USCG flight

[planejockey]

I recently finished school and I was wondering if anyone out there knows anything about the blue21 program.. is it a good one or not?. I am not sure if I should just keep instructing and try for US customs,FBI,etc or join the CG

 

[XShipRider]

I recently finished school and I was wondering if anyone out there knows anything about the blue21 program.. is it a good one or not?. I am not sure if I should just keep instructing and try for US customs,FBI,etc or join the CG

What school? High school? College?

http://www.gocoastguard.com/dc/dcprograms/blue21.htm

This is the link to the site.

You're talking apples and oranges with regard to the three agencies you
mentioned above. The USCG is a military organization which mirrors
the Navy in rank and structure. The Coast Guard has the unique ability
to enforce federal law on the navigable waterways and oceans of the
world. The Coast Guard can enforce Customs laws, Customs cannot
enforce maritime laws.

As I tell most people, make sure you're ready for commitment with the
Coast Guard. It's a few years long and is not for everyone. Be ready
for deployment, getting stationed in an area of the country you don't
necessarily want, flying in less than desireable conditions (storms),
pulling duty 1-3 or 1-4, etc. Sound exciting? Maybe it is for you.

The FBI requires a degree for most positions. I'm not sure
about pilot positions but would venture a guess they do.
Their background investigation is going to be a colonoscopy
without the instruments followed by a lie-detector test.
Read this as: Your background better be pretty clean.

Others may have a better understanding of the processes and
procedures for Customs and the FBI.

There are some current and past CG aviators on this site who can
give you real insight into qualifications necessary and what it's like
to fly for the Coast Guard.

 

[planejockey]

thanks for the info, and I graduated from a university.

 

[AirCobra]

The Coast Guard Blue 21 Program is an excellent program but it is very competitive and the minority college requirement can be a significant obstacle. Very large and well known university's, especially in the Midwest, do not have 20% minority students. The program was modeled after the Coast Guard's minority engineering program to recruit minorites for engineering positions. For reasons unknown, the Coast Guard decided not to make Blue 21 open to minorities only, but they did put the 20% minority requirement on the college you attend. This makes for a small pool of applicants ,which is fine for the Coast Guard, since the number of people selected for Blue 21 is usually in the single digits. What is sad about the program is if you were a minority student at Princeton or Dartmouth, you would not be eligible.

By all means apply if you meet all the requirements but keep in mind things will not happen quickly. Plan on another job while you are waiting. One to two years by the time you complete the papaerwork, physicals, and review boards is a reasonable estimate.

Customs is a whole different story. You must be dual rated (airplane and helicopter) or a P-3 pilot. Customs has had a hiring pool full of highly experienced dual rated military pilots for two years now and because of reorganization has not hired anyone. I would say 3-5 years would be a reasonable timeframe for the job but once again competition will be fierce.

The FBI rarely hires pilots directly and mostly the people they do hire are by word of mouth. Lots of their work is done through contractors or with other agencies. Being selected to attend the FBI Academy without the fast track program (which is not in place right now) takes on the average 5 years. The FBI also looks for specific degrees such as computer science or accounting. This is a very difficult way to get a pilot job.

Hope this helps. Best of luck in whatever you choose.

 

[planejockey]

thanks aircobra, you are helpful. I think I am gonna give the CG.

 

[mudkow60]

And just what are you going to give?

-Just kidding. Good luck. Sounds like a good program.

 

[XShipRider]

thanks for the info, and I graduated from a university.

Great. Please don't read my post as negative as it sounds (I reread it
tonight and it does sound down on the CG). I've always been one
to espouse realism rather than the recruiter's Utopian view.

The CG offers flying you won't get in either of the other two you mentioned.
SAR cases happen in the worst weather. Forget daylight savings ~ the
potential SAR cases of the world always seem to get in trouble at night.:laugh:

Best of luck to you. Definitely try to visit an air station near you to
talk with the pilot group.

 

[planejockey]

I am going to visit E city sometime in the next couple of weeks