Journal Upkeep + UPT = Hard
2010-08-15 16:08:56
So I've been spending all of my energy the past few months on trying to make it through UPT. The IFS / UPT study guides are still running, and apparently people keep using them so I'm happy to keep them going. Unfortunately I hit a major snag in my pilot training career this week, as I failed my 89 ride following a week of trying to solo (all told failing 6 rides in a week.)
In the coming weeks I will completely update the journal section of the site to hopefully share my story with others, as well as make some cosmetic changes as I switch to this new phase of my life.
The reason the journal hasn't really been updated all that much is that I have devoted every waking moment since April to learning to fly the T-6; with a three week break as my wife and I had our second son. Despite my best efforts and the incredible work of my instructors I couldn't successfully complete the pre-solo ride, so I was unable to complete SUPT. After seeing the eye doctor, it appears that my vision may have been the limiting factor that preventing me from seeing everything I needed to as I hurdled 1000 ft in the air at 230MPH around the busiest airfield in the United States.
Despite the eye issue, I tried my best and had an amazing time doing things I never dreamed I would be able to do - flying inverted while strapped to a rocket-powered seat and surrounded by a C4 laden glass canopy. Now I wait to see if I'll get another shot at the T-6, or if I will go off to do other things in the Air Force. I'll work on filling the gaps in the journal entries to help people looking to join the Air Force / pursue a commission get one person's perspective of the process.
Keywords: SUPT, Laughlin AFB, Pilot Training, Reclassification
2010-08-15 16:08:56
So I've been spending all of my energy the past few months on trying to make it through UPT. The IFS / UPT study guides are still running, and apparently people keep using them so I'm happy to keep them going. Unfortunately I hit a major snag in my pilot training career this week, as I failed my 89 ride following a week of trying to solo (all told failing 6 rides in a week.)
In the coming weeks I will completely update the journal section of the site to hopefully share my story with others, as well as make some cosmetic changes as I switch to this new phase of my life.
The reason the journal hasn't really been updated all that much is that I have devoted every waking moment since April to learning to fly the T-6; with a three week break as my wife and I had our second son. Despite my best efforts and the incredible work of my instructors I couldn't successfully complete the pre-solo ride, so I was unable to complete SUPT. After seeing the eye doctor, it appears that my vision may have been the limiting factor that preventing me from seeing everything I needed to as I hurdled 1000 ft in the air at 230MPH around the busiest airfield in the United States.
Despite the eye issue, I tried my best and had an amazing time doing things I never dreamed I would be able to do - flying inverted while strapped to a rocket-powered seat and surrounded by a C4 laden glass canopy. Now I wait to see if I'll get another shot at the T-6, or if I will go off to do other things in the Air Force. I'll work on filling the gaps in the journal entries to help people looking to join the Air Force / pursue a commission get one person's perspective of the process.
Keywords: SUPT, Laughlin AFB, Pilot Training, Reclassification
Casual Status
2010-04-17 16:16:46
Between graduating OTS in September 2009 and starting SUPT in April 2010, I had the chance to work with the 47 FTW's Inspector General's office as a casual student.
Fortunately, part of my enlisted duties involved dealing with QA and IG, so I was able to use my experience to help re-vamp their discrepancy reporting and tracking process. I was able to automate a majority of their tracking and analysis functions through a system called WebSIP, which I'm working on making public so other organizations can track their documented process and provide real-time root cause analysis to improve organizational efficiency. It was a great job, and although I was excited to start flying I was sad to have to go!
Keywords: Waiting for UPT, IG, Web Design, ASP.Net, VBScript, WebSIP
2010-04-17 16:16:46
Between graduating OTS in September 2009 and starting SUPT in April 2010, I had the chance to work with the 47 FTW's Inspector General's office as a casual student.
Fortunately, part of my enlisted duties involved dealing with QA and IG, so I was able to use my experience to help re-vamp their discrepancy reporting and tracking process. I was able to automate a majority of their tracking and analysis functions through a system called WebSIP, which I'm working on making public so other organizations can track their documented process and provide real-time root cause analysis to improve organizational efficiency. It was a great job, and although I was excited to start flying I was sad to have to go!
Keywords: Waiting for UPT, IG, Web Design, ASP.Net, VBScript, WebSIP
T-6 Study Guide Ready
2009-12-09 20:00:55
Well, I'm still working on that whole OTS journal thing, its almost ready. In the mean time I'm getting ready for UPT, and am studying the Ops Limits / Boldface for UPT, so I've put up a study guide like my one for IFS. I've had several people tell me that the IFS study guide helped them, so I hope this does too - check it out here. As always, please click on the ads on the bottom of the page to help me pay for the site - thanks!
