Air Force increases pilot age limit

[insanebikerboy]

Interesting post on the AFPC Facebook page. Looks like they are increasing the age limit for initial pilot applications. They must be really needing pilots.



From Facebook:
If you’re an officer over 30, you may have thought you couldn’t apply for pilot training. Good news! Air Staff has granted a three-year extension to the limits for both Age and Total Federal Commissioned Service for the 2018 Undergraduate Flying Training Selection Board hosted by AFPC this November.
This means that applicants who are under their 33rd birthday (instead of 30th) and have less than eight years TFCS (instead of five) do not require an exception-to-policy for consideration for a Pilot, Combat Systems Officer or Air Battle Manager slot in the next UFT board. Applicants for Remotely Piloted Aircraft Pilot have no age limits at all…you know, other than the whole retirement age thing…
This exception to policy is intended to increase the eligible pool of candidates meeting this year’s board. Oct. 26 is the application deadline for the 2019 Undergraduate Flying Training selection board, to include any approved waivers and exception-to-policy requests. Visit myPers and search “UFT,” or the UFT page on the Air Force Portal for detailed application information. #AirForce #AFPC

 

[Deleted member 67144 scul]

Needing pilots indeed. Pilot retention is a well-publicized issue in the Air Force. Maybe they're hoping this can help tide them over to the ultimate UCAV transition in however many decades that's supposed to happen. Thing is, there's apparently retention problems with RPA Pilots too and they've also been rolling out huge bonuses there to keep people, so either way there's an issue.

 

[wink]

Just to clear up any misunderstanding based on the thread title or a quick perusal of the post, THE FACEBOOK ARTICLE REGARDING AGE INCREASE IS FOR CURRENT USAF OFFICERS. There is no mention of an age increase for off the street pilot applicants for OTS.

 

[insanebikerboy]

Just to clear up any misunderstanding based on the thread title or a quick perusal of the post, THE FACEBOOK ARTICLE REGARDING AGE INCREASE IS FOR CURRENT USAF OFFICERS. There is no mention of an age increase for off the street pilot applicants for OTS.

Good catch, I didn’t recognize the difference.

 

[HuggyU2]

Needing pilots indeed. Pilot retention is a well-publicized issue in the Air Force.

My Navy friends say that while the Navy has only recently begun to acknowledge an issue, the problem became serious some time back.
Is that the consensus on this site?

BTW, the AF's program to bring back retired aviators has about 90 people so far. I looked into it... but it was going to cost me WAY too much money.

 

[Deleted member 67144 scul]

BTW, the AF's program to bring back retired aviators has about 90 people so far. I looked into it... but it was going to cost me WAY too much money.

Interesting. What's so costly about hopping back in?

 

[HAL Pilot]

Interesting. What's so costly about hopping back in?

The difference in income and retirement contributions he has at The Show versus what he’d make on active duty.

 

[robav8r]

Needing pilots indeed. Pilot retention is a well-publicized issue in the Air Force. Maybe they're hoping this can help tide them over to the ultimate UCAV transition in however many decades that's supposed to happen. Thing is, there's apparently retention problems with RPA Pilots too and they've also been rolling out huge bonuses there to keep people, so either way there's an issue.

Dude - is there ANYTHING that you're not an expert in?

 

[pilot_man]

My Navy friends say that while the Navy has only recently begun to acknowledge an issue, the problem became serious some time back.
Is that the consensus on this site?

BTW, the AF's program to bring back retired aviators has about 90 people so far. I looked into it... but it was going to cost me WAY too much money.

When you said you "looked into it" did you mean you were hungover one morning on a tough layover and you saw a FB post mention that the AF was looking to hire retired aviators, and then you let out out a loud laugh and rolled back over in your bed of money and went back to sleep? OR you actually looked into the program because you forgot what a shit show the DoD is?

I'm very surprised there are 90 dudes interested in the program.

 

[Deleted member 67144 scul]

Dude - is there ANYTHING that you're not an expert in?

It is some of the most consistent and incessant news coming out of the Air Force. No expertise needed sir. Pretty much half the news I read from the AF and a third of what Airmen tell me is pilot retention issues. And 80% of what recruiters would tell me is summed up with, "We need pilots and CSOs and ABMs! Intel you ask? Is that codespeak for ABM? Yes we would love more ABMs! Any interest in drones? It's like video games!"

 

[HAL Pilot]

Let’s rephrase - Is there any post you won’t answer?

Better yet - Do you ever stop talking?

 

[Deleted member 67144 scul]

Sorry sir. Part of my job is convincing some upper management why outsourcing my department and others to India is not a good idea amidst rolling layoffs, and they enjoy having very extended conversations before they decide anything in your favor because often they don't have much better to do than have meetings. A large and consistent part of my job is handholding people in India, which more often than not requires a lot of carefully crafted speech and mentoring in order to get them to get things done right.

As a result, I have become a gregarious politician of sorts in some settings. But is potentially saving dozens of high-skilled American jobs worth it? One does not simply put a price on that. Most likely, the President would agree.

 

[Flash]

Sorry sir. Part of my job...part of my job....As a result, I have become a gregarious politician of sorts in some settings.

Your job ≠ Airwarriors.

Most likely, the President would agree.

I have no idea what the hell that has to do with this thread, it certainly is not germane to the situation.

 

[Treetop Flyer]

Sorry sir. Part of my job is convincing some upper management why outsourcing my department and others to India is not a good idea amidst rolling layoffs, and they enjoy having very extended conversations before they decide anything in your favor because often they don't have much better to do than have meetings. A large and consistent part of my job is handholding people in India, which more often than not requires a lot of carefully crafted speech and mentoring in order to get them to get things done right.

As a result, I have become a gregarious politician of sorts in some settings. But is potentially saving dozens of high-skilled American jobs worth it? One does not simply put a price on that. Most likely, the President would agree.

Would you say your job is... expendable?

 

[RedFive]

BTW, the AF's program to bring back retired aviators has about 90 people so far. I looked into it... but it was going to cost me WAY too much money.

I heard the intent was to use retired pilots to fill staff jobs to free up the younger guys to go fly, is that correct? Why the hell would anyone come back for that unless they were just in a really bad financial spot?? (aka wife divorced them because they went to the show and were on reserve forever)

As a result, I have become a gregarious politician of sorts in some settings. But is potentially saving dozens of high-skilled American jobs worth it? One does not simply put a price on that. Most likely, the President would agree.

Dude, do you hear yourself? I'm not one for the old style of Air Warriors where everyone dogpiled on the slightest infraction, but come the fuck on. What I interpreted when I read your post is that you have some growing up to do, require validation from others, and believe that just because you say something means it's true.

Sometimes less is more. Sometimes it's best to observe and stfu. Sometimes...you know...you just don't talk about how shit hot you are even when you are shit hot. Because those that are shit hot have nothing to prove. The guy who says he's "laid back" is not. The guy who says he's important, probably isn't.

So maybe just chill, because there's a lot of people here who have done a lot cooler and more important shit than either of us. Mad Dog would agree.