Coast Guard Pilot Demand?

[SmellsLikeAvGas]

Hello Everyone:
I've been on before with Coast Guard aviation questions, and I just found out on Thursday that I've been selected for the June 1 OCS class, so now I have some more questions to add...
I am trying for a pilot slot.. I have my private, IR, and am close to my commercial (well, need about 19 hrs.. but who's counting?) I totally wasn't expecting it, and now I have to decide very quickly to go or not to go (June 1st? It's already May.. will have to leave my job that was difficult to get.. get in shape for PT.. miss my brother's wedding.. and do a million other things.. I wanted to try to switch in to the October class instead, but I"m told it's not possible..) I was basically just wondering if anyone knew what the current need was right now for fixed wing pilots in the CG (I know helo flying in the CG is awesome, but I'm an airplane gal and my goal is to fly fixed wing..) I know there are a lot more helicopters than airplane in the CG, and I also heard that they will be needing more helo pilots for flying they're taking over from Customs... but I was wondering if there still was a chance I might get a slot for fixed wing (and also, do more people DESIRE helicopters than airplanes? I mean, will most of the applicants I'm competing with prefer helos, or is it pretty much a mixed bag of what people desire?)
Sorry for the million questions.. thanks in advance for your reading and writing.

 

[onthebeach]

A Deciding Factor

You sound like you are not totally convinced that being a Coast Guard officer is the thing you want most in life.

Forgive me if I misread you, but if you are trying to make your mind up about attending OCS after you've gone through the process and have a class date, this doesn't speak well for your commitment to the service and to the goal of serving as an officer.

Therefore I'd advise you not to go. Being an officer in any military service is something you have to be sure about, especially if you want a leadership role. If you're not 100% sure, right now, don't take an OCS slot away from some deserving Coast Guardsman who's paid his or her dues for the chance to be an officer and is committed to the career path.

 

[MaxTorque]

Priorities

I'm with onthebeach on this one. OCS is no cake walk. If your primary focus is whether you could get fixed over rotary, you may not be equipped to deal with the very real possibility of not getting a flying slot and all you will end up doing is wasting yours & the CG's time and resources. The very process is designed to weed out those that may be there for the wrong reasons or perhaps have nothing better to do at the moment.

Good luck, whatever you choose.

MT

 

[WestHouston]

I just finished four years in the Coast Guard (enlisted). I inquired about flying for the Guard when my CO tried to get me to stay in. The answers I got didn't give me much confidence. Now, I may be wrong, but from what I understand, fixed wing (and helo) pilots are more often than not, borrowed from the Air Force. They are Coasties, but they've lateraled over. The Coast Guard does not have it's own flight school. I looked into it more and found out that the amount of time and effort I would have to put in to get a shot at flying for the Guard wasn't worth it. So, I decided to get out and do it on my own where, how shall I put this.... my chances of flying for a living depend much more on ME than some higher-ups giving me a shot. That being said, the CG is a great organization. I loved it and if it weren't for this darn flying dream, I'd still be there. Anyway, you may want to talk to some CG pilots and get their advice. A recruiter will give you a tour of an Air Station. Just make sure the recruiter isn't around when the pilot answers your more "sensitive" questions.

 

[XShipRider]

Now, I may be wrong, but from what I understand, fixed wing (and helo) pilots are more often than not, borrowed from the Air Force. They are Coasties, but they've lateraled over. The Coast Guard does not have it's own flight school.

No, they're not borrowed. Yes, some do lateral over. Fixed wing pilots
transition from helo within the Coast Guard flying community. The Coast
Guard may allow some to lateral over from other services, this would be
better answered by SarDaddy or one of the current crop of dedicated
flyers.

I am trying for a pilot slot.. I have my private, IR, and am close to my commercial (well, need about 19 hrs.. but who's counting?) I totally wasn't expecting it, and now I have to decide very quickly to go or not to go (June 1st? It's already May.. will have to leave my job that was difficult to get.. get in shape for PT.. miss my brother's wedding.. and do a million other things.. I wanted to try to switch in to the October class instead, but I"m told it's not possible..)

