequently, and make a list where you can record who you’ve called and what they’ve told you. 

Originally, my goal was to fly A-10s. I called each A-10 unit about 8 times until each chief pilot told me that they were not sending new pilot candidates to UPT. 

Leave voicemails, leave messages with other airmen or officers if the chief pilot is unavailable, but call back later. Many of these pilots want to see who is dedicated. Be persistent, and it will pay off. If you call once, then never contact them again, they won’t care about you anymore. There are way too many pilots vying for these slots for the unit to care about someone who hasn’t really tried.

Start getting your UPT Application Packet together. You will need a resume and cover letter. Think of at least 3 people from which you would like to get letters of recommendation. These people should be professors, bosses, or community leaders, people that can vouch for your work ethic and dedication. Do not get letters from your mom or your best friend from 3rd grade. The best option is to get letters from government officials like congressmen or from any prior service. However, if you can’t, don’t stress. The quality of a recommendation means a lot more than the person who wrote it.

The most important thing when corresponding with these units, be respectful. Don’t get mad at a chief pilot who hasn’t responded to your voicemails. Don’t make demands from a colonel who hasn’t given you a clear answer. You never know if these guys might have a say in your future. The USAF pilot community is small, so, if you’re a jagweed to one of them, the others might hear about it. 

If this was tl;dr for you, reservists, blow up the phones of every chief pilot you can. 

If you need help, I can give you a list of points of contact for each AFRES unit. I have been accepted to a unit and no longer need the list, so DM me, and I’ll help you out. 

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Summary of Timeline

Post #4 and I realize I haven’t even described the basic timeline. While I am still in the process myself, I know what the basic timeline is from start to finish. This timeline is roughly the same for Active Duty, Reserve, and Guard. 

Twice every year, the board will convene to determine which pilots they will send to flight training. These boards are held in July and November. This means, if you apply in December, you will have a long wait time ahead of you. Once the board convenes and approves your packet, you will be assigned a date to report to Officer Training School (OTS), otherwise known as basic training.

OTS is a 9 week course comprised of 1 week of Total Force Indoctrination Training (TFIT) and 8 weeks of Total Force Officer Training (TFOT). As I understand it, TFIT is more focused on prepping a candidate for TFOT, which is what we know as boot camp, or basic training. TFIT is optional for reservists and guardsmen. OTS is conducted entirely at Maxwell AFB in Alabama. 

At OTS, you MUST pass the Physical Fitness Test on Day 1 of TFOT or you will get sent home immediately. Another post later will cover the PFT standards, but it is best to start preparing NOW. Begin exercising and getting in shape sooner rather than later. You don’t want to be the guy who gets sent home on day one. 

Upon completion of OTS, you will report to Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape school (SERE School). While I have not personally been yet, I have heard that the stories told about SERE are not over-exaggerated. The purpose of SERE is to teach you how to survive in the wilderness and how to deal with capture. That being said, you are treated like a POW for a week. Information on SERE is very limited, as graduates of the program are not supposed to divulge much. Keep in mind, however, SERE is only 2 weeks and it is not the same SERE program that a Navy SEAL would be going through. 

After OTS and SERE, you will begin Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT). There are roughly 5 bases that conducts UPT, and you won’t get to choose. But, location should be the least of your worries at this point. UPT is broken up into 3 phases. Phase 1 is academics, where, for 4 to 6 weeks, you will be in the classroom for 12 hours a day. 

Phase 2 will send you to the flight line, where you will train in T-37. The daily schedule includes flight briefs and at least one flight or simulator event. It is a busy schedule that will keep you at the flightline for 12 hours per day. At the end of Phase 2, pilots begin more specialized training. This is where Active Duty pilots will select their aircraft. You could end up in the T-38 (fighter/bomber track), T-1 (airlift/tanker track), UH-1 (helo track), or T-44 (turboprop/C-130 track).

Following Phase 3, you will be sent to a different AFB where you will be trained on the specific airframe. This training takes approximately 4 weeks. 

Following completion of your flight training, you will report to your unit. How much time you get to report could vary, and, in some instance, I have heard of pilots getting 2 days to get from their flight training base to their unit 1000 miles across the country. 

All told, this process takes under a year and a half from Day 1 of OTS to graduating from flight training, but, in the end, you get to wear those wings proudly.

