Thanks! Do you think it would be possible to be in the reserves and work for an airline?
I don't know if @Zeldman was being a little facetious, but yes. The majority of the pilots (80% in my ANG unit) in the Reserves/Guard are airline pilots for their real jobs, and are part-time reservists.Thanks! Do you think it would be possible to be in the reserves and work for an airline?
In my old unit, a large fraction were airline pilots. For some who were furloughed, Reserve flying was thier sole income. So, yes, definitley.Thanks! Do you think it would be possible to be in the reserves and work for an airline?
On my last deployment to the Middle East you could not throw a rock without hitting an Air Force Reserve pilot on active duty who wasn't furloughed from a major airline. Reserve duty allowed them to keep flying and getting paid while waiting to get called back to the airline.In my old unit, a large fraction were airline pilots. For some who were furloughed, Reserve flying was thier sole income. So, yes, definitley.
Got a friend in full time Army Reserves flying UC-35s. Got it made. Easy life with mostly flying and very little of the active BS that exists. Their retirement is a bit different than active in that in most cases, they don’t collect until 60. Doesn’t really matter though, he could go part time, fly for the majors and be collecting $$$.
No can do my man. Fighters/airline/other life? At least not for a long time. There is a severe disconnect between what the public thinks the AFRC/ANG do and what we actually do. Flying fighters can never be a hobby. I've been doing it for 18 years and when I went part time to fly for Delta I got worse; not dangerous but much worse. At the time I had over 2,000 hours and 13 years flying the jet full time, if I'd have done it sooner it would've been far worse.I just want to fly fighters and fly big airline jets at the same time while still having a civil life i don’t know much about the AFRC but so far it sounds to good to be true
Thanks! You got me spot onNo can do my man. Fighters/airline/other life? At least not for a long time. There is a severe disconnect between what the public thinks the AFRC/ANG do and what we actually do. Flying fighters can never be a hobby. I've been doing it for 18 years and when I went part time to fly for Delta I got worse; not dangerous but much worse. At the time I had over 2,000 hours and 13 years flying the jet full time, if I'd have done it sooner it would've been far worse.
The recruiters and posters will say "one weekend a month, two weeks a year". That's not the case for pilots. Absolute minimum sorties per month is about 6 once you become experienced (5 ish years depending on how much you fly). Anyone that does the absolute minimum won't last long in a fighter community. If you don't already have enough hours for the airlines, flying fighters will not give you that boost quickly. On non-deployment years working full time in a fighter squadron you'll probably get somewhere around 150-175 hours. You'll get 200-225 for the 18 months of UPT/IFF.
My recommendation is decide which one you want to do more: fly fighters or be an airline pilot. You can't start both careers at the same time and be good at it. Sounds more like you are interested in the fun of flying fighters but really want to be an airline pilot. If that's the case, go for the airline gig.
I've had a few cocktails so please excuse me.
I hope you meant that in earnest. ("You got me spot on") But that's not typically how we pilots confer with each other. If I were young and thought I knew more than everyone else, I'd be saying that sentence with a large amount of malice and sarcasm. If I were older/more reflective and thought it actually applied to me I would say that sentence earnestly. Honestly I'm just trying to help you (and anyone in a similar situation).
Just to satisfy my curiosity... which is it?
Yes, plus a lot of studying. You have to know everything about your jet, allies jets, bad guy jets, all of their weapons, SAM systems, AAA, tanks, manpads, etc etc (this is just scratching the surface)EvilEagle, am I correct in the perception that flying the fighter is one thing, but using it effectively as a weapon...is the tough part? Plus maybe a few planes that are trying to kill you?
Most people that haven't done it think that....for the 500 knot and 7g statement I feel I could do that easily
Fair enough, I was just wondering. Honesty - especially to oneself - is refreshing for sure. I hope he finds a job that's a good fit for him.To me it read it as though he really meant it in earnest. aka he realizes his desire to fly fighters deals with the superficial novelty of flying the thing, but not fully committed to the challenges and life sacrifices you point out. As you can read on his recent reply, he admits prioritizing his airline aspirations is probably a better outcome for him.
Frankly I find that level of honesty and introspection refreshing from a newbie.
That wasn’t my questionI don’t think the military is for you.
Is it possible to fly for the airlines and also fly heavys in the reserves and have a personal life or is it simliar to fighters?
