How to get tanker jobs?

[flymia]

Hi guys. I really just have one question. I dont have much desire to fly fighters. I was wondering how you get the jobs flying the tankers or transporters.
I heard there is a wish list when you start training. And you put the aircraft you would like to fly.
What are the chances of getting those jobs? And after intial training do the Fighter pilots go to different training as the Tanker Transporter pilots?
What are the chances?
Also do you need 20/20 vision for the US AF or can you have corrected 20/20 vision? And what about Flat Feet?

[Training Risky]

Can't speak for the USAF, but over here its easy getting a transport job.... after all, its not much harder than FS04!

When you go for the interview, definitely tell the recruiter that you intend to use the air force as a stepping stone to commercial flying. This won't work against you, you'll earn bonus points for being honest. They like to see applicants with initiative.

And you are definitely correct in presuming that 'Fighter pilots go to different training as the Tanker Transporter pilots'

[juliet]

patience wearing a little thin there TR?

[airborne_artist]

Fighter pilots go to different training as the Tanker Transporter pilots

Indeed, just the course to operate the microwave oven takes two weeks in the simulator.

[Training Risky]

Certainly not Juliet.

I am the most patient and tolerant man in Britain. I always have time for prospective air force pilots who show such dedication to military flying.

[Fox_4]

You could constantly fail to achieve through fast jet flying training then get posted to tankers.

Just a suggestion.

:cool:

[FFP]

That might work . . .. ;)

Firstly, well done on a most excellent choice of career. May I be so bold as to suggest "Any Large Transport Type Aircraft" would give you more of an option.

You have displayed maturity beyond that expected. Usually it takes SAP 5 or FNT at Linton to bring out such ambitions.

Obviously your research has highlighted the fact that your chosen career will see you in 5 * hotels, on extortionate (?) rates while many of your colleagues, through no fault of their own (in fact, due to working too hard at school) will be living down the road, in a tent, with 3 beers a night.

You will soon develop a head for facts and rules e.g where the best distance learning groundschool is, how many hours Virgin require before they'll even look at you and what ATPL stands for. Those 8 hour AT legs may bore you at first, but you'll appreciate the log book totals when the time comes.

The FJ boys will need you though. You will be an invaluable source of info for those tricky 3 hrs on the ground / "can I get a lunch out of this situations". They will also appreciate your friendly relationship with those movers you work with who are able to upgrade them to business class seats on trips.

Do not be fuelled (gettit ?) by those that quotes line such as

"No one kicks ass without Tanker gas"

for they are the deluded career types. On the other hand

"No one spends rates like a Tanker mate"

will be your motto.

Enjoy !!

[BigGrecian]

Good job your applying for USAF rather than the RAF then. Failing fast jet training doesn't mean that you'll get re-streamed multis nowadays - not with PTC around anyway!

[flymia]

I have not applied for anything yet guys. I just wondering for the USAF if the pilot has a good choice on what type of aircraft he flys. But yea I would really want to go if I had a good chance of getting a Tanker or Transporters.
767 KC-135 KC-10 C-17! E-3!

[John Eacott]

Tanker jobs! ISTR the Bucc crews would run a mile when that sort of tasking came up on Ark/Eagle - slightly worse than getting duty boy for a week (whilst alongside in Ft Lauderdale, or somewhere equally exotic ) :rolleyes:

[flyboy007]

It's true, it probably is best not to join the RAF. Our fast jets are so modern and capable that there is no requirement for a tanker under any situation.

As for staying at 5* hotels, and counting our rates: yeah, and?? It's not our decision but I'm certainly not going to argue with it.

For the hours required for Virgin to take a look at you go to www.ppjn.com, it also has many other airlines throughout the world.

The best ATPL groundschool is upto the individual, but http://www.bristol.gs/index.htm is worth a look.

As for the eight hour sectors being boring?? True at times, although a good book, and the fact that half of this is taken up counting our money does help pass the time. And true again, it is good for the logbook.

As for the course teaching us to use a microwave oven; that's what the stewards are for. We are far to busy reading the financial times and filling in job applications.

That is all.

[rivetjoint]

You need to do some more reading if you put the 767 and the E-3 down on your list of dream MWSs! The KC-767 will probably never happen and you must have a great love of dials if you want the E-3?

Is M2 about? He'll give you some help I'm sure.


NKAWTG!

[Jackonicko]

FFP

I laughed out loud when I read:

"Do not be fuelled (gettit ?) by those that quotes line such as
"No one kicks ass without Tanker gas"
for they are the deluded career types. On the other hand
"No one spends rates like a Tanker mate"
will be your motto."

You, sir, have missed your calling! Jack Dee, Stephen Fry step aside - we have a new king of comedy..... (did you think I meant a short-ar.sed miserable po.of?) We haven't seen wit like that since Stop Start put on his serious trousers in an effort to get his next promotion, and stopped being the PPRuNe class clown.


Flymia

Why do you want to fly military 'airplanes' but not fast jets? I'm genuinely curious as to why a young lad interested in joining the USAF would actively not want to fly the most exciting types they have to offer? There's nothing wrong with wanting to fly tankers, transports, helicopters or whatever, of course, and some would claim (perhaps with justification) that some non-fighter aircraft will give you more interesting flying, a better career path, or other advantages. But I suspect that recruiters over there would view your stated ambition to 'fly heavies' with some scepticism, and might suspect that you just wanted an easy route into an airline seat.

