Rated Pilots
Whether you’re coming to us as an active-duty KC-135 Instructor Pilot with 5,000 hours or you’ve been flying Gulfstreams in the Marine Corps, we’d love to see if you’re a good fit for the Okies.
Every applicant’s situation is a little different. The process often requires coordination between you and the hiring POC to work through timelines, qualifications, and next steps together.
We would love to have you guys out to for some of the pledge meet-n-greet specfic weekends, however, we get that is not always possible with military service. Try to make it, if you can't, reach out to us and we will find a time to connect.
Below are some resources for Prior Rated Pilots.
Palace Chase:
Palace Chase allows active duty Air Force members to leave active duty early and transfer directly into the Air Force Reserve or Air National Guard.
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You apply for early release from your active-duty service commitment (ADSC).
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If approved, you separate from active duty and immediately join a Reserve or Guard unit.
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You incur a service commitment in the Reserve/Guard (typically double the remaining active-duty time).
It’s essentially an early-transition program.
For more: 36-3211
Palace Front:
Palace Front is for active duty members who are already at the end of their commitment.
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You complete your full active-duty ADSC.
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Instead of separating completely, you transition directly into a Reserve or Guard unit with no break in service.
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No “early release” approval is required since you’re finishing your commitment.
It’s basically a seamless transfer at the end of your active-duty time.
For more: 36-3211
Interservice Transfer:
Once hired, you’ll coordinate an Interservice Transfer (IST) between:
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Your current branch
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The Air Force Reserve
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AFPC (Air Force Personnel Center)
Your current service must approve your release if you still owe an Active Duty Service Commitment (ADSC).
You’ll complete:
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Air Force Flying Class physical (if required)
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Records review of flight hours
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Waiver review (if applicable)
Aeronatical Review Board:
An aeronautical review is basically the Air Force’s way of saying: “Let’s look at your flying background and records and decide what training you still need before we can put you in an Air Force Reserve cockpit.”
In practical terms, it answers two questions:
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Can we credit your previous military flying experience?
2. If yes, what’s the minimum training needed to safely/legally qualify you in an Air Force aircraft?
What They Review
They’ll usually look at things like:
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Your training history (pipelines, type ratings, wings earned, upgrades)
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Total hours and recent flying (recency matters a lot)
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Aircraft type (rotary vs fixed wing, jet vs prop, multi-engine, etc.)
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Instructor/Evaluator experience
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Any checkride failures, incidents, or training discontinuations (if applicable)
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Your flight records (logbooks, Form 8s / NATOPS / ARMS equivalents, etc.)
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Medical qualification status (physical, waivers, etc.)
What it can result in:
Based on that review, the Air Force may decide you need one of these paths:
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No UPT required → You go straight into a transition/qualification course for the gaining aircraft (common for experienced fixed-wing pilots).
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Some additional training → Like IFC/medical updates, academics, sims, instrument refresher, or specific events to meet AF standards.
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Formal pilot training required → In rarer cases, you may need UPT or another formal program (more common if you’re coming from rotary wing, have long gaps in flying, or your previous training doesn’t map cleanly to AF requirements).
For more: 11-402
Scroll
Refers to the formal approval process required for an officer appointment (or transfer of appointment) in the U.S. military.
It’s the legal process that puts your name on an official list — a “scroll” — that must be approved at high levels of government before your commision can be appointed or transferred to another service. This process typically takes months and can't be started until 12 months prior to your ADSC (Without a palace chase).
For more: 1310.02