Keywords: T-6, Study Guide, UPT, Ops Limits, BOLDFACE
2009-12-09 20:00:55
Well, I'm still working on that whole OTS journal thing, its almost ready. In the mean time I'm getting ready for UPT, and am studying the Ops Limits / Boldface for UPT, so I've put up a study guide like my one for IFS. I've had several people tell me that the IFS study guide helped them, so I hope this does too - check it out here. As always, please click on the ads on the bottom of the page to help me pay for the site - thanks!
Keywords: T-6, Study Guide, UPT, Ops Limits, BOLDFACE
IFS - Done-plete!
2009-12-07 14:06:04
Still working on that OTS journal, but in the mean time let me describe my 4 weeks at IFS for anyone who's about to go. Again, if this helps please click on the ads on my site because they help me pay for this.
As for IFS - it was a great 4 weeks that go by insanely fast. I had no prior flying time, and in four weeks (including the week of ground school) I had 20.5 hours at the stick - including a solo and a checkride. The cliché statement is true, if I can pass, so can you.
The only real gouge I can give you is to know the boldface and ops limits (check out the study guide to help you) and go in with an open mind. Even if you have some flying time, according to my friends there - some of whom were commercial airline pilots and CFIs - flying for the Air Force is different and so everyone has something to learn. If you hook a ride, learn from your mistake(s) and press on - more than likely this is a new thing for you so you can't expect to be perfect right out of the gate.
Unfortunately, some people do get released for being air sick, others for academics, and even still others who just can't handle flying. No one who fails to complete IFS for those reasons has their career in the Air Force end, provided there were no disciplinary problems - just their career as a flyer.
Only other advice I have is to not make a funny face in your ID photo...otherwise you get to meet the commander :)
Keywords: IFS, UPT, Air Force, DOSS, Pueblo CO
2009-12-07 14:06:04
Still working on that OTS journal, but in the mean time let me describe my 4 weeks at IFS for anyone who's about to go. Again, if this helps please click on the ads on my site because they help me pay for this.
As for IFS - it was a great 4 weeks that go by insanely fast. I had no prior flying time, and in four weeks (including the week of ground school) I had 20.5 hours at the stick - including a solo and a checkride. The cliché statement is true, if I can pass, so can you.
The only real gouge I can give you is to know the boldface and ops limits (check out the study guide to help you) and go in with an open mind. Even if you have some flying time, according to my friends there - some of whom were commercial airline pilots and CFIs - flying for the Air Force is different and so everyone has something to learn. If you hook a ride, learn from your mistake(s) and press on - more than likely this is a new thing for you so you can't expect to be perfect right out of the gate.
Unfortunately, some people do get released for being air sick, others for academics, and even still others who just can't handle flying. No one who fails to complete IFS for those reasons has their career in the Air Force end, provided there were no disciplinary problems - just their career as a flyer.
Only other advice I have is to not make a funny face in your ID photo...otherwise you get to meet the commander :)
Keywords: IFS, UPT, Air Force, DOSS, Pueblo CO
IFS Study Guide
2009-10-06 17:03:31
I'm off to IFS on 3 November; where I guess I'll start to learn how to fly. We've been told (and I've heard from everyone that has gone) that you need to know the Ops Limits and Boldface procedures by the time you get to Pueblo, because you're tested on it right away.
I'm kind of a nerd (probably already evidenced by the fact that I have this site :), and making study guides really helps me out so maybe it can help someone else too.
There are three parts - just a general multiple choice of all the ops limits, and then a fill in the blank for the testable portion of the ops limits test and boldface. Check it out, and if you see something you like / dislike let me know. I'll keep adding airframes as I progress through UPT; but pass this along to anyone you know who this might help.
I hate to ask; but if you could click on the ads on the page it would help me pay for the site - or even toss me $5 through PayPal - thanks!
Keywords: IFS, Study Guide, Test, Help, UPT, Doss IFS, Pueblo CO
2009-10-06 17:03:31
I'm off to IFS on 3 November; where I guess I'll start to learn how to fly. We've been told (and I've heard from everyone that has gone) that you need to know the Ops Limits and Boldface procedures by the time you get to Pueblo, because you're tested on it right away.
I'm kind of a nerd (probably already evidenced by the fact that I have this site :), and making study guides really helps me out so maybe it can help someone else too.
There are three parts - just a general multiple choice of all the ops limits, and then a fill in the blank for the testable portion of the ops limits test and boldface. Check it out, and if you see something you like / dislike let me know. I'll keep adding airframes as I progress through UPT; but pass this along to anyone you know who this might help.
I hate to ask; but if you could click on the ads on the page it would help me pay for the site - or even toss me $5 through PayPal - thanks!
Keywords: IFS, Study Guide, Test, Help, UPT, Doss IFS, Pueblo CO