The future.

Jake is just weeks away from being done in the T-6 and Track Select is right around the corner. Time is flying! (pun intended) Yesterday he told me its time to fill out his "dream sheet" for his next aircraft and thus, its time to consider the future. He essentially has four options for his next training aircraft and his dream sheet is as simple as numbering those options from best to worst. Or maybe not so simple...

Since Jake started the program he has planned to go to the T-1 aircraft after completing the T-6 phase, which would set him up to fly a heavy aircraft - a tanker or cargo (like the C-17, my personal favorite from career day). The large majority of the class goes to this track so if Jake does put that first on his list, he will surely be flying the T-1. Here's a T-1 visual for you...

The other 3 aircraft tracks he can choose from include the T-38 (bomber/fighter), the T-44 (turboprop), and the UH-1 (helicopter). The chances of getting any one of these 3 training aircrafts is slim. Assuming one is available, you have to be at the top of your class and put the aircraft as #1 on your dream sheet to even have a shot. But like I said, we've never been stressed about it because Jake has always wanted to go T-1's. Until yesterday. When he mentioned that he might regret it if he didn't at least try to get T-44's, which would mean for his career he would fly the C-130...

While it is definitely a "cool plane" with "cool missions" as Jake says, there is a major downside to that track... Moving to Texas for training. Immediately. Jake would not get to finish out training at Columbus or graduate with all his classmates and would be doing his second half of UPT with the Navy at Corpus Christi. Bummer. I would  have to leave my job, my friends, and my pretty house. Double bummer. Plus I have heard from other wives (and I'm sure Jake will battle me on this) that the "cool missions" with the C-130 might not be so cool for the pilot's family, meaning lots and lots of deployments.

But you know what? If this is something that Jake wants to try to do (and please note that he hasn't even officially said that he does) then I will support him. My general thoughts are 1) We'd be moving in 6 months anyway so thats not really a huge difference, 2) Deployments are going to be standard for any plane he flies and we knew that going into all this, and 3) There's a good chance that he could put it first on his dream sheet and still end up in the T-1, so there's no need to over-think anything until we know.

Jake does not make decisions lightly and he always does what he believes is best for us. I'm excited to see what he decides to do and I'm very, very excited about our future! Sayonara UPT Phase 2... Phase 3 is coming fast!