Guard/Reserve f15/16/a10?

[Flyby1206]

I was wondering what the possibility would be to get a slot flying one of the above a/c in the guard or reserves? I know that prior experience helps, or if your father is the congressman/base commander whatever. I have no contacts in the military, but some prior commercial flying experience. I am not trying to join up so I can be the next hot-s**t jet jock, I just want to serve my country while gaining some better flight experience and a chance to network with others in the aviation industry. I would be willing to relocate to wherever I could get based. Thanks.

 

[Deuce130]

I was wondering what the possibility would be to get a slot flying one of the above a/c in the guard or reserves? I know that prior experience helps, or if your father is the congressman/base commander whatever. I have no contacts in the military, but some prior commercial flying experience. I am not trying to join up so I can be the next hot-s**t jet jock, I just want to serve my country while gaining some better flight experience and a chance to network with others in the aviation industry. I would be willing to relocate to wherever I could get based. Thanks.

FB, I wish you the best of luck getting the aircraft and guard/reserve unit of your choice. I know lots of folks who fly fighters and most of them are good peeps. I would recommend, however, that you expand your search criteria. If you're not looking to be the next Top Gun and you really just want to serve your country and gain experience, then I would also include ALL of the aircraft available to you - that means adding heavies to the mix. You would double your chances of getting hired.

 

[L-1011-500]

I was wondering what the possibility would be to get a slot flying one of the above a/c in the guard or reserves? I know that prior experience helps, or if your father is the congressman/base commander whatever. I have no contacts in the military, but some prior commercial flying experience. I am not trying to join up so I can be the next hot-s**t jet jock, I just want to serve my country while gaining some better flight experience and a chance to network with others in the aviation industry. I would be willing to relocate to wherever I could get based. Thanks.

I agree with Deuce130 if you want to serve your country and gain experience in aviation go for anything you can get into. Especially multiengine "heavies". I know for a stone cold fact that at my company if you had a guy with 4000 of C-whatever time vs. a fighter guy the heavy guy will get the job if they were close in everything else. That may not be true at some of the other airlines but you need to broaden your scope. If you want to fly a fighter go for it and I wish you the best of luck.

 

[Flyby1206]

I guess the main reason for trying the fighter as opposed to transport would be the PIC turbine experience from the start. It would be a goal to get to a major airline (whenever they start hiring). It does seem like military training in general does carry a lot of weight when its on your resume, so maybe the transports would be just as good.

 

[L-1011-500]

I guess the main reason for trying the fighter as opposed to transport would be the PIC turbine experience from the start. It would be a goal to get to a major airline (whenever they start hiring). It does seem like military training in general does carry a lot of weight when its on your resume, so maybe the transports would be just as good.

I have been in 121 aviation for over 20 years. I also have been flying in the Guard as well. The military has helped me get valuable experience and is good for the resume. However Part 121 time is what gets noticed before being "Top Gun". Yes flying a C-130 can't ever be as fun as zipping around in any airplane beginning with an F or A. But I'll bet you C-130/C-5 time got my resume noticed more than any single seat fighter. PIC or not there isn't alot of CRM skills honed in a fighter. Plus I don't know too many fighter guys that got to fly all that much compaired to AMC guys. If you can get into a guard or reserve unit flying a fighter go for it. Sounds like it is what you'd really like to do and as I said before best of luck. If you want to be an airline pilot then I suggest you go into any guard/reserve unit you can find and if you have to fly a commuter job as well. The part time military helps offset the crappy commuter payscale but the time is much more desireable than just fighter/attack time.

 

[Gorilla]

If your goal is to be brutalized and raped in the 121 world, go heavy, it looks great on a resume.

If you want to be a god in the sky, with powers of life and death over all you survey, and have women throw themselves at you, begging for your attention, fly fighters.

I keed, I keed!

Good luck. Just don't be overly narrow in your search. It is competitive to say the least.

 

[ExAF]

Stay Open

I have to agree with the "keep your options open crowd" in this day and age. However, if you are passionate about flying fighters/attack go for it. I'm not saying you will be a better pilot and I certainly don't want to start another fighter vs heavy war, but there is nothing in the world like flying fighters and you have to have lived it to know it. If that is what you really want to do, go for it. If you have the time and it doesn't pan out, expand your horizons. At least you won't have any regrets. There are plenty of guys out there that flew fighters and now fly airlines. I wouldn't sweat the age old argument of whose time is more valuable. I successfully interviewed at 4 major airlines and they all thought fighter time was just fine. There is plenty of CRM happening when you coordinate a 16-ship package from a single seat fighter and the airlines know it. Twenty years ago it might have made a difference, but these days it really doesn't seem to matter as much. It usually boils down to who you know anyway. Either way, you can't go wrong if you are flying and serving your country no matter what the platform. Good Luck:beer:

 

[Slice121]

You've got the rest of your life to go (relatively)slow. Flying fighters kicks ass. However, it is a lot more work, pre-mission, per hour flown compared to heavies. I will admit that on ocassion I do envy some of the trips with long ass layovers that some of my guard tanker buds do. Then I strap into the jet, light the burner, and it goes away. Bottom line is that flying for the military in any capacity is a privilege and you can't go wrong in either community.

 

[milplt]

If you are already talking PIC turbine, networking, etc - do yourself a favor and look for everything else but the fighter. This is no "slam-a-heavy" comment, I flew one for a while, but a fighter squadron needs someone who is more concerned with spending enough hours in the vault and briefs/debriefs to get on the step than worrying about building the logbook 1.3 hours/sortie. There are a lot of bad deals that go with a fighter squadron, and you'll be whining during every single one of them.

 

[SIG600]

If you are already talking PIC turbine, networking, etc - do yourself a favor and look for everything else but the fighter. This is no "slam-a-heavy" comment, I flew one for a while, but a fighter squadron needs someone who is more concerned with spending enough hours in the vault and briefs/debriefs to get on the step than worrying about building the logbook 1.3 hours/sortie. There are a lot of bad deals that go with a fighter squadron, and you'll be whining during every single one of them.

Concur... someone looking for "PIC Turbine" time is not going to be happy in the tactical community. We fly the least, and probably work the hardest per flight hour (that's not trying to pick a fight). Not only is flying NOT going to be your #1 job at a squadron, but are you prepared for 2-3 hour briefs for a 1.5, followed by a 2-3 hour debrief? Not to mention the time spent (mentioned above) studying classified material, weapons, timelines, standardization, etc. etc. etc.