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Take bonus-stay in the Air Force or ??

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To Bonus or Not to Bonus

1. The bonus is a manning forecasting tool, not an incentive. (The guys who take the bonus are a known quantity at AFPC -- i.e. "here's a pilot who will be working for us until FYXX"). The bonus is NOT enough money to make a difference-- see posts above. Now if they made it 50K a year and let us take 100% up front... that'll never happen.

2. The Three Year bonus option is going away (probably) as of Sept 30, 2002. If you want that option, take it sooner rather than later.

3. O-4 is no longer a commitment (if you're in this boat... pin-on - I did).

4. I have been bonus eligible for about 18 mos, but bonus free for the duration so that I had options at my ADSC expiration. Now I have set a DOS and started a Stop-Loss waiver with a Reserve Slot Pending... again more options. The Bonus is less options.

5. Someone posted G-Vs at McThrill as an option... You'll have to sell your firstborn and your soul for that one. Look at my quals... I know what I'm talking about. FYI the G-V is an awesome jet and probably the MOST valuable Type that you can have - even better than a B737... If you want to fly it, you can put it down on your PW and hope for the best. MCF is a very busy place and DV flying is HIGH STRESS... not HIGH G.

6. If you want to get out for your family. Get out for your family. I always told my wife that I would be the night manager at Blockbuster before taking an assignment where I could be sent on a rotation for 45-90 days. You know what is right deep down, bite the bullet and do it.

Godspeed.
 
Just a thought..

While i cant comment on the military contracts and what not..

I can say that the one thing you must do in order to land a major position is be as ready and as flexible as possible..Do NOTHING that will take away your ability to be open to as many jobs as possible..

I would not leave a flying position until i have landed a job with a major...If you must leave the military, only leave after having found a flying job on the outside to go to..Currency is a major issue and not easily resolved after a long dry spell..

As for the industry..

Timing is everything and in most cases it takes about a year for the process of hiring a pilot..Shorter in some cases but for the most part ive found it pretty safe to say you can plan on a year..

If you want a job with a major you need to be doing everything you can today to improve your chances in the future..The future has a nasty way of getting here much faster than any of us think..Waiting to apply only after they start hiring is not a good plan..The people that get the call have had their stuff in for months or even years in advance and will be the first to go to school..

Hiring in the past has always been in huge waves and its always better to be in the front of one than in the back..The guys in the back never make it to the beach and are always the first to go in a down turn..

SO..For what its worth..
Start preparing yesterday..DO everything you can to remain flexible..And when it happens...Trust me when i say it will..Dont hesitate!!!!Take the job!!
There are an awful lot of folks out on the street that couldnt make up their minds and have lost out on some really great jobs..If any of the top four airlines or Fedex or UPS offer you a job..Take it..Dont wait for other offers like a few people i know and then lose the one you had..

Good luck.

Mike
MLBWINGBORN
 
Measure your options-- then get out!

I have been hired by SouthWest and am currently in the pool awaiting training and trying to get out via a stop loss waiver. There are two big things you need to think about before signing the 3, 5, 10 or 15 year bonus. First is the opportunity cost.
You cant take advantage of any opportunities in the airline market when you are on active duty. This furlough deal is going to end someday, and when they start hiring you want to be there. If you stay active duty you may not be able to take advantage of the changes in the industry.
The second issue is, how are you going to eat/healthcare. If you can get a guard or reserve job then you can eat. The healthcare deal you will have to cover yourself and it may cost you alot... but what is the cost of not having the active duty meathooks in your hide... you have to decide that. My buds who have troughed with the reserves (just flew with no ART job) are making more cash than they were active duty... of course they are gone alot too. For us C-5 dudes, the reserves and guard are flying more missions than the active duty, so there is opportunity to make some cash.
Basically you need to look at all that stuff... the big thing is opportunity cost. The more you stay in the AF now, the more cash you lose when your 60. That is the reality. If you stay in you may be gone more than you would be in the airlines, with no control over your life ( the airlifters are looking at 280 days TDY this year). Good luck.
 
BeeVee,
From the other SWA post that just went up it sounds like you took the plunge and decided to stay in for 2 more years. In this game there is no right or wrong answer, so I recommend not kicking yourself over it for the duration. Last summer I got out, got married, and went on a honeymoon that ended early Sep. Had job offers from a major and a national. Everything for the wedding/honeymoon was planned before the job offers. I decided to keep the plans, and sacrifice a couple week's worth of class dates/seniority. Things changed, missed both jobs by less than two weeks, and am back to square one. However, I did beat the stop-loss, love my guard unit, and my wife and I are happy. I made my choice, and now I have to accept the consequences. But I made it once, someday I'll make it again, and until then we are happy. You and your family now have income and benefits and you are still flying. There will be more airline jobs waiting in two years, and assuming a 20-25 year airline career for you, a two year wait will not hurt your ability to live and retire comfortably. Best wishes with the choice. It's done, now just enjoy it and keep yourself prepped for your "next" DOS.
 
BeeVee

As a close personal friend of Spomey...what are you thinkin'...How about another three year and see what happens...don't forget about the desert tour and you ought to see the ops tempo of the airlifters in centcom aor...bbeeeeoootttccccchhhhhh!
 
OK, now for a slightly different angle...

I do the ANG/FedEx juggling act. Many will tell you its a pain to try to manage 2 jobs, and they are right...but...so far I kind of like the choices and options.

My unit just requested me for 30+ days to augment the unit since some of the squadron is going TDY and they need bodies at home to train students. Dispite the fact I will actually make more cash this month on orders than trying to do divide time between the 2 jobs, I have grown to like the flexibility of mixing and matching work days between the two. Somehow, doing both jobs makes me appreciate the good side in both of them. Being (and I hate to use this word but here goes) STUCK for 30+ days knowing I'm going to work 5 days per week at whatever the powers that be require suddenly feels a bit "stifiling" after being able to trip trade, pick up trips, etc. to create my own "custom" schedule. I'm not knocking flying Uncle Sam's fighters for Uncle Sam's wages (especially on 1st year pay!), but even a few months on the line has spoiled me with the EASE and flexibility of FedEx and the traditional Guardsman type gig.

Bottom line is the extra Guv'mint dollars have a cost--they own you for the period you are on orders. I am VERY greatful for the ANG position and I'd never leave it voluntarily, but it does jog my memory as to why I did want to leave active duty in the first place. Oh...and that email from the AETC CC that says all personal must now travel in dress blues when on official travel...that was a nice reminder too.

If you can hop on with FedEx, JetBlue, or SWA...I'd start kissin' some serious guard butt and get out. The freedom is intoxicating.

Just one guys take...and it is a TOUGH call. Let me know if I can help.

Albie
 
BeeVee,
AlbieF15 hit it right on the head... "If you can hop on with FedEx, JetBlue, or SWA...I'd start kissin' some serious guard butt and get out. The freedom is intoxicating."

You can't put a price on freedom. No amount of bonus money is worth selling your soul to an AF manning tool.
 
Freedom

BV - Take your freedom option and run. Two years ago, I passed up a bonus option because I wanted my freedom to pursue my second twenty year career [I would be on terminal leave with twenty years in now if not for Stop Loss]. I figured the airlines were hiring and the seniority would be the right thing to do. Now I am held in by Stop Loss without a job and not seriously looking or any airlines seriously looking at me because I can't give them a firm release date. Yes, I am missing the extra $45k, but I am still happy with my decision to get out now because I didn't like what I saw in my AF future [SSS, Joint Staff, and maybe back to the cockpit]. FREEDOM!
Harry
 

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