Flying verses non-Flying in the ANG

[stein429]

Albie,

Spent 20+ years on active duty, retired, went to airline job, furloughed and recalled to active duty right after furlough. Spent the past 2+ years in the staff world (5th Air Force @ Yokota and now an acquisition job). Do I miss flying? Yes! Enough to endure another herniated disk in my neck (I've had three surgeries already)? NO!!! I could use a good Low Angle Strafe pass from time to time but alas, that is gone as well -- too bad!

I say take the non-flying job if it offers promotion potential; gotta think about retirement bennies! I've had several IMAs work for me; some have even taken Extended Active Duty orders and have gotten promoted and or reached active duty retirement. Take the plunge!

Cheers
Stein

 

[ExAF]

Albie,
I'll toss in my 2 cents. I did 20 years active and only 15 mos non-flying. The first 2 months of the non-flying staff job wasn't bad, then the novelty wore off and reality hit me in the face. I hated the next 13 months. As is usually the case in the military, the people were great, but the monotony of a staff job sucked after flying for a living. At the end of 20, I retired and did the airline gig. Since I had done nothing but fly for a living, I couldn't really find anything else I wanted to do. It was great until furlough struck. Forced to find something else to do made me settle and again it was OK for a while. After about 6 months, I really missed flying again. Fortunately I was recalled after 2 years and enjoy flying for a living again. Unfortunately, am expecting another furlough in the not too distant future and will be forced to settle again. Now that is a lot of background for the following opinion, but here goes. Obviously you have to do what is best for you and your family first. I always put my family before my job now. For me, I was happiest when I was flying. For those that truly love flying, a non-flying job will NEVER measure up; whether it is flying fighters, people haulers or box haulers. Since you are flying the jurrasic jet in your paying job, you won't have to do without flying. In that case, the non-flying job could be fine for a part time military gig as long as you feel it is a job worth doing and provides you some benefit. Mil retirement is a great benny that won't end up getting dumped in a corporate banckruptcy. The non-flying gig may also give you some new connections and skills that would serve you well if you ever have to give up your day job on the jurrasic jet. So I guess my advice would be to fly as long as you can look the 40 year old in the face and say "I can still hack it." If you get to the point where is just isn't worth it any more, you'll know it. If you have reached that point, take the non-flying gig and continue to work with the great people that continue to serve. I miss the people of the AF, but not the institution. I would love to take a fighter out for a spin again, but I'm content to move on and leave it to the younger generation for a daily occupation. Good luck with your decision. Cheers...ExAF

 

[rockr]

Life after Yanking & Spanking, er Banking I mean

Finally got certified to post!

Did the same, left after an all flying career, at first did not think it would be such a good deal going from a flying job to an IMA job (paid).

First, why stay in a flying unit and have to do all that sucking rubber stuff and weekends when you can be an IMA and then really enjoy things? Besides you can also become an IMA and still affiliate with your old unit, in other words do your duty from there and avoid the rubber sucking scenes. Also depending on your IMA job you can telecommute (see telecommute reg-AFI), do your staff stuff/project from home or on the road and then really enjoy your additional time. Check out IMA jobs listed in ARPC web site,plus there are more special tours 30/90/180 , e.g. Pentagon, Germany, HQ ACC, for IMAs, Res, ANGs.

What you will miss? The flying, and all the ops social scene, flying, "dancing bears" in the pilot bar, flying, etc. Still, you will be amazed at just how busy you were flying missions and filling squares, and how much a committment it has all been, certainly there will be squares to fill on the IMA side, but they usally get those all done on a two day conference. Of course dealing with the "other Air Force" as in non-flying community===yes, bring Capt Morgan, but there are such little requirements e.g. 12 days of AT and 12 UTAs

As for promotion if you've got your PME done should be pretty easy, since IMAs do not count against a selecting official's DP qouta, the challenge then becomes whether you really want to stay in that long to lock in promotion, as for me, I didn't want to do three more years to lock in promotion, so I've just retired and am loving it. Believe me it was not that easy to retire, not because of the money-- at the end I had as many man days I could use---a way of life after twenty years is not something one can easily walk away from, in the end, it simply felt like it was time to move on, of course my tolerance for queep, and standard mandatory ancillary stuff e.g. suicide prevention tng, had severly eroded. While there were many more exciting opportunities to pursue had I stayed in, for me it was a case of taking those talents and using them to directly enhance my efforts elsewhere.

Best of luck with your decision.

 

[Vingus]

Nice post!


I have been out over a year now with 14 yrs AD under my belt. I have a flying job now, so I'm not needing to "build hours" but would like the retirement check.

How do I go about the reserve / guard thing? Do I need to see a recruiter?

Looking for advice.

 

[YGBSM]

Nice post!


I have been out over a year now with 14 yrs AD under my belt. I have a flying job now, so I'm not needing to "build hours" but would like the retirement check.

How do I go about the reserve / guard thing? Do I need to see a recruiter?

Looking for advice.

Get ready for the biggest administrative nightmare of your young life. A break in service has the same effect on getting your medical/aeronautical orders recertified as a case of genital warts has on getting laid.

 

[Vingus]

Get ready for the biggest administrative nightmare of your young life. A break in service has the same effect on getting your medical/aeronautical orders recertified as a case of genital warts has on getting laid.

Looking for something more specific, thanks.

 

[YGBSM]

OK. Like what?

"How do I go about the Guard and Reserve thing" doesn't really inspire specifics.

 

[Vingus]

OK. Like what?

"How do I go about the Guard and Reserve thing" doesn't really inspire specifics.

You apparently are not easily inspired. HoHum.

 

[YGBSM]

Best of luck with your spoon feeding.

 

[GasPasser]

Glad to help

Looking for something more specific, thanks.

Let me be the first to say welcome to the guard, the best military flying job to be had! Go to www.baseops.net Click on aviation jobs, top and center. There are plenty of -135 units out there and not enough prior service -135 guys getting out to fill our vacancies. Even if the closest unit to you is not advertising for pilots, apply anyway.

Good luck to you brother!