I take it you wish to go the refueler/cargo plane route then?

I'd rather fly choppers than cargo. Cargo seems boring...



If I can't get chopper first...

Formation solo is completed. It lasted for 1.6 hours! So much fun!



Crew is doing preflight.



Final look around before getting into cockpit.






Ready to start!

Everything about airplanes, even preflighting, is cool. Great pics. Love the flight gear too!

It really is phenomenal to think about this. I have 70 or so hours in this high performance airframe and I’m allowed to formation solo. I still recall when I couldn’t strap my self in the jet or even hold 100 feet in straight and level flight. Now I get to fly 10 feet away from wingtip to wingtip while at 90 degrees of bank screaming at ~200 knots at 30 degrees nose below horizon. The progress is amazing.

Regular solo was exciting. Area solo was fun. This was exuberating experience. And then I got to do it for 1.6 hours. It required so much concentration… just wow. It’s too bad I lack of skills to paint a proper picture of this experience. I could try, but wake up time is at 0400 in the morning.

I hope you get onto Choppers. It's the most hands-on direct involved flying there is, especially in the current conflicts.

I hope you get into choppers as well. Any particular air frame in choppers you want?

Also, why choppers? What appeals to you about them? The reason I ask is, I am curious what has lead you to that decision. I assume that you weren't sure what you wanted to do when you started UPT. Maybe you did.

I'm fairly sure he wanted to fly Fast Jets, like every Red Blooded Male that ever got into UPT. But short of that and maybe an AC-130, I can see why Sim would now be interested in Choppers.

I enjoy flying hands on in VFR environment. It would be nice to get T-38s, but since that will not happen, I want something that I, not autopilot, actually fly. Choppers seem exciting since they involves flying 90% in VFR while flying very low. AC130s would be nice but every person wants them now due to current conflict so it's a very difficult door to enter.

Do you know where you rank in your class?