ANG Heavy Units ?'s

[STLCFII]

Hey everyone, just a few questions about Heavy Guard Units.

1) Do heavy units require you to relocate to a certain number of minutes of the base like Fighter units do?

2) How often do they fly per month and hours per year? Heard they only fly like one weekend a mofnth compaired to 3 for fighters.

3) What are they're deployments like? How long are they gone, do they participate in the war games, how often do they go overseas?

4) How many applicants do Heavy units get per year and how many people do they usually hire at one time? I heard they get less apps with more than one spot given out, heard up to 4 once. What are some pretty decent stats for getting hired with a Heavy? Do they like to see people who are high time with complex semi heavy experience?

Thanks a lot, been looking strictly at fighter info but I'm now considering Heavy units and couldn't really find much about them! Thanks!

 

[stlpilot]

Hey man check your PM but I gave you some answers here also.

1) Do heavy units require you to relocate to a certain number of minutes of the base like Fighter units do?

The units I visited did not have that policy but they usually fly more then the fighter guys, so living out of the area may not be easy. Be ready to tell them in an interview your ready to relocate though.

2) How often do they fly per month and hours per year? Heard they only fly like one weekend a month compared to 3 for fighters.

Again from what I know they fly more, how much? I’m not sure.


3) How many applicants do Heavy units get per year and how many people do they usually hire at one time? I heard they get less apps with more than one spot given out, heard up to 4 once. What are some pretty decent stats for getting hired with a Heavy? Do they like to see people who are high time with complex semi heavy experience?

Typically they do get less applicants but that does not mean it’s necessarily easier to “get in”. They can pick up a faker or a guy who thinks he is settling for 2nd best in a second. From my experience they do get less apps but it depends on the airframe and location.

 

[DHPope93]

Here's some answers regarding my tanker unit:

[1) Do heavy units require you to relocate to a certain number of minutes of the base like Fighter units do?
--No set minutes/mileage standards. However, as a minimum, they'd like for you to be an AZ resident (since you swear an oath to the Gov as well as the Prez). Off of the top of my head, currently all of our pilots are residents of the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan area, which could mean anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour away from the airport.
2) How often do they fly per month and hours per year? Heard they only fly like one weekend a mofnth compaired to 3 for fighters.
-- The only weekend we fly is UTA weekends. However, we tend to fly 2-4 sorties a day, depending on TACC taskings, overseas deployments, etc.

3) What are they're deployments like? How long are they gone, do they participate in the war games, how often do they go overseas?
-- While the unit may be tasked from anywhere from 30-90 days (or more), you're typically only on the hook for 2 weeks at a time, unless, of course, you want more. We partcipate in the standard 'war games' like Red Flag and Cope Thunder. R-model tanker units tend to get overseas more cuz the CINC's don't like to be confused with E vs R-model differences. That being said, we still go overseas on a variety of missions multiple times per year.

4) How many applicants do Heavy units get per year and how many people do they usually hire at one time? I heard they get less apps with more than one spot given out, heard up to 4 once. What are some pretty decent stats for getting hired with a Heavy? Do they like to see people who are high time with complex semi heavy experience?
-- Our training flight has a file cabinet drawer full of resumes and apps. The standard (as I understand) is to hire 2 primaries and 2 alternates per board, since there's a variety of ways for a candidate to get disqualified throughout the process up to SUPT. We're big on hiring from within, so an external applicant needs to have some very good AFOQT scores (think 80 and above for pilot score), a solid GPA, good flying experience (subjective, I know, but there's no set "minima," just show that you're serious about flying), and, most importantly, a contact from the unit. If you don't have a contact, then gets to visiting early and often. But that's standard for any Guard/Reserve unit.

Those are just some quick thoughts as I run out the door.

Peace,
DP

 

[STLCFII]

Thanks for the replies, they really help! Few more ?'s though.

1) What is the typical upgrade time to Captain from FO in the ANG Heavies?

2) Is there more of a chance in a heavy unit than a fighter unit to get a Full Time? I guess if Heavies are flying more than fighters that means more $$ right?

3) How long are Heavy pilots on Seasonal Training back at the base after upt and before they go to traditional status?

4) I heard a Rumor that the Airlines like Heavy pilots more than a fighter because they are more crew oriented, any truth in that? They'd hire a heavy guy over fighter.

Thanks again!
Brian

 

[DHPope93]

At the risk of monopolizing the thread:

1) What is the typical upgrade time to Captain from FO in the ANG Heavies?
-- Well, you need a min. of 800 hours in the tank, so the more you fly, the less time it takes. Some units will want more than that before they send you to upgrade. It's really a matter of how bad they need AC's and how many AC upgrades slots they've gotten from the Guard Bureau. Of course, if you're a sluggo (i.e. non-participater, no skillz in the cockpit, everybody hates flying with you, etc), it doesn't matter how many hours you have, they won't send you. It's not a seniority thing. From what I've seen so far, it's taken our average co-piglet 3-4 years to upgrade.

2) Is there more of a chance in a heavy unit than a fighter unit to get a Full Time? I guess if Heavies are flying more than fighters that means more $$ right?
-- I seriously doubt it. With the numbers of furloughed pilots and a stream (well, maybe a trickle) of active duty-experienced pilots, the chances of a newbie getting a full time (AGR or ART) slot are zilcho. I haven't compared pay possibilities with any Guard/Reserve fighter bubbas, so no help there. It's the same number of AFTPs Guard-wide (I think the Reserves may be a little different, not sure), no matter what the aircraft. It's all a matter of how many TDY's you can get on and what kind of non-flying additional duties you can get to get extra man-days thrown your way.

3) How long are Heavy pilots on Seasonal Training back at the base after upt and before they go to traditional status?
-- 45 days here.

4) I heard a Rumor that the Airlines like Heavy pilots more than a fighter because they are more crew oriented, any truth in that? They'd hire a heavy guy over fighter.
-- I'd say it depends on the airline. I haven't seen any studies proving one type of military pilot has been hired more than other types. I saw a prinout of SWA ex-military pilots by aircraft type, and they run the gamut. I'll defer to the airline bubbas on this one. But I will say that the pointy-nosed crowd uses all that CRM jazz, too.

Hope this helps.

Peace,
DP

 

[bssthound]

DP is right on the money with all his answers. You can without question forget a full-time slot as long as the major airlines have guys on the street.

Reservists get the same number of AFTPs as Guardsmen, 48 per year. Every other pay status is the same; the only difference is that what the Guard calls a "PT" we call an "RMP." No need in discussing it, it's just semantics and doesn't matter right now.

As far as airlines preferring heavy guys over fighter guys that is pure hogwash. I've flown in both fighter and heavy units and all were full of pilots from every major out there. Each pilot hired at an airline is interviewed. The purpose of the interview, in a nutshell, is to determine if he is someone who'd be capable of the job, pleasant to fly with, and not a complete buffoon. There are many, many reasons some folks are either in heavies or fighters. Some folks want to yank and bank. Some folks did really well in pilot training and wanted a heavy or came back as an IP and, for the next assignment the fighter he/she wanted just wasn't available. You cannot judge a military pilot by the type aircraft flown. Believe me, any fighter pilot would have no problem with the Point A to Point B that is normal airline flying. Also, just about any type of heavy flying is different than the normal airline flying.

 

[STLCFII]

Pay

Since Heavy Units fly more than Fighter Units do I'd presume that Heavy Pilots would make more money per year is that correct?

Thanks
Brian