Helos to ANG/reserve

[FightingGravity]

I'm a Marine helo pilot coming toward the end of my service committment. How competitive would I be trying for a pilot slot at an ANG fixed-wing unit? How much time would I expect to spend taking UPT and replacement squadron training, and would I be expected to go full-time at the unit after training? Any other observations that might help are also appreciated.

Does anyone know much about the ANG helo reserve units? I understand that some have fulltime SAR responsibilities and those assigned to JSOTF have a very high ops tempo. DO they have room for many part-timers?

 

[Anaconda]

suggest you check out www.forumco.com/aptap

there have been a bunch of helo bubbas on there go through the process in recent months. should be able to set you on the righ track.

AF unit in cocoa beach, FL is looking for some guys if that interests you....

 

[46Driver]

Concur with Anaconda. Go to www.aptap.org and it will be more help.
Lot depends on what your future plans are: Guard bum? Trying to break into the airlines? I would definitely go Navy, Air Force, or Marine over Army - and that is simply due to a better reserve retirement (say an O-5 vice a W-4) other than that, the Army has a bunch of good missions and aircraft. Also, the Air Force and Navy have much bigger pots of money than the Marines (I spent a year at HMM-774 in Norfolk before leaving)
One thing you might want to consider: if you are doing the airline thing, live near your reserve base. It will be your primary source of income for a while and when you are on duty, you will be home every night. If you live near your airline hub, you will still be on the road a lot.
If I can be of any other help, PM me.
Semper Fi.

 

[FightingGravity]

Not really interested in the airlines. I'm looking at Customs air or other Fed law enforcement as a first choice. Petroleum or medevac helo work is my backup plan. None of those options pay quite as well as the Corps right now, plus I'd like to continue to fly military, just on the reduced BS plan.

 

[pony251]

We have some former Marine (and air force) helo bubbas in our unit (A-10)that are undergoing UPT right now. I defected from the fixed wing side so I can't talk directly to UPT. It is possible to get a fixed wing slot, but right now is the worst possible time because of all the furloughs. The heavy units might be more fruitful. A CH46/C-12 friend of mine got a C-5 slot recently. With all the deployments the tankers have had they probably will have quite a few leave as well. PM me if you want more.

 

[Spur]

As far as UPT goes, the governing AFI states that if you completed military fixed wing primary (T-34/T-37) then you do not need to go to primary again. You would certainly fall in the Fixed Wing Qual training program, and if your unit agreed, you could skip T-37/T-6. In practice, I have only seen the AFRes take advantage of this, while the ANG has forced all FWQ students to go through the entire program. Its been a couple years since I was involved with the program, but I seem to remember that if you are going to a heavy unit, the AFI states you can go directly to the FTU. Again, your unit will have a greater say, based on your experiece/confidence, on what exactly you have to do. I will say that if you do go to a fighter unit, DO NOT skip T-37/T-6 even though technically you are allowed to. There is alot of AF procedure you really can't learn anywhere else that transfers from T-37/T-6 to T-38s, and to try to learn it all while going through a short 38 course is really too much to expect.