FBI is looking for fixed wing pilots

[con-pilot]

The 35-year age restriction (or 37, it could have changed) is for agencies that require that their pilots be an agent first. It has something to due with maximum retirement age and maximum years one can be a Federal Law Enforcement Officer. You have to retire after 20yrs and one has to retire by the age of 55 (or maybe 57 now) or something like that.

There is no age restrictions for pilots hired straight off the street with agencies such as the U.S. Marshal Service (we hired a ex-airline guy who was 62, he didn’t last too long, we flew too much for him). As for the U.S. Customs, when I was with the USMS their pilots had to become U.S. Customs agents first, I guess that has changed from what an earlier post claimed.

About 5 years ago the I.N.S. (Immigration & Naturalization Service) and the U.S. Marshal Service merged their two flight departments. I will not get into what a major mistake that was. We were operating 3 Boeing 727s and 4 Sabre 80s, the INS had 2 broken down Convair 580s and a Merlin. Just before the merger the INS got a baby DC-9-10 from the FAA. The INS chief pilot became our boss, go figure. Anyway the whole mess is run out of OKC.

The INS and the USMS is under the Department of Justice, U.S. Customs is under the Treasury Department.

However, a lot of agencies use contract pilots or did anyway.

Boy, could I write a book, probably go to jail though.

 

[Bluto]

I guess you could say that US Customs pilots have to be agents first. However, they do hire pilots, train them at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center to be federal agents, and then stick them in Customs aircraft. I was quite interested in the program and spoke at length with a Customs pilot at a career fair a few years ago. Con-pilot clearly has the inside scoop on this subject, as well as the experience. I would imagine, despite the small aircraft, that flying for the FBI might be an interesting career choice. I'm keeping my options open.