Selection today

[VelosiT]

Sorry to get off topic but is it safe to assume C-12's are done for the year or is it just a crapshoot?

 

Yes, C-12s are done until October. They're also done for all TH-67 classes, so unless you get Lakota, you won't get a C-12.

[USCav19D]

 

Yes, C-12s are done until October. They're also done for all TH-67 classes, so unless you get Lakota, you won't get a C-12.

And be thankful. The oldest 60A is preferable to the newest C-12.

[sluggo832004]

Is a resume a must-have when you submit your package?

[dirtyfoot]

Or actually going home...

No you don't get marked down for going home during SERE. You get a slap on the hand and sent back through. I wish I was joking. Dude straight went home, stashed his truck so he could continue going home, and only got caught because someone dimed him out.

 

*coming to a unit near you*

 

Honestly, I'm curious what it takes to get kicked out of flight school. I know one dude who failed three PT tests, two within a year. He's now at a top choice duty station.

[Gramps]

No you don't get marked down for going home during SERE. You get a slap on the hand and sent back through. I wish I was joking. Dude straight went home, stashed his truck so he could continue going home, and only got caught because someone dimed him out.

*coming to a unit near you*

Honestly, I'm curious what it takes to get kicked out of flight school. I know one dude who failed three PT tests, two within a year. He's now at a top choice duty station.

Wow, I was just about to ask if he showed back up for graduation. I wonder if that was his plan.

[VelosiT]

I know one of you knows what the selection today was.

[StockTrader]

I know one of you knows what the selection today was.

2 echos, 2 mikes, 1 47

[VelosiT]

That must be just warrants, I assume

[StockTrader]

That must be just warrants, I assume

Yup

[USCav19D]

That must be just warrants, I assume

Pfft, nobody cares about the hard bar selection.

 

 

j/k, please don't give me a bad OER someday

[VelosiT]

Pfft, nobody cares about the hard bar selection.

 

 

j/k, please don't give me a bad OER someday

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjP73jdjQZs

[USCav19D]

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjP73jdjQZs

[Insights_STG]

are c12 spots highly sought after??

[USCav19D]

are c12 spots highly sought after??

Those who want the C-12, really want the C-12.

[magnus017]

The C-12 was a tradeoff. I loved flying helicopters, especially the 60, but overall I deemed the fixed wing course a better option for several reasons.
AD Helicopter pilot (UH-60):
Pros:

-exciting flying

-variety of missions

-tons of cool duty stations (Carson, Lewis, Hawaii, Germany, etc)

Cons:

-Quality of life compared to fixed wing (both in garrison and in the field)

-deployment length

-relatively low flying hours

-somewhat over strength community (varies of course by location)

-more in depth flight planning

-lots of absolutely soul wrenchingly terrible duty stations (Ft. Polk, Ft. Irwin, Ft. Rucker, etc)

-ruthless job market when/if you decide to get out. Tons of qualified helo pilots out there, not enough (good paying) jobs for them.

-Flying everywhere all the time in full kit with no A/C. Flying around Rucker in the summer in the 60 was warm. Flying around Dothan in an air conditioned C-12 was the tits.

 

Alright I beat up helos enough, now for the C-12:

Pros:

-quality of life (hotels, TDY, rental cars, warm beds and hot meals)

-flying is still fun

-mostly awesome duty stations

-zero time in the field

-climate controlled aircraft

-variety of missions (not as diverse as the 60 of course)

-multi-engine turbine type rating and license right out of the gate (for me anyway)

-insanely well paying job prospects for military fixed wing guys getting out after just 6 years (we're talking 6 figures easily with a decent work schedule)

-more traveling to cool/exotic places

-short deployments (~ 3 months vs 9 months to a year)

-more regular flying/work day schedule (you aren't supporting the ground guys 99% of the time)

-excellent promotion outlook to CW3 for FW right now compared to 60's (or so I'm told)

-no flight vest, no helmet, no ALSE worn on your body (hooray headsets)

-flight hours by the truckload (FW is much cheaper to fly)

-super chill community

-extremely good chance to pick up additional air frames within just a few years.