Source: www.baseops.net 

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Active Duty or Reserves or Guard

The next thing you want to consider is whether you want to go active duty or join the reserve component or even the Air National Guard (this is the USAF’s version of the National Guard).

Personally, I chose the reserve component. There are several reasons that I will detail later, but this makes the application process a lot more strenuous. Your day-to-day life in either one, as a pilot, will be roughly the same. It is a full-time job/commitment for both components. 

If you’re like me, you want to go into it knowing what you’ll be flying and where you’ll be stationed beforehand. This is only possible in the Reserves or the Air Guard. AD pilots don’t get to select their airframe until they complete the first part of flight training, and their selection depends entirely on their scores (higher scores get first selection, lower scores get stuck with whatever’s left).  In the Reserves and the Guard, you have to apply for pilot slots and find a unit that will sponsor you through flight training. This means that you will have a little more control of your future with the Reserves and the Guard, but your application process is much more involved.

If you’re okay flying anything, or you’re confident that you can score well in the first phase of flight training, then active duty might be the way to go. When applying for AD, all that’s required are the standard forms, the tests, and the medical examination. Your base and unit are figured out for you after flight training. With the Reserves and the Guard, you have to pick your unit and your base before you can even go to basic training (I’ll cover applying to units in the next post).

Active Duty pilots, just like most other AD positions, are assigned to a new post roughly every 3 years. This means your residence is subject to the whims of the military. This could place you in McChord AFB in Washington, Ramstein AFB in Germany, and Kadena AFB in Japan all under a decade. With Reserves/Guard, you remain with your unit until YOU want to transfer. This affords you a lot more control over your life. 

While I personally don’t mind if I had to move frequently, I wanted to know what I would be flying before I got to training. Being a fixed wing pilot, I did not want to end up flying helicopters or UAVs. The other thing that attracted me to it was the ability to hold a military and civilian job at the same time. But, first, let’s discuss the commitment of a reserve/guard pilot.

Most people see reservists and guard members as ‘weekend warriors.’ This is mostly true, but does not apply to pilots. After all, the US Air Force is not going to spend 2M to send you through training, only to have show up one weekend every month. Upon completion of flight training, reserve/guard pilots have a 6 year full-time commitment. That means you are essentially an Active Duty pilot for your first 6 years (with the exception that you won’t be transferred). You are able to transfer units at any time, however, you will have to apply for a flight slot at the new unit just like you did to get your first flight slot (current AF pilots will always take priority over prospective ones, however).

The primary difference between the Reserves and the Guard is your ‘employer.’ Guardsmen are always members of the state militia; reservists are part of the federal military. Reservists and AD members outrank guardsmen of the same rank, e.g. an active duty lieutenant outranks a guard lieutenant. However, even though a guardsmen might be a member of the Indiana Air National Guard, they can easily transfer to the California Air National Guard simply by applying for another flight slot. It is also possible (to my understanding) to transfer between guard and reserve units and vice versa. If you are considering the reserves, then keep the air guard in mind, as they are essentially the same type of deal.

Once again, the best outlet here is yourself. Consider what you want to do and what you want your life to be like. Take into account things like where you want to live and what you want your family life to be like. I can’t answer this question for you; no one else can. Only you can decide what is best for yourself. 

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Why Air Force?

This was the right choice for me, but it may not be the right one for you.

Consider the service branch. While this blog is specifically about the Air Force process, some of the information will still be helpful to prospective members of other branches. I chose Air Force because, as a fixed wing pilot, the USAF provides the best, and the most, options when it comes to flying fixed wing aircraft. Consider the types of aircraft each branch flies, their missions, and their bases.

The Air Force flies mostly fixed wing and provides a variety of options for each mission. Fighter and bomber pilots can choose between the A-10, F-16, F-22, B-1, B-52, and (soon) the F-35. Transport pilots can choose between the C-5, C-17, C-130, KC-10, KC-135, and the EC-135. There are also helicopters, trainer aircraft, and even drones. 

Remember, you’re not locked into the aircraft you choose. Pilots can always switch between aircraft later on in their career, however, it is harder to transition a pilot from transports to fighters or vice versa. But, it is not impossible, especially considering the projected shortages. 

Consider the mission of each aircraft, as well. While the C-17 generally acts as a transport, it has also been used as an evacuation aircraft and even a flying hospital. C-130s, another transport, have also been fitted with weather equipment to gather information on incoming hurricanes. 

