Hi WAFs! I just wanted to pop in and tell you a little bit about what life is like as a C-40 Spouse. What, you’ve never heard of the C-40? Don’t worry, I hadn’t either!!
So, I’ll give you a little information about my spouse’s background as this plane is not a typical flying assignment but is a total hidden gem for pilots and family life! This is our 3rd assignment and after spending nearly 7 years in a grey tail as a KC-135 pilot, my husband cross-flowed into the C-40. We are stationed in the St Louis area at Scott AFB. But, the plane is also stationed out of Andrews AFB, Ramstein and Hickam.
The C-40 mission is for Executive Airlift. Basically, that means they are flying Members of Congress, White House staff, Senior military leaders, & Foreign Dignitaries. They pride themselves on safe, comfortable, and reliable transport.
The vast majority of missions are overseas and range from around 10-15 days in length. At Scott AFB the C-40 unit is attached to a reservist unit which means all missions are on a volunteer basis- so unlike the grey tail world where your spouse has very little notice and the time lines are constantly shifting, this plane has quite a bit of stability.
Basically the way that works is; a list of available trips will come out and your spouse will volunteer for whichever trip fits their schedule or training needs. Being at the mercy of the DV passengers schedule helps ensure that their return is rarely postponed. The aircraft is impeccably maintained and is much newer than the elderly KC-135 so she rarely breaks.
So, let’s talk about what you can expect once your spouse receives an assignment to the C-40 community. First, they’ll start with a 6 week training course in Miami at the Boeing flight training facility to get qualified in the Boeing 737 aircraft. Next up are a few local flights and an operational mission before your spouse is considered “mission ready”. Then the fun begins! Your spouse will be traveling to some amazing and exotic locations with their DV passengers (a not-so-quick list of the places my husband has travelled to with the C-40 in our 2 years here: Cayman Islands, Cuba, Columbia, Switzerland, Belgium, Israel, Paris, London, Croatia, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Montenegro, Slovenia, India, Jordan, and Egypt).
Now, if you are dying of jealousy reading about the amazing locations they fly to- just wait until I tell you about the flight attendants. Yes, they have 3 flight attendants on the aircraft and they make the most amazing meals for all of the passengers, including all air crew. Gone are the days of eating a reheated Hot Pocket or other Shoppette delicacy. No joke, it’s usually a well plated 3 course meal (quick example would be the time he ate filet mignon with a salad and chocolate covered strawberries…take some notes Delta.)
The squadron is much smaller than the mega tanker wings we were used to at our previous locations but we still have an active and fun spouse group. Everyone has been really wonderful and we fully appreciate that we are living the good life with this assignment. We have loved our time as a 54th Genie- with both an amazing mission and great location I’m not sure how our next orders could top this one.
If your spouse is interested in becoming a C-40 pilot, let your functional know you are interested, and if you meet the requirements you’ll be put onto a list for further review.
{Ideal candidates have: 2,500 total flying hours (3,000 desired), Instructor Pilot in current plane & recent international flying experience is highly desired.}
Disclaimer: This has been our experience as we started a new chapter with the C-40 community. Keep in mind training/mission can always change and may look different as new commanders come in or different world events take place.
MEET BRETTE
