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r/flying•
PlusOneFlyer

ANG Interviews

I am getting ready to apply for several UPT boards with ANG units, and I am mostly interested in pursuing heavies. I've previously applied for and interviewed with one unit. The interview went well, and there were other really great candidates who got the nod, but I have been invited back for the next round of interviews. I am hoping to find out more about the heavy units' missions, and in particular for those flying C-130s. I know the mission can vary pretty widely, but as an outsider (non-flying military family) it is hard for me to find more information to educate myself on specifics of the mission aside from the generic tactical airlift/airdrop lines.

Any C-130 pilots/crew out there willing to share recent experiences? Thanks in advance!

Posted Sep 11, 2018, 12:51 AM UTC

118
BloodGulchCPL IR ASEL (S50)•

Got picked up by a 130 unit as civilian. Not sure I can tell you much about the missions, but I am tell you a bit about the board interview.

6
PlusOneFlyerOP•

Congrats! Are you still in training now? I would love to hear more about the training post-UPT, what your life is like once you return to the unit.

1
BloodGulchCPL IR ASEL (S50)•

Will be a while yet. Picked up summer 2017, don’t have TFOT/UPT dates yet. :/

Takes a while.

Your mileage may vary though, have heard of much quicker ones.

1
devilbird99MIL AF | CPL MEL SEL IR | BE400/MU300 | 7 Pieces of Flair•

Can't help with the slicks info specifically but go to the baseops.net forum and look at their ANG board if you haven't already. It's a goldmine of info.

3
ps2sunvalleyMIL (AF)•

I’m a C-17 guy. The slick ANG C-130s deploy to the same base I was deployed to last year. Largely we did the same mission as them (for the most part, there are some fields they can get into that we can’t). We carry a lot more cargo. One time we did the same route through Iraq as this one crew. They always took off before us, but we always beat them on the flying time and landed before they did.

I’m honestly not sure exactly what you want to know.

2
PlusOneFlyerOP•

That's cool to know! I guess it would be good to know a day in the life while deployed..I know the unit I'm going to be interviewing with have been out in the desert for the last few months, so I thought it would be nice to have some familiarity with what they are going through.

1
USAFGolfer•

Fly, eat, workout, beat off, repeat

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ps2sunvalleyMIL (AF)•

That’s it.

Your flying days will typically be 16 hrs long.

2
skotman01ST•

Wait you can join the ANG as a non pilot with the plan to get your ticket?! I just passed max age I think, wish I had known this a few years ago.

1
KCPilot17PPL IR•

Not really. 90% want you to have your PPL. There will be one guy squeeze in here in there without it, but it's pretty rare.

2
PlusOneFlyerOP•

The board told me that they wanted to see me at least solo/get my PCSM up a bit. I think getting to solo shows commitment on your end, and that there are at least two people in the world who would send you up in a plane alone (yourself and your instructor!).

1
skotman01ST•

My wife would kill me if I even suggested joining the ANG; oh well looks like I’m paying for another hobby lol

1
PlusOneFlyerOP•

That's why I'm pursuing it a few months prior to marriage!! LOL

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BloodGulchCPL IR ASEL (S50)•

lol . . . got picked up during my engagement

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KCPilot17PPL IR•

baseops.net is your best bet. It's gold for Guard/Reserve boards.

1
PlusOneFlyerOP•

I'm a daily lurker over there...those forums are addictive!

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nickanicusCPL IR HP CMP FTE (KVRB)•

Got picked up earlier this year flying heavies in the reserve as a civilian. Just finished my official medical and I will hopefully start training early 2019. Start off by digging through whats available on flyingsquadron. I was able to download an entire training manual for my airframe and see some comments about lifestyle from recent hires. My interview was a Friday night social and a Saturday morning interview panel with me on one side of the table and ~10 pilots on the other side. To be honest, Friday night was the interview. My experience, along with other recent hires at the medical I was just at, was that your unit wants to know you're going to be a cool guy to sit next to for 8 hours at a time and pick a good bar to hit up once you get to the destination. Act like a professional. Don't be awkward and shy. My Saturday interview was more just administrative stuff and playing around in a simulator/touring the airplane. Be a bro and you'll be fine.

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PlusOneFlyerOP•

Thanks, and congrats on getting picked up!

1