Cons:
-they aren't helicopters

-they can't hover

-can't reduce visibility by half haha

-the flying is definitely not as fun hour to hour as a rotorcraft

-not quite as cool/wow/whizbang as the helo guys.

 

Overall, in the long term for what I wanted to do, the choice for me was clear. It's all about what you want. That was about the list I used in my head to decide. It's kind of obvious to see the FW community is pretty bomb. But I do miss helicopters now and then. It's just a trade off.

[Insights_STG]

Thank you for your input. I appreciate it.

 

You make the c12 sound quite appealing.

[VelosiT]

You make the c12 sound quite appealing.

 

That's cause he didn't mention that it doesn't have chain guns and rockets on it.

[Insights_STG]

 

That's cause he didn't mention that it doesn't have chain guns and rockets on it.

That is a very good f*cking point

[N67RA]

The C-12 was a tradeoff. I loved flying helicopters, especially the 60, but overall I deemed the fixed wing course a better option for several reasons.

 

Great post!

[brackac]

Alright I beat up helos enough, now for the C-12:

Pros:

 

-flying is still fun

-mostly awesome duty stations

-insanely well paying job prospects for military fixed wing guys getting out after just 6 years (we're talking 6 figures easily with a decent work schedule)

-more traveling to cool/exotic places

-short deployments (~ 3 months vs 9 months to a year)

-more regular flying/work day schedule (you aren't supporting the ground guys 99% of the time)

-excellent promotion outlook to CW3 for FW right now compared to 60's (or so I'm told)

-flight hours by the truckload (FW is much cheaper to fly)

-super chill community

-extremely good chance to pick up additional air frames within just a few years.

 

 

 

 

Let me address some of these as a C-12/AH-64 rated CW3

 

- 80% of the flying is done on autopilot at FL250. So much for fun flying, but it does allow you to catch up on your Netflix.

- Active Army is moving to a MI heavy FW setup. Even more so than it already is. Most of the VIP slots are going away. This means the duty station choices will primarily be Fort Bliss, Korea, Fort Hood, etc etc. So much for awesome duty stations.

- Your 1st 6+ years as a civilian pilot will be at a pay scale between 27K and 55K annually. Then, as you progress to the position of Captain, you will be stuck on the horrible routes and making not much more until you are senior and flying with one of the big carriers.

- The exotic locations are being dramatically reduced due to the transition of Army FW to almost all MI slots. Hope you consider combat zones as exotic.

- I know multiple FW pilots who would like to talk to you about these 3 month deployments.

- Excellent promotion rates for FW? Now that's funny. Maybe 10 years from now once all of the current W3s and W4s are retired or attrited.

- The FW job is primarily supporting the ground guys seeing that you are an aerial intel asset.

- I averaged fewer flight hours annually in FW than I did in RW

- Super chill community? Nah. It's still an Army aviation unit. You still have the additional duties, annual requirements. BS meetings, and typical Army frustrations.

- Yes, you wil be afforded the opportunity to pick up different airframes. C-12/RC-12/Dash 7. Get the picture?

 

Yes, there are sweet jobs in FW, just as there are in RW. Yes, there are cushy exotic locations in FW, just as there are in RW, but it's true that FW does have more currently. Reality is the majority of future FW jobs are going to be MI, in direct support of the ground guys, which means you deploy. If you pick an airframe off future possibilities, you might be thoroughly disappointed with the present reality.

[brackac]

Of the 6 pilots I know who went FW between 11 - 13, 3 of us are already back in RW. For me, job satisfaction and career progression trumped building points on my Marriott card.

[N67RA]

Of the 6 pilots I know who went FW between 11 - 13, 3 of us are already back in RW.