Gotta go with Onthebeach on this one... unless you're ready to make
the transition to CG officer, don't waste your time. Have a good time
at your brother's wedding then do your million other things.

Being a CG officer and pilot is not an 8-hour a day job.

The comments above are not meant as a slam on you - they're honest, to the point
answers.

 

[sardaddy]

Smellslikeavgas,

Congratulations on selection, it is a competitive selection. Bear with me though as I am reeling at the fact that you are asking these questions now, instead of before you started the process and are considering passing the opportunity up because of things that should have already been considered.

The current need for pilots both fixed and rotary are higher than they have been for years. However, if you will only be happy flying fixed wings, the only way you can guarantee that you stay in fixed wings is to remain a civilian and fly what you want. No matter what service you join, there is always a chance of flying helos.

Yes, there is a chance that you will get a fixed wing slot in flight school but as stated earlier, there is a chance you won't get selected for flight school right out of OCS either. If you are not willing to take a chance then I would say to pass on OCS.

If you like your job more than the opportunity to fly, you somehow forgot to get in shape once you applied, and you really don't want to miss your brother's wedding then pass on OCS.

If you are willing to take a chance, are willing to work hard, and can handle some possible bumps in the road to achieve a goal of yours in a great organization then go to OCS.

 

[sardaddy]

Westhouston,

I am sorry you did not pursue aviation in the Coast Guard based on some hearsay. All of the information you have is wrong.

The Coast Guard does not "borrow" pilots from other services especially from the Air Force. We offer a direct commission to pilots from other services but we do not currently offer this to fixed wing pilots. The helo pilots are screened and selected as needed. They have no affilliation with their prior service once they are in the program.

Additionally, Direct Commissioned Aviators only make up a little less than half of the pilots in the Coast Guard. Most pilots are made the traditional way through OCS and the Coast Guard Academy and sent to flight school.

No, the Coast Guard doesn't have its own flight school. It shares one with the Navy and the Marine Corps. It is a joint flight school with pilots from each service conducting the training. So we do train our own pilots.

I am sorry you felt your time and effort were not worth the experience. I understand your position though. But I think you find that it will be as much of an effort on the civilian side in the long run but as you said, you will be the one who makes the decision, or doesn't.

 

[BengalsFan]

why the coast guard?

AVGasSmeller

If you want to be a fixed wing pilot, why did you put all your eggs into the coast guard basket? And coasties, don't take this th e wrong way, as the coast guard is a class organization, but what this young lady should do is go see her air force recruiter. Tell him/her what you want to do, adn don't let them talk you into doing anything else. After some persistance, a couple of tests, and reminding the recruiter that "No I don't want to be a Navigator," you will head of to OTS knowing that you will go to flight school upon completion.
And no there isn't a garauntee that you will fly fixed wing in the air force, but if you graduate from pilot traiing, only about 1 out of the 30 or so in your class will get a helo, and usually that person wants it.
If you want more of a garauntee that you will fly fixed wing, go to your local air force reserve or guard station and start talking to them about getting into their unit. If hired, they will send you to OTC (and a much easier one at that), and to pilot training (the same as everyone else goes to). You will know exactly what plane you will fly (obviously the one that your unit flies) and you will know where you are going to be stationed. You will also have more control over your life, as you are a reservist and not active duty. (the price of this, is that you aren't a full time employee, so you will get to/have to keep the job you currently have.
If you have any questions, pm me... and I do know what I am talking about because I was recently an instructor at an air force flight training base.

good luck

 

[Falconjet]

Gas: While I agree with onthebeach and the others to a point, I don't think that there is anything wrong with evaluating your opportunities as you go. When I was accepted at the USCG Academy 28 years ago I almost turned it down, and I didn't have any other options really.

