Coast Guard

[soarby007]

Well, I don't know much, but my son is a pilot in the Coast Guard. He started out enlisted though and was able to get to be a rescue swimmer, which is in aviation. Jumping out of helicopters. He finished college and got a few medals along the way and was asked why he didn't apply for OCS. There was no guarantee he could get a pilot slot because it's a boat outfit primarily. I think he got preference however, as he was already in aviation, and also the selection admiral was his former CO. Second he had to get a couple of waivers, one medical and another on age. He got in though, I think four out of his OCS class got it and one flunked out of flight school.

He asked for and got fixed wing, as most of his flight school class wanted helos. He actually wanted C-130's, but missed the cut there. He flies 50 hours a month and deploys every 3 months out of country to patrol the waters. Right now he flies Falcons. You don't just fly, that's actually considered an auxiliary duty believe it or not. As far as quality of life, some days you win and some days you lose. He pulls duty every week to answer emergency phone calls for 24 hours straight, no flying. He gets to write reports on how many trash cans we need, etc.

If you want to fly, that's where I'd go as a young man. They have treated him great, most of the time.

 

[ck130]

PSYSICX,

I'm a CG Herc driver and hopefully I can help you out with a little insight. Getting into Coast Guard OCS is competitive just like any other military officer program. If you have a degree with decent grades you should have as good a chance as anyone else so put in an app and see what happens.

As for a flying slot there are 2 ways to go. Some get it right out of OCS. Class sizes used to be about 60 people and 3-6 people from each class would get flight school. If you don't get flight school you go to any number of other jobs after graduation as an ensign. Once you get to your new job you can start applying right away for flight school. We hold selection boards about every 6 months. I haven't checked lately, but the numbers used to be about 40-50 applicants for 15-20 slots. Not terrible odds. Are you guaranteed flight school, no, but I have never known anyone to not get it eventually unless they got too old or was just a total POS. It can take a couple years though.

Flight school is at P-Cola with the Navy and I'm sure many guys here can fill you in on what that's all about. I had a blast but others thought it sucked. To each there own I guess. After flight school you go to an Air Station. We have 26 of them from Puerto Rico to Kodiak Alaska, Barbers Point Hawaii and everywhere in between.

We are a relatively small community with about 600 flying pilots. Airframes are HH-60s,MH-60s,HH-65s,MH-68s,HU-25s (Falcon 20) and of course the mighty HC-130. About 80 percent of our pilots are helo bubbas. As a line pilot you will stand about 8 (24hr) ready crew duties a month. When you're not on duty you're flying training flights, studying your flight manual or working on your ground job, which usually isn't anything exciting for a first tour guy (or second tour for that matter). Oh yea, if you fly HH-65s or MH-68s you will spend a fair amount of time flying off the back of a boat (another reason to go hercs).

Finally...yes, after your first tour you can go back to P-Cola or Corpus Christi and do the IP thing. Sorry for the long post, hope it helps.

Fly Safe,
CK130

 

[sardaddy]

I'll put my two cents in as well

I'll pass the perspective from rotary wing side. I agree with CK130 on mostly everything but this one item is completely wrong.

"Oh yea, if you fly HH-65s or MH-68s you will spend a fair amount of time flying off the back of a boat (another reason to go hercs)."

There are no good reasons to go hercs. Just remember SAR means two different things to the fixed and rotary community. In rotary wing it means Search And Rescue. In fixed wing it means Search And Report "yep, they're sinking alright". All kidding aside, both sides of the house have a great mission and a great job.

The CG is short pilots and there are almost always pilot slots available in OCS. There are not a lot but there are some. About 3-5 per class. Not because there are less slots available, just because that is the general ratio between pilots and other officers in the CG. We are sending pilots through the system at a record rate and show no sign of slowing in the near future. As CK130 said if you don't get it in OCS you can try later. Pilot selection from officers who have already gone through OCS is made up of a CG wide selection board not by districts. I have personally trained many pilots who wanted to be pilots but did not get selected in OCS but got picked up later. I have even trained a lawyer who decided he wanted to be a pilot and got selected.

You cannot be a flying pilot in the reserves. There is no such animal. So if you want to be a pilot do not plan to do it in the reserves.

That should clear up qmaster3's not quite accurate info. Additionally, expect to work more than his 8 days a month. Nobody I know in the Coast Guard works that little. If he does and his boss lets him then shame on them both. The average pilot works 5 days a week with at least one of those days being a 24 hour duty at the air station. And we work less than most Coasties.