Thanks for sharing your experience in FW.

[Insights_STG]

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjP73jdjQZs

hahahaha!

[Jberto89]

The C-12 was a tradeoff. I loved flying helicopters, especially the 60, but overall I deemed the fixed wing course a better option for several reasons.

AD Helicopter pilot (UH-60):

Pros:

-exciting flying

-variety of missions

-tons of cool duty stations (Carson, Lewis, Hawaii, Germany, etc)

Cons:

-Quality of life compared to fixed wing (both in garrison and in the field)

-deployment length

-relatively low flying hours

-somewhat over strength community (varies of course by location)

-more in depth flight planning

-lots of absolutely soul wrenchingly terrible duty stations (Ft. Polk, Ft. Irwin, Ft. Rucker, etc)

-ruthless job market when/if you decide to get out. Tons of qualified helo pilots out there, not enough (good paying) jobs for them.

-Flying everywhere all the time in full kit with no A/C. Flying around Rucker in the summer in the 60 was warm. Flying around Dothan in an air conditioned C-12 was the tits.

 

Alright I beat up helos enough, now for the C-12:

Pros:

-quality of life (hotels, TDY, rental cars, warm beds and hot meals)

-flying is still fun

-mostly awesome duty stations

-zero time in the field

-climate controlled aircraft

-variety of missions (not as diverse as the 60 of course)

-multi-engine turbine type rating and license right out of the gate (for me anyway)

-insanely well paying job prospects for military fixed wing guys getting out after just 6 years (we're talking 6 figures easily with a decent work schedule)

-more traveling to cool/exotic places

-short deployments (~ 3 months vs 9 months to a year)

-more regular flying/work day schedule (you aren't supporting the ground guys 99% of the time)

-excellent promotion outlook to CW3 for FW right now compared to 60's (or so I'm told)

-no flight vest, no helmet, no ALSE worn on your body (hooray headsets)

-flight hours by the truckload (FW is much cheaper to fly)

-super chill community

-extremely good chance to pick up additional air frames within just a few years.

Cons:

-they aren't helicopters

-they can't hover

-can't reduce visibility by half haha

-the flying is definitely not as fun hour to hour as a rotorcraft

-not quite as cool/wow/whizbang as the helo guys.

 

Overall, in the long term for what I wanted to do, the choice for me was clear. It's all about what you want. That was about the list I used in my head to decide. It's kind of obvious to see the FW community is pretty bomb. But I do miss helicopters now and then. It's just a trade off.

 

 

On a side note I do know the job market for FW is pretty great at the moment and it's forecasted to continue for quite some time--anything can happen though. You get out of the military and you don't necessarily have to go to a regional (bad pay getting better). The majors (Southwest, Jet Blue, etc..) and the legacies (American, etc...) love military aviators with an emphasis on Jet Blue that takes rotor time. I reckon more and more airlines will accept rotor time as the old guys retire in droves.

[jaswhee]

http://www.hrc.army.mil

 

Log in with your CAC

 

Go to officer, Aviation, then UH60 assignments desk.

When I go to the desk I don't see any assignments? Has anything really changed since 2015? I have Lindsey's list.

 

UH-60M

Bliss – El, Paso TX

Carson – Colorado Springs, CO

Drum – Watertown, New York

Hood - Texas

Hunter AAF – Savannah GA

Lewis – Tacoma, WA

Bragg – Fayetteville, NC

Riley – Manhattan, KS

Irwin/Polk** - CA/LA

Benning/Yakima** GA/WA

Rucker- AL

Alaska

Hawaii

Korea

** the new assignments mentioned earlier

 

CH-47F

Bliss

Bragg

Drum

Hood

Hunter AAF

Riley

Carson

Alaska

Hawaii

 

AH-64D

Bliss

Bragg

Carson

Drum

Hood

Hunter AAF

Lewis

Riley

Korea

 

Don't mind the coloring...it's all based on personal preferences lol