Cool, yeah thanks for the heads up. Duluths apps are due end of July and definitely sounds like a good option, i did a little wikipedia'ing of the city and looks very nice. South Carolina is another 16's unit coming up also that I like, not that there's any i wouldn't really like heh. Where's you're hometown?

Well, that's a good question; dad was an airline pilot so, you know how it goes, kind of been around. Most of it was in MN though, spent some time in Dallas, Salt Lake, and now Nashville. I flew out of St. Cloud though, which is in Central MN and some of my X-country time was up to Duluth. My senior year in high school I went up to that unit to see about enlisting (ah if I knew then what I know now) but, as you have discovered didn't follow through with that. I actually was sure that I was going to make the world a better place and majored in Sociology. I didn't start flying again until about a year and a half, two years ago, but now have the bug bad and have truly realized that it is what I want to do. Are you looking at the AFR as well?

Ah yeah your "father as a pilot" life sounds more like my days when my dad was still a navy pilot. My background is similar, I always thought my dad had the coolest job in the world and imagined doing the same thing. I was all set for college and had been recruited to row but then decided to join the guard mainly for the flying posibility, but also for the amazing school benefits. In college I thought I wanted to be an engineer for awhile, then after a year or two realized it didnd't really sound like all that much fun, and I would definitely regret not giving the flying a chance. Ended up finally getting my pilots license over the summer and just loved every day of it. As for the Reserves, I could probably give you a better answer if I remembered my conversation with my Dad, but one of the big reasons I prefer guard is the education benefits, of course these depend on the state. But I really want to go back for at least a masters and have that covered. I also have to say I really enjoy the somewhat more relaxed style of the guard, and I'm sure the reserves is perhaps similar but I would imagine it being a big more akin to active. My dad used to always tell me I wouldn't hack it in the active duty life and he's right, I enjoy a more permanent lifestyle even if that means permanent a thousand miles from home with some tdy's here and there. And from my dads conversations with other pilots the guard bumming really is the best way to just load up on hours and not get paid ten bucks an hour.

Yeah Jersey, I have heard the same things and I think that is probably why I have been pounding the pavement so much more on the guard side. Unfortunately all of my contacts are in the reserve so; I am kind of a fish out of water on the guard side. I really thought my dad had the coolest job too, when he was flying but, things have changed over the years and towards the end of his career some of the stories about the crap he had to put up with just didn't really make me want to jump into an airline gig. I just realized though in talking with him and some of his buddies that it isn't the job that they, or we, are doing it for, it is for the flying and as long as I stay focused on that and remember the joy that it brings me, put me through whatever you want because tomorrow or the next or next week I will be at 35,000 ft. To go back to something you said in one of your threads, don't worry about not being that Type A personality that just interviews well, believe me I am not either and to be perfectly honest these guards interviews are the first ones I have had in my life. I am personable though and for me it is just trying to figure out how to get that across in an interview. Every other job I have had I networked into, so, either knew who was interviewing me or never had and interview and was just hired on the spot. I hopefully will be getting another interview or two in March and will definitely put the advice that I have gotten from here to use, I figure if I just be myself instead of being intimidated by the situation and trying to figure out what they want to hear, it might work out. What I have been doing hasn't obviously been working so I don't have much to loose. I figure they tell people that are public speakers to picture their audience in underwear; maybe I might try the same thing to put my nerves at ease.

Yeah, the airline industry has been pretty crazy lately and if and when i get to the point of considering it as a full-time job, it will be only after a long hard look (guess) at where it's going to be going. I really hope to be able to split my time with something else at that point, perhaps a business of some kind. My dad got pretty lucky with American, they took about 30% pay cuts a while back but no damage to the pention, he really believes that the other airlines are going to see that Amercan and a few other companies were able to keep them and also not introduce some of these new rules requiring a whole lot of flying for a full month, and that they'll follow suit, hopefully bringing some life back into the industry as far as it being the job it was financially before 9/01. That's cool to hear about the interviews, I'm a personable person and as long as I can relax and get my words straight it sounds like things should go well. I'm still waiting on those AFOQT scores - been checking every day even though I doubt they even got to the place where they're scored yet heh but oh well, after that I gotta get on the TBAS asap so I can get these first two app due by feb31 (MT and DE). What kind of letters of reccomendation did you end up getting? I don't really talk to my professors so that wasn't high on my list. I have 2 right now, a great one from my flight instructor and one from my boss from a summer internship thing. Still trying to decide what to do for the 3rd that I'll need, perhaps a family friend or something.