As far as being an IP goes, just like CK130 said you can go back to Pensacola and teach plus you can go to Mobile AL and teach at that level. Which is what I currently do. We teach all pilots (except C130 pilots, as they are special) how to fly Coast Guard aircraft or to maintain their proficiency in their aircraft. We also visit all air stations and evaluate the units for standardization CG wide. Plus, you can also be an instructor at an air station. So there are a lot of opportunites to become an instructor during your career.

And MUDKOW60, we wouldn't steal your SAR if you were able to launch in less than 6 hours!!

 

[qmaster3]

That should clear up qmaster3's not quite accurate info. Additionally, expect to work more than his 8 days a month. Nobody I know in the Coast Guard works that little. If he does and his boss lets him then shame on them both.

Sardaddy's right on. Most of the other SAR controllers/watch standers work 12/days. It's also gonna feel good having a homecoming after a 45/day cruise. CAN'T WAIT!

 

[psysicx]

Thanks for the help.What is the current obligation if you get a pilot slot.Also how hard is it to get a certain location?And do you guys enjoy flying in the CG?When is the HU-25 suppose to be replaced?

 

[sardaddy]

"What is the current obligation if you get a pilot slot."

I think, I will repeat that, I think it is seven years after the completion of flight school. So if you went to OCS, then directly to flight school, then finished your commitment, you would have almost nine years under your belt.

"Also how hard is it to get a certain location?"

That depends on a lot of things. Such as what aircraft you fly, where the location is, and what the CG needs at the time.

For example, if you want to go to Kodiak Alaska and you are an HH-65 aircraft commander you can pack your bags tomorrow as they need pilots up there and it is not a desired location.

If you are an HU-25 pilot and want to go to Cape Cod, stand in line with everyone else.

If you don't fly an airframe that is at the location you want to go to, you won't go. The CG pretty much keeps you in one airframe until late in your career when you may or may have to change airframes.

"And do you guys enjoy flying in the CG?"

This is by far the best flying position I have ever had. The flying is excellent, and rewarding in great locations, we have great people, and we get to interact with a lot of different agencies as well as civilians on a regular basis. I will probably be doing this until they kick me out.

"When is the HU-25 suppose to be replaced?"

If you figure that out please tell me. We seem to go back and forth on that. I certainly don't know at my level.

 

[psysicx]

So how senior is San Diego or LA?And how long to upgrade to the left seat?

 

[rjl2001]

Hey, nice to see some other Coasties on here. Unfortuneatly I can not add anything about the flying side as I was denied due to depth perception. Definately don't listen to the 8 hours a week or whatever. I'm enlisted as an MST and stationed at Security Response Team One. The hours are very long and the job is pretty demanding physically as well. But, they're right on the quality of life issue. I think the CG is right up there with the AF in the quality of life department. Even though the CG is a cutter oriented service, the AirDels seem to have it really nice.
Most of the pilots I talk to are prior service Army or Navy, and I've never heard of a CG pilot going to another branch. So that should say something. If you aren't real competitive at OCS for flight school I think it is pretty difficult to get directly, especially if you aren't one of the in-house guys trying to do it. But, like someone else said, I've never heard of an Officer not getting flight school eventually, even if they were on a big boat for a couple years first.

As far as the mission I think the CG has a great mission. We do SAR, Law Enforcement, Migrant Interdiction, Aids to Navigation, Pollution Response, and even fly for the International Ice Patrol. Plus now with all the homeland security missions it is getting pretty cool. We are the only agency authorized to use Airborne Use of Force as of now. And as popular as HITRON has been I wouldn't be suprised if that grows down the road. Not sure when the lease on the MH-68s is up though.

Sorry for the long post, but I never get to talk about CG aviation. It's been all boat stuff since I got in, and it drives me crazy sometimes.
Semper Paratus!

 

[sardaddy]

psysicx,

"So how senior is San Diego or LA?"

Not sure what you mean by how senior but if you mean how hard is it to get there, a couple of things come into play.

San Diego is an HH-60 pure unit so if you don't fly them it is not going to happen. Additionnally, it is a highly sought airstation so pilots coming back from an Alaskan tour usually take them first then whatever is left is up for grabs.

LA is an HH-65 pure unit so again you have to be in that airframe. The desireabilty is about mid range. Most people I know who have wanted to go there have gotten to.

Also remember this is still the military so even if you get where you want you will be moving within four years to a new location.

And how long to upgrade to the left seat?

