Transition to FTS

[Jim123]

To answer your question though, there's HSC-84/85, HSL-60 and HTs. Those are your helo FTS options right now. If you're SELRES, there's one or two more obscure options (SAUs).

There is also HM FTS (in HM-14 and HM-15), although those are active duty squadrons with reservists integrated- their active/reserve manning is a little bit like the training command squadrons... sort of. (For that matter, HSC-84 has been doing something of the reverse of that lately- a reserve squadron with a small number of active duty guys integrated.)

 

[Gatordev]

There is also HM FTS (in HM-14 and HM-15), although those are active duty squadrons with reservists integrated- their active/reserve manning is a little bit like the training command squadrons... sort of. (For that matter, HSC-84 has been doing something of the reverse of that lately- a reserve squadron with a small number of active duty guys integrated.)

And -85 now, as well. Word on the street (from a SELRES that tried to get into HM-x) is that HM doesn't want non-HM pilots. Not sure how true that is, just what was getting put out. Honestly, the way things are tracking, I'm wondering if FTS (at a hardware unit) will be going away eventually. Not tomorrow, just in the "future."

 

[HvrNavy]

How is it possible for someone in FTS to stay in the cockpit til 20? Is it not required for FTS aviators to do disassociated tours, major staffs, or masters programs in order to hit milestones?

 

[Gatordev]

How is it possible for someone in FTS to stay in the cockpit til 20? Is it not required for FTS aviators to do disassociated tours, major staffs, or masters programs in order to hit milestones?

There's no disassociated tours in FTS. Historically, you would be right around the same timeframe of getting out/going to a Disassoc and applying for FTS. However...

Now that everyone is pretty much wings +8, you're probably going to have to do something which may turn out to be a disassociated before you can apply, but that's not while you are FTS. As for flying for 20, times are changing. FlyBoyd will have more historical info than I, but what I've run into on the operational side, they want you to track along the same lines as your REGNAV counterparts, so after your DH tour, they expect you to do something that isn't necessarily flying related and/or PG school, and then you'll be up for O-5/CO. For helo guys, CO is pretty selective. Flying as an O-5 seems to be much harder now. If you don't make O-5, flying for 20 appears to be an easier task.

Doing a flying tour after your DH tour isn't usually all that career enhancing, but I'm okay with that.

 

[FlyBoyd]

How is it possible for someone in FTS to stay in the cockpit til 20? Is it not required for FTS aviators to do disassociated tours, major staffs, or masters programs in order to hit milestones?

I'll give you the short answer as I have to brief in a few...

Yes, there are milestones, but the milestones shift from year to year and even the guys that hit all the wickets don't make O-5. I have been FTS since 2002 and the Power Point slide the detailer shows as the proper career path has changed 4 times. I even took a job on the proper path to have the "new" path come out three months later and my job wasn't on it. The only constant is the old adage to take the jobs you want and do the best you can. There are guys that never left a squadron/wing and made O-5 and there are guys that went to Millington/DC that made it too. Standing right next to those guys are other guys that didn't make it. See the promotion numbers I posted earlier in this thread.

Now, flying for ALL 20 is tough. You can do most but all is a crap shoot (see my bio). Jumping from flying orders to flying orders is tough. The detailer will tell you that you owe him some pain (GSA or unaccompanied tour) if you want to go back to back and jumping off the proper path is always difficult. For me....every set of orders except JRB Fort Worth, I was name requested. If someone is calling the detailer and asking for you, they are hard pressed to say no if you want to go and it fits. This is especially true once you are passed over. Become your own detailer. Find out other FTS dudes timelines, find a place where you can fit and show that command you would be a good fit. Everytime I called the detailer with a solution (did his job for him), he was very easy to work with...YMMV.

Gotta go fly...

323 days until terminal leave...

 

[DiceC2]

Alright, it's about that time again. Does anybody have any new info on the upcoming FTS transition board? Numbers, news, tips, or tricks to get picked up for a pilot?

 

[squorch2]

What community are you in? What's your YG? Have you looked at the community/YG quota matrix? Until you hit 8 or so years, most communities are at zero or one for quotas, with numerous people applying for FTS, making it extremely competitive to transition unless you resign, get picked up for SELRES and then FTS, which has its own pitfalls.

 

[Flying Low]

I'm looking at the same thing as a backup incase I don't make DH on my second look (YG01/HSC). So I have to wait until the fall board if there are still quota's.

However the number of people applying to FTS could be on the rise soley based on the poor DH numbers. At least for the helo guys.

 

[FlyBoyd]

Here are the latest numbers comparing 1310 vs 1317 O-5 selection rates. Once again I didn't participate in the NPC fuzzy math. Instead, I rolled the total selected across the actual total like I was taught in elementary school.

On a positive note, the FTS selection rate for Above and In Zone showed a marked increase over previous years. This flattened out the In Zone trend line but the Above Zone is still decreasing.



If anyone is interested in the spreadsheet for future use, PM your e-mail and I'll send it to you.

On an even more positive note, this will be my last installment of the FTS O-5 selection follies. After being passed over five times and receiving a letter from PERS telling me to go away, I think the Navy is trying to tell me something....so.....I go on terminal leave in 93 days

 

[Gatordev]

Dog told me the numbers would go up. I guess this is a time when the truth didn't change.

 

[Scamahmrd]

The Fall FY15 info posted to NPC today. The note for HSL/HSM says, "HSL/HSM quotas apply only to 1xFOS to O-4." In the matrix, it lists 1 out quota for YG 04 & 05. Does this note mean that if you are a 1X FOS you are not restricted by the 1 out quota, or is it saying that they are only letting 1, 1X FOS go for each year group? Maybe I'm nuking it, but it seems about as clear as mud. Thanks.

 

[insanebikerboy]

The Fall FY15 info posted to NPC today. The note for HSL/HSM says, "HSL/HSM quotas apply only to 1xFOS to O-4." In the matrix, it lists 1 out quota for YG 04 & 05. Does this note mean that if you are a 1X FOS you are not restricted by the 1 out quota, or is it saying that they are only letting 1, 1X FOS go for each year group? Maybe I'm nuking it, but it seems about as clear as mud. Thanks.

The way I read it is that the quotas only apply to a 1xFOS. If you haven't FOSd or were picked up for O-4 you aren't allowed out.

Compare that to HSC note a. If you are a 1xFOS it's unlimited out so the quotas don't apply. If you aren't a 1xFOS then they are only taking 1 package from the 04 and 05 year group.

 

[Gatordev]

...and while it may be the nuclear option for some, keep in mind that if you are able to drop your letter and you do, quotas go out the window. I know it's been said before, but just putting it out there again.

 

[ssnspoon]

Yeah, one 1x FOS because we made too few O-4's this year to even fill all the HSM DH slots. I rolled the dice, resigned (but had my FTS package ready). Maybe the gamble will work for you? I also backed that up with a pretty solid offer to affiliate with a flying reserve unit.

 

[mdubs]

Ok, I'm not the smartest guy, but this FTS info is super confusing. I am a YG03 P-3 Pilot.

None of the columns line up in the bottom table. Does YG 03 have 3 outs, 1 out, or unlimited?

The top table has an "X" in it for YG03, but a 0 for YG02. Does this mean YG 02 is not allowing anyone to transition to something like VR FTS? The bottom table says Unlimited out for YG 02. Seems contradictory.

I am looking at trying to transition on the FY15 Spring board. As a YG 03 guy should I expect unlimited out? And will I be able to transition into VR?