Yeah, I think the airlines will turn around but, I don't think it will ever be the same as it was for our fathers. My dad of course is older; his hire date was 73', so he saw a lot of change to the industry in his days as well. The three LOR's that I always include are my flight instructor, a prof from college, and a friend of the family who is an AF academy grad. I think I said it before but, I am planning on going out and logging some more glider time and maybe some float time in March and I will add a new LOR then hopefully. I will probably replace #2 or #3 with that LOR if I am limited to only 3. My glider instructor was asked by the AF academy to consult with them on setting up their glider program so, I figure that might be a worth while one to get a hold of. As for your third, my suggestion, if you can get it, would be one from a pilot in your unit. I would give anything to have one from an officer that is still in. I also would say don't limit yourself to three, some of the units I have applied to let you submit more than three, I have seven different LOR's in my files right now. Where are you planning on getting the acro time? I have been thinking about getting some acro as well, I will say the only flight time I have been asked about is my glider time so, I think anything like glider, float, or acro is a plus to have in your log book.

Yaaa I have to get on those LOR's, I'll probably try and get my maint. officer from the guard, pilots might be tough though for now since I don't know any too well, it's tough when your only there 2 days a month to really get to know anyone heh. There's a place about an hour outside of Philadelphia where my buddy went up once. Right now they only work on the weekends and last weekend the visibility was no good and this weekend is drill so i hope to get up eventually. They have a super decathlon you can take up plus a coupld of WWII-era taildraggers that look like a blast but are a big more expensive. I would love to do the float license when I have some extra money, definitely something I would enjoy using. My buddy has talked about doing some glider work and I believe they do that at the base where the acro is done. I haven't been out there yet but I'm really looking forward to it. My girlfriends mom thinks I have a death wish after just finishing my PPL and wanting to go up doing the acrobatics, but i can't wait! here's the web link for the place -> http://www.vansantairport.com/

Yeah, I understand the whole death wish thing, people thought I wanted to die because as soon as I got my PPl I only wanted to fly at night and I wanted to fly into class B only. They thought I was nuts, I thought it was great training for my instrument. Thanks for the website info, I will look into that, my dad has been on me forever about logging some acro, I actually want to go do some acro in the glider. The last time I was up I went with my dad and we did some wing overs, good times I tell ya. Maint. Officer I think would be a good idea, anything from somebody that is in would be a good idea I think. Hear anything about those AFOQT scores yet?

I'm pretty sure that place in PA actually has an acrobatic glider, mayber after a couple lessons doing each I'll look into going up with an instructor in that one. No word yet on the AFOQT... I'm just hoping the woman in charge at my base of that stuff actually sent it in, she's a little crazy and was very hard to get in touch with to finally take the test. So that being said I'm still waiting to be able to sign up to take the TBAS. It looks like my first application will be Deleware. I didn't realize they actually had a requirement of living 150 miles from New Castle Deleware, I didn't realize that COULD do that I guess. My maintenance officer said he would "see what he could come up with" as far as writing me a letter of reccomendation heh, I don't expect it to be a great one as the extent of our relationship is him signing my "free tuition commanders letter" every semester but it's definitely better than nothing and who knows, maybe it will be decent. After Deleware I'm looking at Montana/120FW, WV/167AW, Michigan/171AS, NY/107ARW, and Souh Carolina/169FW in the next few months. Which ones are you looking at here coming up?

