TweetIP

I'm a new member to APC, and I really think that this is a great site. I am currently a Tweet IP in the AF and will be going to T-6's soon. How will the airlines view this time? I know that some airlines say that SE fighter time counts for what they want if they require ME turbine PIC time but what about T-6's? I should be getting about 1,000 hours of PIC/IP time in the T-6 and wonder how that will be evaluated. I know that airlines like Southwest just say PIC turbine and don't differentiate between ME and turboprop etc, but what about those companies out there that say ME turboprop or Jet PIC? Will companies like Fedex/UPS/or a Major airline look at that time and not give me credit for it toward PIC turbine time if they are requiring ME time? I have some friends that fly for different airlines and they all say that because I am military I will be golden down the road but I feel like that is not necessarily true especially if I just have a bunch of SE turboprop time etc. Thanks!
-TweetIp

TankerDriver

In the scheme of things, it's all PIC turbine time (IP time besides). I'm not sure how close you are from separating, but I'm assuming you've got some time left. Are you are FAIP or did you come out of an MWS? If you've still got an MWS tour or two in your future, you've got plenty of time to get multi-engine turbine time. You're correct that some airlines differentiate between ME turbine and just turbine. Some don't care.

TweetIP

I'm a FAIP so I've got plenty of time especially if I do 20 or more. I'm just thinking about if I get an F-16 or God forbid a Predator down the road and all I have is SE time or something along those lines and I have to rely on my T-6 time for some reason.

webecheck

if all youve got is se time youll be just like the rest of us viper pilots. i dont think se is a big deal and ive got a few years before i throw the apps in so who knows for sure. from what ive heard its the sheer fact that youre a mil aviator that gets you hired. besides, where i went to pilot training (generally speaking here, not trying to offend anyone) the best got the f-16/f-15, the mediocre got the b-1s, the worst got b-52. so if multi engine exp is what they want, it comes with a caveat huh. i wonder if the airlines know this.

Hacker15e

In a thread in the Majors forum, they're indicating that some airlines won't accept T-6 time for the "multiengine turbine" requirement like they will F-16 time.

http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/sh...ad.php?t=22174

Spaceman Spliff

keep in mind, the closer to your 20 yrs, the harder and harder it will be to stay in a cockpit...especially with the UAV push that will be coming in your career. Recommend you get as much time as you can, as early as possible. FAIPing will help you there.

Fighters would be awesome to fly. But the lifestyle is much more intense than in the heavy community. This may not bother you now, but it might a few years down the road.

If you dream job is:

flying a fighter, go for it...keeping in mind that there are going to be far more "detours" to the cockpit if you go that route, especially with the AF issues with the F-15, which may create a shortage or cockpits if it hasn't already.

If you dream job is:

flying boxes, get as much heavy international time as you can. Less glamorous, but more opportunities to stay in the cockpit and build hours if you want to stay to 20, IMHO.

I'll count on my "pointy-nose" friends here to correct me wherever I'm incorrect....

SaltyDog

HR depts look at a military pilot pretty uniformly. You got through a demanding program. You get the x. Think T-6 will be looked at same way by HR depts as they end up being the mainstay of Mil training.
Sure, generally speaking, great sticks get fighters, but we all know the mantra: Service needs, your abilities, your desires. HR knows this also.
If USAF needs a bunch of Tanker pilots, guess what, the majority of a class is going tankers. If they need a bunch of fighters, well, the next classes coming up will get those. Supply and demand. With USAF fighter getting clobbered, by default many great sticks will not be in fighters. HR knows this as well. In the Navy and Marines, lots of super sticks did very well at the USS Boat and were given EA-6B's for their skill. Sorry, the guy with the lower average gets the Hornet. In the Marines, the best sticks often got the Harrier, (or EA-6 if super boat grades on top of that) not the Hornet they desired. Needs of the service.

TweetIP

Thanks for the replies. I went through SPS and therefore flew T-38's so there is no heavy/tanker option for me. I have about a 90% chance of getting a fighter and a 10% chance of getting a bomber when my FAIP tour is over. With how the AF is changing though other options may present themselves down the road. I really want a fighter though and that is why I went to SPS. I know the life is iffy right now but my goal is to do my FAIP tour then a tour in a fighter and then go back to AETC for some sort of training job again, which will take me to the end of my 10 years and right now I am thinking that I will call it good there and then go to the airlines with a guard/reserve gig on the side.

TBoneF15

I'm a bit worried about you, dude, and I can't figure out exactly what to say here. I've never heard anyone who really wanted to be a fighter pilot plot their quick exit WAY BEFORE they even got there.

I hope I'm wrong, but I've seen a lot of FAIPs go through fighters (I was a FAIP, too). Some loved it, some didn't. The ones who loved it, wanted more than anything to stay. The ones who volunteered to go back to AETC (UPT IP, not Tyndall/Luke/IFF IP) with "better" options on the table, generally did so because they were not happy as fighter dudes. It's not for everyone, and that's fine. Returning to AETC is a great choice for those dudes. But they all gave their best shot before they made that decision. You're either saying that you already know you aren't going to love it, or you are saying your real priority is setting yourself up for an airline job. Either way, rough start in my opinion.

I've just never seen anyone PLAN a touch and go so early in their career. If being a fighter pilot is really what you want to do, will you honestly be satisfied with doing that for only 3 out of your first 10 rated years in the AF?

I'm all about scoffing the F-16 (right Scrappy?), but brother, if you are picking your fighter based on what would look good to the airlines in 8 years, instead of what mission you want to fly, your priorities are all jacked up.

Good luck man. I hope your next assignment is so great that you leave it kicking and screaming. But the only way that will happen is if you really want to be there.

TweetIP

TBone,

I think that you have greatly misunderstood me, and you are only looking at a couple of my posts. If you look at ALL of them you will see that I am really considering 20 years or more too. My point is that UAVs could happen to anyone and it is hard to stay flying after 10 years these days. I just want to fly. I have no other ambitions other than that. I am not trying to pick a jet based on how it will set me up in the future. Vipers are actually what I want so I am asking questions about SE stuff because I hope to end up in a Viper and I am JUST wondering how that MIGHT play out down the road. Also, I was assuming that RTU's were under AETC but I guess I was wrong. I would prefer to be an IP there in the future instead of back at UPT. My FAIP tour is quickly running out anyway so I'll find out soon enough what jet I'll be getting.