It wasn't until I actually had the opportunity to go that I could actually make my decision, and I decided to go. My older brother DID turn down an appointment at USCGA, went somewhere else and eventually got an appointment 2 years later. Not everybody knows what they want when they have to make the choice. I don't think that you still aren't sure yet means that you don't deserve the opportunity.

That said, I agree wholeheartedly that you shouldn't go unless you are willing to take the chance that you may not end up in flight training right away and furthermore that if/when you do get into flight training you might not get a fixed wing slot up graduation. Those are possibilities.

The CG will continue to need both fixed and rotary wing pilots, however, and there is no reason why you CAN'T get one of those fixed wing slots. Somebody is going to get one, why not you?

I also think that the guard or reserve options that Bengalsfan mentions are certainly viable and maybe even better, but if you haven't already pursued those you won't have time to do so before Jun. If you pass on CG OCS and want to be a military officer and pilot you should take a look at those options.

Remember that there is a reason they are called Armed Services. You are there to serve your country. The fact that you are also a pilot and may receive some valuable training and experience that you can parlay into a career down the road should be a side benefit. If you go in with that as your primary mission you might be pretty unhappy while you serve.

Good luck, let us know what you decide.

FJ

 

[psysicx]

Anybody know how tough it is to get a dive slot if you don't get a pilot slot?

 

[Falconjet]

Pretty tough.

FJ

 

[JimNtexas]

My brother was an Army helo pilot. He tells me that flying rotor wing is like masterbating. It's fun, but people look down on you for doing it.

 

[mudkow60]

That is a pretty dumb statement... guess it is in same theme as this silly thread.

My time as a helo pilot has been great, and my time in the Coast Guard (three weeks) has been awsome. Went and did a two helo fly over at a race the other day. Walking around, I never heard so many thank-you's and keep-it-up's from folks. No one there looked down on a helo pilot. Especially the people who had been saved or known others helped by them.

And by the by, the few tools in my flight school class that said they would only accept jets, and vocally would bad mouth the prop and helo communities... they attrited out of advanced.

Second hand knowledge and misinformation can be bad things.

 

[psysicx]

Hey FJ do you have any more info on being a diver?

 

[Falconjet]

Hey FJ do you have any more info on being a diver?

Well I don't think a public forum is the proper place for me to discuss........

oh wait, you must mean a deep sea diver.

No, I don't know anything about how tough that is. I think there are only a few ships with a diver billet and those guys have to apply for Navy dive school and get it. Don't know if they even do it anymore.

Any other takers for the question vortex?

FJ

 

[psysicx]

Haha. How much longer is the Falcon Jet gonna be in service.

 

[Falconjet]

Strictly a guess: since the replacement CASAs are on the way, slow phase out between 2010 and 2015. All gone by 2020 at the latest, probably closer to 2015. Just a guess from an old retired geezer.

FJ

 

[psysicx]

The Falcon Jet is cool. Sad to see it go.

 

[sardaddy]

Yep the Falcon is cool. In the same way a Pontiac Aztec is cool.

 

[cynic]

I was in exactly the same place about 10 years ago. I drove to a Coast Gaurd base and met with a few pilots who told me in short, if your dad isn't an admiral you ain't getting a pilot slot.

So if you want to be in the coast guard then join, if you want to be a pilot and think being a pilot for the coast gaurd would be cool I would run away.

 

[psysicx]

I hope your post was a joke. Go to coastguardocs.com there are people who get picked up in OCS. And they are not fathers are not Admirals.

 

[Falconjet]

I was in exactly the same place about 10 years ago. I drove to a Coast Gaurd base and met with a few pilots who told me in short, if your dad isn't an admiral you ain't getting a pilot slot.

So if you want to be in the coast guard then join, if you want to be a pilot and think being a pilot for the coast gaurd would be cool I would run away.

Well you see, you were at the wrong kind of base. You needed to visit a COAST GUARD base, not a Coast Gaurd base. Then you would have gotten some better information.

