Welcome
Message
I
appreciate your interest in becoming an aviator with the Barnestormers of the
131st Fighter Squadron. When preparing your application,
please avoid using expensive folders and bindings, save your money! We
prioritize qualities like selflessness, openness to feedback, humility and a
commitment to continuous improvement. The pilot screening board wants to get to
know you and why you would make a great officer and aviator.
It’s
important to understand that the Massachusetts Air National Guard is not a
flying club. We are a military organization dedicated to the mission of
providing air power to the Combatant Commanders. As a fighter pilot, you’ll be
tasked with continuously making consequential decisions with incomplete
information in a dynamic environment under high amounts of stress. You
may be asked to take life, or give your own life, in the service of your
nation. However, at the end of the day, you will never experience a more
fulfilling sense of pride and accomplishment as being a leader and pilot in the
United States Air Force.
If you
are ready for this challenge, I look forward to meeting you and welcoming you
to our team here at the 131st.
-Lt Col Stephen “Steagle” Mindek, 131st
FS/CC
Application Packages
Thank you for your interest in becoming an F-35 fighter
pilot in the Massachusetts Air National Guard (MAANG)! Applications for
Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) with the Massachusetts Air National
Guard close on December 1st, 2025.
Pilot application packages must be submitted in full and
postmarked by December 1st, 2025. All content must be
accounted for upon delivery to the 131st Fighter Squadron (FS). Candidates
will be notified if they are selected for an interview based on the candidate's
ability to meet the outlined prerequisites and the competitiveness of their
application. All interviews will be held in person at the 131st FS located
in Westfield, MA.
Prerequisites for Pilot Training
Applicants
- Must be in good
overall health
- Must be a U.S.
Citizen capable of obtaining a Top-Secret clearance
- Age: Applicant
must start flight training prior to their 33rd birthday
- Must possess a 4-year
college degree (or have at least 90 credit hours completed)
- Degree must be
obtained before being sent to Officer Training School (OTS) for officer
commissioning
- Must have
taken, and received the results from the following tests:
- Air Force
Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT)
- Test of Basic
Aviation Skills (TBAS)
To schedule the AFOQT and TBAS tests, contact any Air Force
or Air National Guard Recruiter. Military members may contact the local base
training office to schedule the AFOQT and TBAS tests. Flying experience is not
required, but desired.
Required Application Items—Please
compile the following items into a 1/2" - 1" Binder:
- MAANG
Questionnaire (Click here to open attachment)
- Cover Letter to
the board describing your intentions and wishes – 1 page maximum
- Letters of
Recommendation (Three Maximum)
- Official
College Transcripts (certified, with raised seal)
- Copy of pilot’s
license and most recent logbook page (if applicable)
- If currently
serving in armed forces:
- Current
fitness test results
Mail completed application package to:
104FSS/MPF
ATTN: Pilot Selection Board
815 Southampton Road
Westfield, Massachusetts 01085
No changes will be made to packages following
submission. Following the application deadline, approximately 50
applicants will be selected for phone interviews. Interview guidance and
instructions will be provided upon notification of selection. Due to the wing
being in conversion and limited pilot availability, there will be no rush event
held. The selection board interviews will take place in February 2026. Results
will be posted by 1 March 2026. Please let us know if you need clarification on
any part of the application process.
Summary of Selection Process and Pilot
Training:
This hiring board will select two applicants for pilot
training and follow on F-35 training. Once selected, applicants will be
scheduled for a USAF Class I Flight Physical at Wright Patterson Air Force
Base. When the physical is complete packages are sent to higher headquarters
for approval and assignment of dates for Officer Training School (OTS),
Introductory Flight Screening (IFS), and Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT).
Typical timeline to begin training is 6-12 months. OTS, IFS, and UPT will
take approximately 18 months.
After completion of SUPT, new pilots will attend Land and
Water Survival at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington. These two courses take
approximately three weeks to complete. Pilots will then attend Introduction to
Fighter Fundamentals (IFF) lasting about 3 months. Finally, pilots will attend
the F-35 Basic Course (B-Course) lasting approximately 9 months at either Luke
AFB or Eglin AFB.
Upon completion of the B-Course, pilots will return to the Massachusetts
ANG, where they will complete their initial Mission Qualification Training
(MQT). During MQT pilots will continue to further their skills to become combat
ready fighter pilots. Officers will remain on continuous active duty from the
time they begin SUPT until they complete MQT.
After completion of all MQT requirements, the now
combat-ready F-35A pilot will have the opportunity to revert to a Drill Status
Guardsman (DSG, part-time status) or compete for a full-time position if one is
available. Pilots are required to perform monthly ground and flying duties as
required for flying currency and minimum training standards, or as directed by
the unit Commander. This entire process will take approximately 3-4 years.
Contact Information:
Major Brian “Brass” Burke
104FW.UPT.Applications@us.af.mil