How much flying?

[hoover]

Can anyone tell me, on average, how many hours a military pilot flies in a month or a year?

Do transport pilots fly more than fighter/bomber pilots, or is it the same?

Thanks

 

[peter185]

For new LT's I think fighters fly about 300-400 hours per year. Heavies in the 700-1000 range. FAIPS probably fly like 500-600 hours per year. As you advance in rank the flying will slow down a little. Anyone care to reattack?

 

[MarineGrunt]

I haven't hit the operational world yet, but so far, it's been pretty frustrating how few hours I've been flying. Only about 220 (civillian loggable TT) or so in the past 2 years, but then again, all that has been UPT and KC-135 PIQ. I'm not sure how things are at my guard unit, but hopefully I can rack up another 200hrs rather quickly so I can start flying for the regionals...

 

[TankerDriver]

Well, as a tanker pilot flying the KC-135 on active duty, flight time comes in spurts. You'll deploy to the Middle East for 60+ days and fly about 100 combat hours a month (which I consider quite a good amount of flight time). However, this flight time consists of canned flight plans and flying circles over Iraq with one approach to landing when you come back. Aircraft commanders and copilots will alternate pilot flying/pilot not flying duties every day so you get a little bit of everything. However, when we're home, I fly maybe once every week or two. A 5-6 hour flight, on average, usually refueling another aircraft on a training mission and then we come back for 2-3 hours of pattern work, which tends to be much needed for most of our pilots. The last time I was home between deployments for 2 months, I flew 4 times and got about 20 hours in two months. There are occasional trips. Medivac missions, coronets, business efforts, presidential support missions, etc..., but they are few and far in between. I did, however, spend 40 hours a week behind a desk answering phones and staring at a computer. Unfortunately, flying is half the job in the military. Sometimes less than half. You're an officer first doing many, many uninteresting secretarial duties. You may get a fancy acronym as a job title like ADO, DO, UDM, XO, etc..., but you're basically a secretary. It's not like the airlines where you get done with your 3-4 day trip and spend your time off at home.

 

[skywiz]

It really depends on if you are on deployment or not. When not on deployment, C-2 pilots fly 2-3 times per week and log anywhere from 15-30 hours per month.

On deployment, i would say 200-300 hours in 6 months.

 

[Gunfighter]

150-200 hours per year is the norm for a full time fighter pilot. Part timers in the guard and reserve fly 100-150.

 

[Deuce130]

As a MC-130 pilot in Okinawa, I averaged 40 hours a month. In Florida, it was more like 20 hours a month, sometimes less. Deployments will get you 80-100 hours a month.

 

[pilotyip]

I spent 11 years on active duty in the Navy in the 60's and 70's. After 11 years, I had around 2500 hours, that is about 230 per year. 750 hours of that came in one 7 month period flying around Vietnam.

 

[L'il J.Seinfeld]

As a MC-130 pilot in Okinawa, I averaged 40 hours a month. In Florida, it was more like 20 hours a month, sometimes less. Deployments will get you 80-100 hours a month.

Deuce, when were you at Kadena?

 

[psysicx]

How come fighter pilots in the Guard fly so much less then AD? And do Tankers deploy differently depending on where there based?