Reserve & Regional Lifestyle

[Richard]

I'll try to breath a little life into this rather underused Board. I was recently hired at a Regional. My family and I are planning to move to the domicile. I was also planning to do work the Reserve squadron angle (which I would have to commute to). Anyone out there making this kind of arrangement work successfully with a family? What are the rules? How many days a month can I work Reserve? Any info would be greatly appreciated!

 

[46Driver]

I would suggest living at your reserve base. Your domicile for your regional could change but I am assuming you will stay in the same military resrve unit until you retire. When you are at your airline, chances are you will be on the road anyway, when you are on military duty (depending on the unit), you could very well be at home everynight. Finally, until you upgrade to captain, your military reserve unit might possibly be your primary source of income. Good Luck.

Almost forgot: for Navy and Marine Corps, you have your 24 days of regular drills, plus 72 AFTP's (additional flight training periods commonly used 2 per day) and then whatever active duty money your unit can scrounge together.

 

[Richard]

All very true

Now you got me thinking again! The biggest thing I'm concerned about is dealing with the crash pad. The problem right now is that I'm still on Active duty and won't know about getting picked up with the reserve squadron until after I get out. It could be a painful first year if I don't get picked up right away, especially if I sit reserve at my airline! Thanks for your advice.

 

[HoursHore]

same boat

I'm in the same boat, looking to get on with a regional and a tanker unit. Most Buds I've talked to in the reserve unit I am rushing and the unit asscoicated with my AD squadron say live near the reserve base. That way its easier to pick up those extra drill periods on your off time if you want, and get some extra mil pay which is way more than first year pay. Just avoid the double commute. Don't know anyone who has made that work. An hour or so drive I guess is fine, but an airline commute to both blows.

 

[46Driver]

You might want to look at getting into the reserve unit first - and thus have a nice guaranteed income. None of the airlines are going anywhere so you aren't missing out on a whole lot. Also, there is a good chance there will be a lot of down time during training so you can use that to go drill. Remember, drills and AFTP's are budgeted on the fiscal year so you can cook off all 72 AFTP's by Sept 30 and then get a whole new batch starting Oct 01. Also, you can take orders away from your reserve unit to fill staff functions in a variety (we had an offer today for 179 days in Tampa) so there is plenty of work out there. Hope this helps.

 

[Richard]

A reserve squadron can be such gold mine. I've heard of guys making 50-80K on reserves alone (less so now with the downturn in the airline industry). Where do I sign!

 

[AlbieF15]

Gold mine? Well....how about a good iron ore open pit mine. Good solid work--you won't get rich but the extra income can be great on first year pay. You will have to work, but especially if extra days are out there, life can be good. Many guys in my unit have been able to get 139 MPAs (total for FY) to go along with the 48 UTA/AFTPPs.

Some furloughed guys have gotten orders to augment various units for 90-180-365 days or so. Problem is that while the money and benefits are nice, there is no guarantee of future "man day" availablity...so even if you are troughing hard at the moment you have to be pragmatic and save some funds for down the road.

As for lifestyle...I made a VERY tough call to pass up working for one company to work for FedEx. Turns out I really enjoy FDX, but one of the primary reasons I chose them was the easier commute, as I knew I'd be living near my ANG base. If you are close, you can have a very comfortable quality of life working locally and being home at night, then hitting the road on airline trips. If you live in domicile, you can probably get a similar lifestyle bidding reserve, but I imagine at the end of the month you will have been away from home more days (since you'll get called up some) than if you lived near your military unit. I've know a few guys who double commuted for a while, but all will tell you its a tough road.

I actually started to respond just to emphasize you shouldn't expect to "get rich" doing ANG/Reserve duties. On the other hand, an extra 20-40k per year can help get you through rough times, and being able to "drop" a trip here or there with mil leave can sure make momma and the kids happy when you are home for special events. Nothing is free, however, and there are some real costs.

First...when the schedule a war...you may have to go. If they schedule a war after you are off probation and making great money as a Captain...well...you still get to go!

Second...you have now doubled the ways to screw up and kill yourself. Only you can decide how much/little flying you need to do to stay current at BOTH jobs, with two different (sometimes radically different) airframes, different missions, etc. I had 10 years experience in my military airframe before leaving active duty, but now flying it in the ANG I still cannot "coast" but have to stay up on the latest new avionics, tactics, comm changes, etc. At the same time, your airline still expects you to sail through all your checkrides and sims. I had a line check at my airline in Oct, an AF Instrument checkride and sim in Nov, a mission check (tactical employment) in January, and am due for another airline sim check in March. None of it is overwhelming, but my point is for every sim or check you study for, you will soon get to study for twice (or more) as many. Add upgrades if you are learning a new jet (MQT, flight lead, mission commander, instructor in fighters or MQT, airdrop, aircraft commander, AAR, IP, etc in heavies) and either way you will have a full plate keeping up with everything some days.

Don't let me scare you away, however...if you can make it work it really is a great way of life. You get to be an airline pilot with the associated benefits, but when you see bad things on CNN you can look in the mirror and know you are hopefully doing something to help serve this great country along the way. You can't buy that feeling, and no kidding...having done this for a year...I've been very greatful for the money but even happier to still be part of the team.

Good luck.

 

[P3tarbaby]

Here's my .02 cents worth from the perspective of being a TAR for 5 years and now a SELRES for the last year...

Being a SELRES in a squadron is a GREAT safety net from a financial standpoint. It has kept food on my table for the last year while I made the transition in this awefule job market and, like Albie said, will help supplement first year pay once I start at Fedex in a couple of months.

As far as where you should live...I would go along with what the previous posters have said, live near your Reserve unit. You should be able to apply and get accepted before you get off active duty (I had a billet almost a year out). Also, living near your unit is a HUGE plus in your favor in the selection process for getting into a unit. I know from my experiences that the squadron is much more likely to pick you up if you are local, availablity is much better for them and it's much easier for you.

Hope this helps.

 

[Richard]

I've heard so many nightmare stories about commuting in the first year at a Regional (what with 3-4 mos of training and 6 mos holding a reserve line) that I've kind of shied away from living at my reserve location. The one advantage I have near my Reserve Unit is that we have family there. We have no family at my Airline's domicile. So I am invisioning that I could still be very available to my Reserve Squadron as often as they want me. And since my family could fly for free, when I do Reserves they could visit family. But given the wt of responses I've seen on this discussion, I may live at my reserve location yet!

 

[46Driver]

Greetings from Innsbruck - I´m in the Alps trying to snowboard (quite unsuccessfully I might add). If I read correctly, you are headed to the regionals which is quite diferent from Albie15 and P3Tarbaby. To those guys who made it to Fedex, congratulations, you hit the goldmine - I am turning green with envy. The difference for the rest of us: they only need the reserves for a year or 2 to tide them over. If you are headed to a regional, you are going to need the reserve income for years to come. 1st year regional pay: $15k, 2nd year $29k, 3rd year not expected to change significantly. However, reserve income was $40k 2 years ago and $50k last year - probably more this year. Until you make it out of the regionals which could be 5 years, 10 years, maybe never, the extra income literally makes a world of difference in your lifestyle. The difference between $100k and $130k is nowhere near the difference between $30k and $70k. Anyway, good luck on your career - and to Albie15 and P3 TarBaby, tell me that Fedex is as good as I always heard it is (I need something to keep me motivated!)