If helicopters are your thing, the Air Force does have HH-60 and the UH-1, but, you have a better chance, and a better variety, flying in the Army or the Marine Corps. 

Also consider the training. Air Force cadets typically have the easiest basic training, while Marine Corps cadets will basically be turned into superhumans. While all services will require a pilot to complete Officer Training School, some services are way more comprehensive than others. USAF OTS takes 9 weeks. Marine Corps OCS lasts 12 weeks, followed by a 6 month academics course called TBS (literally stands for ‘The Basic School). I heavily weighed both of these services before settling on the Air Force. 

As I mentioned earlier, talk to a recruiter. Learn what each service is like, and what you can provide for each one. 

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Should I?

So, you’ve decided you want to be a pilot in the US Air Force. Or maybe you haven’t decided yet, and you’re still on the fence. That’s OK. Joining any military service is a major commitment, and, as such, is never a decision that should be taken lightly. Weigh all of your options and decide whether or not this is the right path for you.

If you know any current or prior service military pilots, use them. Ask them questions. Honestly, one of the best ways to find one, if you don’t know any, is to ask a random pilot an airport. In my experience, most pilots are willing to chat about their career and have been more than helpful in providing information on how they did it. Many of the older generation pilots are prior service, so try finding an older captain of a major airline.

For me, I’ve wanted to fly in the military for as long as I can remember. I am already a certificated flight instructor, and have been teaching student pilots for years. So, for me, this decision was a no-brainer. But, it won’t be that easy for everyone.

You don’t have to be a current pilot nor do you even have to have any flight experience to become a military pilot. In either case, the military will provide you with the same requisite training, regardless of your flight background. 

I want to make this clear: active duty, reserves, and guard units CAN and HAVE deployed. These deployments have ranged from joint training exercises or transport missions in beautiful locations like Rome or Tokyo to dangerous, war-torn countries like Turkey and Iraq. If you don’t want to deploy, the military probably isn’t the career for you. However, keep in mind that you will be a pilot, not infantry. You will be kept relatively safer than enlisted members, but there is always an inherent risk in deploying.

Think about why you want to join and what you would hope to get out of it. Don’t be afraid to contact your local recruiter to learn more, as you’re going to have to get in touch with one, anyways, to further this process. I know there is a stigma attached to recruiters: that they only care about numbers. That might be true for enlisted side, but officer recruiters are NOT numbers-driven, and will assist you in deciding if this is the right path for you. 

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Intro

I’m not sure this is the best website for this blog, but it is the most prolific blog site available.  The purpose of this blog is to help guide and inform prospective pilots that might be interested in obtaining a flight slot the US Air Force. No, I am not a recruiter. I am someone who is currently going through the process, and, along the way, I have noticed that there was a distinct lack of detailed information. Some others have started blogs regarding training, but that is only a part of the journey. Many of these blogs neglect to mention anything about the application process and the days leading up to shipping out for basic. The road to getting your Air Force wings is a long trek, but one that definitely pays off in the end with one of the greatest rewards possible.  This blog is intended to help guide potential candidates through the entire process, all the way from day one. I will include every detail on what to expect and how to prepare for everything, all the way from your initial decision to pursue this career through your first time setting foot on your base. This includes the entire application process, pre-screening, basic training, and flight training. Altogether, this comes to a process that will most likely take a couple of years. If you’re prior service, then the road is much shorter, but, most likely, you’re not reading this blog, as this is mostly intended for first-timers.

This is not a social blog. I will not be reblogging other posts, nor will I be posting anything irrelevant to the topic. This blog is not intended to endorse any political platform, candidate, or agenda. As such, I will not be sharing any of my thoughts regarding any political issue; this blog will only cover the ‘how to’ of getting your Air Force wings. 

Because of this, and because of the sensitive nature of many things regarding the military, I will not be using my name, the names of any personnel I have interacted with, the names of any installations (unless it is specific to a particular step, such as basic training), nor the names of any specific units. 

Keep in mind that, as I write this, I am still currently going through the process. I am not yet an Air Force officer, nor a member of any military service. I will be blogging about the process as I go through it. The benefit to you is, since the process is ever changing, this blog will provide you with some of the most up to date information on each step.

Thank you for following, and good luck on your journey.