Seriously, I know things have changed since I went through CG flight training, but one thing won't change I don't think. That is the fact that the CG is a SEA-GOING service with a tiny aviation arm. MOST people in the CG are there to serve on ships, so the demand for flight training spots is not as high as a bunch of folks who are interested enough in aviation to frequent these forums would think. So although the numbers are small, there are a lot fewer folks interested in getting a slot than say the Air Force.

To suggest that your father has to be an Admiral, or anything else for that matter, to get a pilot slot is ludicrous. Heck, my Dad was "only" a Captain and I was able to sneak in somehow!

FJ

 

[cynic]

Yeah, I've got to learn to check my grammar and spelling before I post. Seriously, I think it has a negative affect on people when there forced to read posts the were not written good. I guess its just to much work.

In any case, I think my point was (and you'll probably not disagree) that there are not many pilot slots, and like everything else in life, who you know makes a difference and more importantly, joining the coast guard just to be a pilot is a bad idea.

Joing the coast guard because you want to join and hoping on a pilot slot is a different story if that makes sense.

 

[psysicx]

Do officers stand watch while there at sea?

 

[XShipRider]

Do officers stand watch while there at sea?

Deployed pilots do not stand bridge watches, if that's what you're asking.
They do attend the majority of command briefings, quarters, etc., while
under the operational control (OPCON) of the ship.

The same would hold true for the deployed enlisted aircrew.

Pilots and aircrews are deployed as mission specific assets. Their
number one job is to maintain and fly the plane.

Quick answer: No.

P.S. They make pretty good pizza on Saturday nights though.

 

[Falconjet]

Rider: be careful, you are being sucked into the question vortex that is psysicx. Its like quicksand, you won't be able to get out.

For what its worth, I think he meant the ship guys, who of course stand watches when they are on the ship. Somebody has to drive and maintain the ship.

Pilots and crew deployed on ships either lay around and sunbathe, work on the helo and suck up all the ship's fresh water to wash the helo, or eat the wardroom/galley out of ice cream. Oh yeah, they usually fly a couple of times a day too.

Good dudes (and dudettes) though.

Ok, I'm out.

FJ

 

[sardaddy]

Ok, that was deserved after the pontiac Aztec comment. Plus it was pretty funny and had a hint of truth. I loved it.

 

[Falconjet]

I only call them as I see them.

FJ

 

[sardaddy]

My question is, how could you see it that clearly from 10,000 ft with your box lunch in the way?

 

[Falconjet]

My question is, how could you see it that clearly from 10,000 ft with your box lunch in the way?

Come on daddy, you know that all "real" CG pilots spend their first tour on a ship. I was on the mighty Valiant out of Galveston TX for almost 2 years and we always had a helo det onboard. I was a Deck Watch Officer and eventually 1st LT. Got to watch them sunbathe and wash the helo every day!

We managed to lose an H-52 due to dynamic rollover on takeoff in some particularly nasty seas. Fortunately all 3 crewmembers got out ok and only a couple of deck apes were hurt in the rush to GQ. The helo took out a couple of the safety nets that the tiedown guys "hide" in right down to the deck level but they managed to escape to the main deck as taught.

One reason why I went Falcons: we were out in the middle of a 3 week patrol in the Gulf of Mexico and the helo went down for a chip light. The helo mech pulled the filter and tossed it overboard (before we were so environmentally savy) figuring there was a spare in the helo support kit. Oops, no spare. Skipper is po'd because now our "eyes" are down and its not looking good.

Later that afternoon just before sunset here comes a shiny new Falcon doing a couple of low passes and then they dropped us a utility can with a couple of filters and newspapers. Another victory pass and they are off into the horizon. As I stood on deck and pondered the next couple of weeks at sea and my upcoming 4-8am watch on the bridge, I realized that those guys would soon be in the wardroom yukking it up and drinking some beer and telling everybody how they saved our bacon.

I knew that night that I wanted to fly the lawndart and I had my app for flight school in the mail at our next homeport.

Besides, you'd be surprised what you can see from 10,000 feet if you take the time out from that box lunch to actually look.

FJ