military route??

[flybub]

Hey everyone!! I graduated from flightsafety academy in Fl. last May and left because my wife got a job offer in Ohio. I have my multi-single engine commercial/instrument; 400TT 50ME and right now I don't have the money to get my cfi and won't for sometime. Would it be a better route to go to the military (I have a local Air National Guard equipped with C-130) and build time? If any of you have been in my situation or have gone the military route any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!! Take care.

 

[Rush Limbaugh]

Building time through the military probably isn't the big one. With a 10 year committment for UPT now, you will probably be better off staying civilian, but that's only if your primary motivation for joining is for flight time.

If you want to do some real flying in some pretty awesome airplanes (as oppossed to what airline pilots do) then you can't beat the military.

 

[DAL737FO]

I second what Rush said about the commitment however there is always an exception. If you can find a guard baby slot, meaning full time almost like being in the real military slot then I would hop on it. I would also caution you about the aircraft you choose. The C-130 units that I've seen have been deploying quite a bit over to the old sand box lately. You only need to get that t-shirt once before it gets old. (got mine in 91 and never left anything there worth going back for). Good luck in your choice. Personally if I had a kid that wanted advice from old dad, I would tell them Comair, ASA, Skywest and almost every other jet regional is hiring right now.

Formerly DAL737FO
Now G1159 First Officer

 

[bobbysamd]

Military flying

It is something that you should at least consider, especially if you can get a slot. Applying to the airlines as a military pilot is virtually certain of vaulting you in front of the hiring line.

FSI has given you a decent foundation (I know; I instructed there), but, if you think that FSI was tough, wait til you start UPT.

Not only does military flying give you great experience, training and background, just making it through OCS and UPT is validation in and of itself that you are airline material. It was explained to me once that a big reason why airlines like ex-military pilots is because the military process does the airlines' hiring screening for them. It makes a lot of sense, because you learn in the military discipline and how to receive and execute orders. Moreover, military flying units are among the best airline networks around.

You cannot approach it, though, as strictly an experience-building opportunity. The military, even with the Guard, is a career. You should approach it accordingly, with "pilot" being your particular speciality.

Assuming you meet all the military physical quals, you should go for it if you have any chance at all for a slot. Best of luck with your decision.

 

[pilotyip]

Search

This topic has been addressd many times to a search

 

[na265]

If you have the chance to do this, I say go for it. I tried to get to AF UPT through a College AFROTC program. My eyes kept me from getting a Pilot Slot. Give it a good shot, and good luck!!!

 

[chawbein]

"Building time" is not a good reason to join the military.

Are you willing to drag your wife off to South Texas for a year while you go to UPT? Are you willing to leave her for three months and go to OTS or a month and a half for AMS? Are you willing to put your life on the line? Are you willing to give a 10 year committment flying AT LEAST 12 weekends and 15 days a year (I say at least because you fly alot more in the ANG than in the Active Duty Air Force or AF Reserve)? Are you willing to give up being with your family for holidays or the birth of a child because you are on deployment?

All this to "build time" for your civilian flying career, are you sure you want that?

I'm not raggin on you, I just thought I would bring some reality into it.

 

[Rush Limbaugh]

"(I say at least because you fly alot more in the ANG than in the Active Duty Air Force or AF Reserve)?"

Care to explain chawbein? I'm not saying you are wrong but I have never heard that before. Most people believe the ANG is the best deal going and rightly so but a lot of times the advantages get a little embellished.

 

[ms6073]

"(I say at least because you fly alot more in the ANG than in the Active Duty Air Force or AF Reserve)?"

Care to explain chawbein? I'm not saying you are wrong but I have never heard that before. Most people believe the ANG is the best deal going and rightly so but a lot of times the advantages get a little embellished.

I imagine all the ANG F-16 drivers in South Texas (not too mention the support/maintenance crews as well) who have spent the last year on 'indefinte' active duty to support the 'War on Terrorism' might have something to say about that.