In helicopters we upgrade to the right seat. But for just about any airframe making aircraft commander is usually about a two to three year process. However, you can fly in either seat with a Copilot or First Pilot designation as well as long as the Aircraft commander is up to it. Additionally some airstations have certain training in place before you can sit anywhere but the copilot side.



RJL2001,

Were you down here in Mobile for the initial train up of the SRT? If you were, I'm the LT that was running the ranges out at Camp Shelby.

 

[psysicx]

What are the deployments like in the 65?And do most people stay in for 20 years?Are promotions like every other service.

 

[sardaddy]

"What are the deployments like in the 65?"

Just like all of my comments seem to have started, it depends.

HH-65 crews deploy aboard ships anywhere from two weeks to six months. Although half of the six month deployments went away just recently. We deploy on 210', 270', 378' cutters as well as 400' ice breakers. The rule of thumb is the larger the ship the more comfortable it is but also the longer you will be gone.

On board ship you get three meals a day and always have a matress to sleep on. It sure beats living in the desert in a tent. Usually.

I have been on two month deployments that were great and two week deployments that sucked! The interaction of the ships crew with the aircrew, the mission, and even port calls all make deployments what they are.

Long, vague answer to a short question. Sorry.

"do most people stay in for 20 years?"

Yes, most pilots try to stay in at least twenty years. Most enjoy the job so much they try to stay the full thirty. But of course some do get out for whatever reason.

"Are promotions like every other service"

Pretty much. They run nearly the same timeline and percentages of promotion to the next rank.

 

[aeronautic1]

psyslick

Ahh, just go ahead and join up. Maybe you'll be lucky and get the Boutwell. She took a 68 degree Alaskan roll and came back up!!

I was on Mellon in '75 (S/V Sorcery SAR) in 60' seas, took water in the stacks, cracked the superstructure at the OST lab, tore all the NBC washdown gear off, twisted the array antenna on top of the 5" mount into a pretzel and blew a bullnose cover onto the flying bridge. Pulled both props out of the water a bunch of times. Had to switch from the Fairbanks Morris (main diesels) to the Pratt FT4A MGTs (marine gas turbines/707 engines) 'cause the diesels where red lining (750 rpm) riding down the back of those massive waves.

Once stove the tailwheel of an HH52 right up into the fuselage when the boat took a bad pitch. Had to crane it of in Kodiak. Three flight ops a day. 3 month deployments to Ak in the winter to babysit the opilio fleet. Hard work!! Hard play in lousy liberty ports (Adak Island/ Douche Harbor, give me a break!!) after three weeks of barfing. But then some good ones too (Seward, Juneau, Victoria BC). And a chance to become a Golden Dragon. Yum!! Is Solly's still open in Kodiak? The Garden Bar? A Girl behind every tree in the Aleutians.

The Big White Ones are a great boat for crew comfort considering the navy equivelent (it's a Perry class hull minus 100'). It's not all Caribbean drug enforcement or BayWatch on South Beach, pollywog. The Coast Guard is many things, but boring it ain't!!

And finally, heck yeah I am Lightship veteran!! That's another story.

 

[AviatrixMorgan]

I don't know if I should start another thread since I have a question or not so I figured I'd tack it on here first.

My boyfriend is in the process of getting into the CG OCS (hopefully for the June class....he first applied for the Jan class and was alternate #17, which from what we understand is great for your first try).

Anyways, I've heard different things on prior flight time before entering. He's obviously trying for a pilot slot. Graduated from ERAU with an Aero Sci degree and is now a CFI. Some people have said the military doesn't like to give pilot slots to people who have time as civilians. I was wondering if this is true and any other input would be great.

Thanks in advance!

 

[rjl2001]

Having flight time and ratings before OCS won't hurt at all for trying to get a pilot slot. Every service encourages people seeking pilot slots to have that flying experience. It just makes them that much more competitive against the rest of the applicants. I would imagine having a technical degree from ERAU as well as the hours, would look very good for him. That being said, some of the other people that have posted in this thread definately know more about the topic than I do.

Well good luck!

 

[Gabe]

Wow, I wish I had access to this info 13 years ago when I tried to join the CG. I learned more here in 10 minutes than I ever knew about aviation in the CG. I was dealt alot of misinformation from the recruiter who just tried to get me to sign without a guarantee. This left a very bad taste in my mouth about the military ever since. I wish I knew a little flight training and only 32 credits (once in) could have got me into OCS, I would have explored that. I always thought the CG was a good way to fly, just never had anyone to show me what options / alternatives were available.