If you want to focus on your personal life, don't try to fly both. Plenty of guys make it work but staying current on 2 aircraft requires a large commitment. Personally, I wasn't willing to obligate myself in that way. Quality time at home is a priority for me.Do heavys have to commit as much full time as fighters do
Enough to stay current, proficient, and to meet their training/operational needs. It will depend on the unit and their expectations.How many days a month would you have to commit to as a heavy pilot
C-17 and C-130 have a lot of currency requirements that are fairly demanding, but are met quarterly so there's some flexibility in how you can manipulate your schedule. I'm not sure about the tanker guys but I would think it is similar with less requirements. Perishability of skills isn't the same there as it is in fighter units. The fighter communities have a lot more to manage and it's in a much more demanding environment. Coming in once or twice a quarter to knock out all the quals just won't work, and I'm pretty sure anyone who tries it would draw attention. But, in either case it's still a second job and will keep you away from home. I think finding a reserve job in the VTs is about the best option for someone who wants to do both.@Sluggo63 might have some insight, but I don’t think the time commitment is going to be significantly less in tanker/transport than in fighters.
C-17 and C-130 have a lot of currency requirements that are fairly demanding, but are met quarterly so there's some flexibility in how you can manipulate your schedule. I'm not sure about the tanker guys but I would think it is similar with less requirements. Perishability of skills isn't the same there as it is in fighter units. The fighter communities have a lot more to manage and it's in a much more demanding environment. Coming in once or twice a quarter to knock out all the quals just won't work, and I'm pretty sure anyone who tries it would draw attention.
Thanks for the shout out... I'll do my best to talk tanker specific Reserve stuff, since that's really all I know. And when I say "Reserves," I'm including the ANG component in there as well. In fact, all my non-AD time was in the Guard, so I may have some AFR stuff wrong.@Sluggo63 might have some insight, but I don’t think the time commitment is going to be significantly less in tanker/transport than in fighters.
In my opinion, the tanker community is the easiest to do as a part-time Reservist. The monthly requirements are minimal and you can get almost all your beans done with local flying. Monthly currency stuff (the very minimum) is a takeoff, approach and landing each calendar month. Then you have other quarterly/semi-annual currencies like night landings, AR, pilot pros., etc. On top of that you have all the mobility queep that needs to get done, and of course the endless CBTs, MIC-T and so on.Yo, non pointy-nosed bubbas, chime in if you will. Personal interest for my girl, who I feel I should push to a ANG / USAFR tanker unit when she gets her PPL, for eventual pushing to a Part 121 gig like her momma.
You were required to try to make most drill weekends (2 days/month) and fly a couple of days/nights on top of that. I'd say for a tanker unit you're probably looking at a minimum of 5-6 days each month. When there are inspections coming up, you'll work more. Then on deployment you're away for 30/45/60 days, depending.How many days a month would you have to commit to as a heavy pilot
I knew a guy who I flew tankers and Tweets with AD and when he got out rushed his hometown Viper unit and got hired there. I couldn't imagine. It's one thing to be Blue 4 as a 1st Lt, but as a Major. Forget it. It would take every ounce of me to try not to GLOC in a steep turn ant hit the ground doing 690 knots. You carnivores amaze me. I'll just sit here on the autopilot eating my box lunch and refuse to turn 5 degrees left to avoid the only cloud in the sky while you guys are on the boom.I have some friends that transitioned to heavy jets for various reasons. The guys who went to the tanker love it - in their words "good trips, easy flying, no debrief... did I mention easy flying?" The tactical airlift guys have more squares to fill; one of my bros was a Strike Eagle guy who went to fly C-17's. He transferred out less than a year later - too busy, too many quals, "not a part time compatible job" were his words. To be fair he was on his first year at Delta and on a new mil jet so that'd be tough.
I've never flown anything in the military other than fighters, so it's all third hand.
I don't know what tanker guy is bringing down the mean, but you haven't heard me complain yet! I've got it down to an art form!The guys I know flying tankers complain the least, then C5's, C-130's, then C-17's for the most part. YMMV of course and each unit is different.
You carnivores amaze me. I'll just sit here on the autopilot eating my box lunch and refuse to turn 5 degrees left to avoid the only cloud in the sky while you guys are on the boom.