My now ex-brother in law is one of those who have spent not only an entire year away from there regular 'civilian' job, but also living away from home since he lives in a different city from where his guard unit is based.

 

[pilotyip]

12 weekends and 15 days?

I don't what kind of flying unit would let you get away with that little time. It is more like 4 regular drills, plus four extra drills per month, basically another weekend, and about 30 days ACDU per year to maintain currency as an AC

 

[inline]

Building time through the military probably isn't the big one. With a 10 year committment for UPT now, you will probably be better off staying civilian, but that's only if your primary motivation for joining is for flight time.

If you want to do some real flying in some pretty awesome airplanes (as oppossed to what airline pilots do) then you can't beat the military.

Hey Rush,

I see by your ratings that you've probably never flown airliners in the 121 environment. How could you possibly know what it's like?

 

[Rush Limbaugh]

ms6073,

I'm not saying the ANG isn't pulling their weight. I'm simply saying that it is a misnomer that ANG pilots get more flight time than their active duty and reserve bro's.

Speaking from a fighter perspective, the guard doesn't have a higher UTE rate than active duty. In fact, I would argue that in general, active duty units probably have a slightly higher UTE than the guard although I don't have any data to prove either of those claims. Notwithstanding, an active duty fighter unit has less pilots than a guard unit and even if the UTE was slightly in favor of the guard unit, there are more sorties to go around for the active guys, which directly translates to flight time.

If you, or anyone else for that matter, has any data to refute that argument, then have at it, I'm all ears. Like I said to chawbein, I'm not saying he was wrong, I just need a little proof before I believe his claim.

I'm all for the guard and reserve. I'll probably end up there someday but if we are going to talk about the advantages, lets not exaggerate. You won't get any sympathy from me about guard units being deployed for long periods of time. That's what they signed up for.

 

[Rush Limbaugh]

"I see by your ratings that you've probably never flown airliners in the 121 environment. How could you possibly know what it's like?"

How about correcting me rather than just telling me I don't know what I am talking about. How much actual stick and rudder time does an airline pilot get? You see, I can make fun of watching an autopilot fly because that is what I do now and it kills me. I truly don't know how these international airline pilots can take it. They aren't flying, they are just sitting in the front row.

I would rather be a loadmaster on a C-130 than a United 747 Captain. Since I am not either, I can say that I respect the former a whole h#ll of a lot more than the latter.

 

[bobbysamd]

T-41

(At Hondo Texas, a subcontractor once provided screening of applicants in the Cessna T-43- a 210 HP C-172) . . . .

Excellent post in its entirety, but don't you mean T-41s?

We flew them in Bill Barker's "favorite" organization, CAP. Ours was a former Army T-41B with a 180-hp Lycoming and constant-speed prop. Although really just a 172, our T-41 was the closest thing to a warbird I ever flew, so that makes it one of my favorite aircraft.

I kind of tried to get a job at Hondo, but got nowhere. Too bad - that would have been a fun job for someone like me.

 

[bobbysamd]

T-43

You are absolutely correct, sir. This page from the DOD has all the dope on this B737 variant.

 

[ExAF]

He's Right

Hey Rush,

I see by your ratings that you've probably never flown airliners in the 121 environment. How could you possibly know what it's like?

Inline, whether he's flown 121 or not is irrelevant. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that in 121 flying, you takeoff, cruise from point A to point B, fly the arrival and land. Every military flight, no matter what the mission, includes these steps and most of the time those steps are pretty mundane. They are not the "meat of the mission" in most military flights. What Rush is trying to say is that the "mission" is the exciting/challenging part of military flying that differentiates it from most civilian flying. I see from your profile that you've never flown military, so how could you possibly know whether or not Rush is on to something. It's just his opinion (and I happen to agree with him), so why not let him voice it without declaring him wrong. And before you ask...yes, I fly 121 airliners right now and I've flown military. For me, the military flying was far more exciting. As I age, I'm more attracted to the "less exciting" airline flying. They both have their place and the airlines definitely pay better. Cheers and blue skies.