Well, we found out where we're going for pilot training! November 2008 we'll be headed down to Florida to begin JSUPT at Pensacola Naval Air Station. After six weeks we'll transfer to Whiting Field Naval Air Station just an hour away where I'll begin flying the T-34 (see above picture). Yes, that means I'll be training with the Navy. The Air Force sends a few guys to train with the Navy, and visa-versa, every year so that we always have guys to speak each other's language. Is that a good thing for us? Absolutely! We're going to Florida! In fact, it was our first choice. Pensacola is right on the beach and Whiting Field is, again, about an hour away. So we should have a great time. I have heard that Navy training is a lot more relaxed than Air Force training. Supposedly it's just as good flight training, but they put a lot of responsibility for studying and performing on the individual whereas the Air Force has everything structured and ends up using a lot more of your time. The Navy also doesn't try to put a whole lot of stress on the pilot trainees like the Air Force does. I don't know why, maybe they just don't need to weed guys out like the Air Force does. So, overall, we're pretty stoked! For more information on JSUPT go here: http://home.earthlink.net/~kschlappi/kyle.htm (it's outdated but still interesting).
Anyway, before we get to Florida we'll start our Air Force career at Hill AFB in Ogden, UT. I report there on 2 June 07. Basically I'll just be pushing papers for some higher ranking officer in the Ops Support Group. After a month, I go to Pueblo, CO to do Initial Flight Screening. I'll be there for 6 weeks and Fabiane and Carter won't get to join me. It's a very intense program where the Air Force tries to weed people out before they send them to Pilot Training. It's a new program, started last October, and is evidently very tough. One guy from BYU's graduating class of last year already washed out. Apparently the wash out rate is 20%. So it oughta be challenging. The good news is that it will prepare me for JSUPT.
So, after six weeks in Pueblo, I go back to my family at Hill and we're there until November when we transfer to Pensacola. So that's going to be the start of our exotic family adventures. It's fun to know where we're going and when. I'm starting to feel like it's real now. We'll keep you posted on any new info as it comes in.