Among the banter you've been exposed to here, someone suggested that: "You could constantly fail to achieve through fast jet flying training then get posted to tankers." There's a small kernel of truth in there, somewhere!

Certainly if you are serious about the USAF as a career, then aiming for Fast Jets is perhaps the best way of ensuring that you get through training at all, and the USAF, like many air arms, fills many of its transport/tanker slots with those who narrowly fail to make the grade as fast jet pilots, or who were originally selected on the basis of aptitude tests which suggested that they had the potential to go 'all the way' as it were.

[rivetjoint]

I guess the decision is made at the UPT step before the fighter boys go off to the T-38 but a friend of mine told them all along he'd rather go tanker than fighter/bomber and he got his first choice of KC-135 at his drop. The only "disappointment" he had was that he was off to Europe rather than staying in the US.

He said from day one of training you can tell who'll be the fighter guys, who'll go bomber and who'll go tanker/transport yet they still do tests and interviews to decide, the US system is a bit different to RAF's from what I read.

[Gainesy]

slightly worse than getting duty boy for a week :uhoh:
Bu&&ered if I can think of some banter for that.:)

[flymia]

I really dont like the aerobatic small planes like fighters. They are great planes and if it was the only job avaible than I would take it but I would love to go to the military to get great training to persue my Commercial pilot carrer. I do like dials like in the E-3. But I would prefer an KC-10 just a little bit more modern. Really I would take any of those planes any where in the world!
I was just wondering who gets the VIP transporter jobs? Like the 737NG. Now that would be awesome. I know I dont have a chance at that. I thinking 20 year veterens get those jobs.

[Big Cat Handler]

flymia,

You're right that dedicated VIP crews tend to be very experienced. Don't know how well recruiters take to being told that you're there to train up for the airlines. For your sake, I hope USAF don't mind, and there are easier systems to turn your military training into an FAA licence than there are for us this side of the pond - 2,000 military hours with 1,500 as pilot-in-command to get an ATPL, as opposed to 1,500 civvy with 250 PIC (stands by for correction). If USAF flying rates are similar to the RAF, you're looking at a good ten years of your life to get that.

BCH

[BEagle]

Which is the whole idea, numbnuts! To retain you for a good 10 years after having first offered the ATPL carrot as a recruiting incentive if you stay that long. A pretty darn good deal it is too!

OK - no-one else has said it, but if you went in to the recruiting saying that you "didn't like small aerobatic 'planes' like fighters", you'd last about 15 seconds before coming out of the door backwards. Or perhaps through a window.

[Krystal n chips]

:E Hmmmm ! Maybe this link will help you :hmm:

http://www.truck-driver.net/jobs.html

[Big Cat Handler]

BEagle,

I know the idea of the "free" ATPL is to keep people in - just warning flymia to make sure he doesn't think it's the easy route to a commercial job!

BCH

[rivetjoint]

flymia, To get your airliner hours you have to be in the left hand seat flying as the aircraft commander. The AC's role is not just to keep the aircraft flying correctly but to make sure you play your part in the battle, even in tanker or transport - there's more to a tanker commander's job than flying, offloading gas and tactical awareness. That's a lot to learn, qualify in and do if you just want your ticket to the airliners.

[Crótalo]

Flymia, there's a lot of good information in this thread, if you can sort the wheat from the chaff ;)

If you want some USAF-specific information, pay good attention to what rivetjoint has said. Also, you can PM or e-mail me. I've spent many years as a USAF pilot, much of it at the initial-training bases as an instructor.

One good thing that both the RAF and USAF folks have said, that you must take into account, is this: Do you really want to be a military aviator, with all that entails? If so, then great -- you should go for it. But if you're just looking at the military as a way to get your flying hours, you may end up very unhappy.

[flymia]

I always wanted to be in the military. I think it is a great oppertunity to serve my Country and fly. Its the best training in the world too. I know that there is more than flying the plane. The commander has to make many other important and intellgent decisions.
What about the coast gaurd? They got awesome planes and you stay in the US most of the time. Do you chose if you fly fix wing or helicopters. Or is it that only officers for a while get the fix wing jobs in the USCG? I love their helicopters see them everyday in Miami.
The USAF gives you FAA ratings? If they do I never knew this.

[Training Risky]

The way the USA is heading right now, don't be surprised if you never make it to the airlines if you join the military and use it as a springboard into commercial flying.

At the end of your engagement period, you may find yourself recalled onto the active duty list to pass gas over any number of sh*tholes, supporting 'aerobatic small planes' in pursuit of the next 2 or 3 President's foreign policy!:}

How'd you feel about that!

Conversely, there may be no airline to hire you due to the astronomic rise in the cost of gas in 10 years time.

[Flap62]

Flymia,

Think your interest in the CG is a fabulous idea. As it keeps you in the USA it stops you from having to get one of those nasty passport thingies.

[sonicstomp]

There is a saying, "there is no such thing as a bad flying job in the military" - which is true...however, the point is that it is a military flying job - irrespective of size of a/c or number of engines it will entail a very different way of operating and lifestyle than our commercial colleagues keep....

Personally, when it comes to tanking, it is always better to receive than give, and that's coming from a 'heavy' mate :-)

Good luck in whatever you choose to go for.