I noticed the 150 mile thing at Delaware; I wonder how firm they are on that. I have apps in at the 167th in WV and the 171st in Michigan, funny story about Michigan, I will have to tell ya sometime, once I have a slot, a really stupid thing that I did that I still can't believe. I didn't even know the 107th was boarding, I will have to get a hold of my contacts up there again and see if I need to update my packet or anything. I would love to get a slot at the 167th or the 171st, both fly aircraft that I love. We'll see though AK is first, if I get an interview and they are getting a C-17 unit which, Hot Damn, that would be a good time. I mean I can't even imagine flying a plane that can take off and land in what, 3,000 feet. I don't know if you can swear on here so, sh*/, I mean that is not even four times what it takes for a 172 to get off the ground, fully loaded, on a hot sticky day and a C-17 holds 150x what a 172 does. Amazing aircraft I tell ya, who could want to do anything else, I just don't get people that do the whole 9 to 5 thing in the same office everyday. When is the 107th boarding? Any idea on what to expect since both MI and WV are transitioning?

Yeah, so West Virginia is getting the C-5 at the 167th right? That plane is gigantic, definitely cool. and then Michigan is just converting from 130's to 135's? It's tough to keep up with all these transitions, I better have it straight by the time I ever get an interview heh. Yeah I had emailed the 107th a couple months ago and they sent me an application sheet and they've got apps due by April 30 and then boards in May. Still waiting on those afoqt scores and more importantly, an economics book I bought on half.com which I need to study for a quiz tomorrow, stupid media mail sets me up for disaster. I scheduled a couple instrument lessons for tomorrow and Thursday, and my buddy just got an aviation gps so I think were going to do a night flight down toward Ocean City Maryland area on Friday to play with it, then if things go well I'm hoping to get up for an aerobatics lesson Sunday, lots of flying! With the TBAS, are the results like instant or is it something I have to wait for again like the afoqt. Only reason I ask is that times starting to get a little shirt for my DE app due by Feb28. Any more waiting games to go through if I can get in the TBAS like the first week of Feb or should I be worried? I would really hate to miss that one since it's a good option for me location-wise and they state on their web site that they have "an aggressive flying schedule" which sounds like a good thing.

I was hired by the 108th in August. Despite all the rumors of BRAC they still select 4 primary and 4 alternates each year and plan to do so in August 2007. 8 slots not too bad if you ask me! The Delaware C-130 unit desperately needs drivers and I think their applications are due in April but not too sure. The big thing with Colonel Lawlor (Chairman) at the 108th is having your degree before interviewing so do whatever it takes this summer! Good luck.

Nice, congrats on the slot. From everything I've heard any my fathers picked up they have a big need for pilots at the 108th. But the woman who proctored my AFOQT at the 177th said they're up for a RIF or whatever, who knows though. I would love to stay in Jersey with the great education benefits and the schools available to you considering I will probably do some grad school. You from the area Eppnet? I'm heading down to the Raritan Valley flight school in Princeton for some instrument work tomorrow. And any clue when your dates are for AMS and UPT? I'm curious if they ever split op people through it and have them do AMS early and come back before UPT considering the backup they have right now getting people through. Deleware would definitely be a good spot for me, I'm from South Jersey so I'd be less than an hour from home and close to Philly, might even consider living in the city, whoops just went into way advanced thinking mode there. I believe I should have my degree done in May if this 18-credit last semester goes smoothly. Talked to a coupld pilots at the 177th and they said all the board looks at is GPA, I was pretty surprised by that though I guess I understand - Just makes me wish I had done a BA in criminology or something instead of kicking my ass to get a 2.7 in engineering.

Jersey, I can't speak to the TBAS because, I need to get set up to take it. I know when I took the BAT test; my scores were posted rather quickly. I think maybe within a week, I know it definitely did not take as long to get my BAT scores as it did my AFOQT scores. I don't know about what you heard from the 177th, maybe in that unit but, I have a 2.73 and have been invited to four interviews now. I think the bottom line is no matter what we hear, keep pushing forward; we will eventually find a fit with a unit and that unit with us.

Eppnet, is Colonel Lawlor the chair again this year? I am assuming that it is the same gentleman that was the contact on the baseops add last year but he is no longer a Major? Has the 108th started accepting applications for this year yet?