Airline Pilot Forums

I am an AF pilot and a few years away from transitioning out of the military to fly for the airlines (Looking at Southwest in particular).

I have been in a non-flying position for the past three years and it looks like next my next assignment (the one before I would leave the AF), might be another non-flying position, not by choice.

My questions is, would the airlines only consider currency requirements ("active flying") to be only military aircfraft or could I rent a Cessna every two weeks to maintain my currency and fuflill the "active flying" currency requirement?

Any thoughts and information would be appreciated. Thank you.

Shadow

I am an AF pilot and a few years away from transitioning out of the military to fly for the airlines (Looking at Southwest in particular).

I have been in a non-flying position for the past three years and it looks like next my next assignment (the one before I would leave the AF), might be another non-flying position, not by choice.

My questions is, would the airlines only consider currency requirements ("active flying") to be only military aircfraft or could I rent a Cessna every two weeks to maintain my currency and fuflill the "active flying" currency requirement?

Any thoughts and information would be appreciated. Thank you.

Shadow

A few things might make this a bit more clear:

How much TT do you have, and in what aircraft(s)?

How long will it have been since you regularly flew military aircraft?

What kind of airline will you be trying to get hired at (cargo, regional, fractional, legacy?)

Thank you for your years of service, and good luck!

Shadow,

If your next set of orders will be for three years I would say that is really too far to tell what the airlines will be looking for then.

Right now however, your timing looks very good - in three years the age 65 retirements will be kicking in big time. Don't have your heart set on one airline (SWA) - be flexible and consider all the Majors, the Cargo airlines and the LCC's.

Any currency, like a C-172 is better than being non current, but what will be competitive in three years is what is important. I am sure you will meet most airlines minimums - but how competitive will you be with no military flying in 5-6 years? This depends on how badly airlines need pilots.

Good luck!

Scoop

As Smokey Robinson said,"I second that emotion." I have one more PCS before leaving the Big Green Gun Club. Hopefully the monitor hooks me up a little, but there are a lot of unemployed CH-46 pilots around to compete with for cushy station pilot gigs!

Disclaimer: Not a mil guy, know very little about your process, but thanks for your service.


When I was flight instructing, I had a KC-135 guy come in to get the civilian conversions done. Worked through the whole thing, got him set up. He hadn't flown in almost a year at the time.

Knocked out some currency, got him feeling good about it, he went and did a 737 type somewhere in Florida and got in the next SWA interview and got hired.

YMMV.

For many jobs you'll have to have a certain number of hours in the last (insert time period here). I haven't seen them listing only certain types of time required (Turbine, ME, PIC, etc....)
If you have a solid background, with a competitive amount of experience coming out of the military, I'm pretty sure that just having the numbers of hours required will suffice. At the same time it could get expensive to buy those hours if they are requiring a 100 in the last 12 months for example.

I am familiar with the federal government's requirements for recency of experience and in the last announcements a USCG pilot who is on a HQs staff job with little flying didn't make it past the HR folks because he had only flown 80 hrs in the last year and 100 was required (50% can be waived for internal announcement applicants)

USMCFLYR

Here are my numbers by the way. With these numbers and potentially not flying for the past 6 years (at least military aircraft). Thank you:



TOTAL TIME: 2,387

Pilot-in-Command 1,484
Second-in-Command 903
Multi-Engine 2,077
Instructor Pilot 147
Turboprop 401
Turbojet 1,663
Actual Instruments 132
Actual Night 316
Combat 180

Here are my numbers by the way. With these numbers and potentially not flying for the past 6 years (at least military aircraft). Thank you:



TOTAL TIME: 2,387

Pilot-in-Command 1,484
Second-in-Command 903
Multi-Engine 2,077
Instructor Pilot 147
Turboprop 401
Turbojet 1,663
Actual Instruments 132
Actual Night 316
Combat 180

Those are perfect times for getting hired by a major carrier. I would highly highly suggest doing what you can to get a flying assignment prior to your separation. I know of guys that have gone back and done T-6 IP or something similar just to build up recency (as well as you'll perform better in an airline interview if your chops are up).

I'm an Air Force kid and am pretty familiar, but perhaps the current military guys can give you some better insight.

Oh, and in the Southwest interview they make you kill a kitten in front of Herb to prove your loyalty. You sure you want to join that cult? :D

And just to clarify, USMCFLYR is referring in his last paragraph to recency requirements to get hired into a GS civil service flying job. Am I correct?

I am an AF pilot and a few years away from transitioning out of the military to fly for the airlines (Looking at Southwest in particular).

I have been in a non-flying position for the past three years and it looks like next my next assignment (the one before I would leave the AF), might be another non-flying position, not by choice.

My questions is, would the airlines only consider currency requirements ("active flying") to be only military aircfraft or could I rent a Cessna every two weeks to maintain my currency and fuflill the "active flying" currency requirement?

Any thoughts and information would be appreciated. Thank you.

Shadow

Five yrs ago at HPA B-737 Type training, the SWA People Department visitors answered a similar question this way; "If you do not have Turbine PIC recency (w/in 3 yrs), you will NOT get an interview invite. Period DOT.

Things may change, based on requirements. BUT, I suggest trying HARD for a flying billet, in your MWS or out. 2nd the rec for trainer a/c. Look at high demand act, i.e. U-2, and specops assets, big and small.

If you're still stuck flying the LMD-7 (large metal desk, seven drawer), start preparing for your Guard/Reserve application cycle, 18-24 mos out. You can regain recency/currency, and build airline contacts with folks in your squadron. Look into all branches; my former AFReserve transport unit hired from across the board, big jet, little jet, fixed/rotor, Army/Navy/AF/Marine/Coast Guard. Mind you, this was 5-10 yrs ago, YMMV.

Good luck.

Oh, and in the Southwest interview they make you kill a kitten in front of Herb to prove your loyalty. You sure you want to join that cult? :D

Don't worry about that. Just remember survival training with the rabbit, but don't give it a name first.

Failing all that...

If your last assignment allows, try to get a part-time local job flying a king-air, Pilatus, Socata or citation in your local area.

If that's not practical, you will need to do some GA for legal currency anyway (nobody will hire you without that). Some airline want 100-200 hours in the last 6-12 months...that could run you $7-15K. You might consider getting a CFI and teaching on weekends if you don't want to just drop the coin.

You could then take a regional job, although you would have to sell yourself since they'll suspect you're just going to knock the cobwebs off and then bail inside a year...you might have to take a job at a bottom-feeder with a training contract in which case you'll be stuck for 12-18 months.

Like others have said, wait and see what the climate's like at the time...it's possible you'll be able to get a major job with 50 hours in a 172. It's also possible you won't be able to get a flying job with 20,000 hours and type rating on the space shuttle.

And just to clarify, USMCFLYR is referring in his last paragraph to recency requirements to get hired into a GS civil service flying job. Am I correct?
Yes - specifically my job (with the USCG pilot's example), but I've seen this recency requirement in other GS flying jobs too.

USMCFLYR

Five yrs ago at HPA B-737 Type training, the SWA People Department visitors answered a similar question this way; "If you do not have Turbine PIC recency (w/in 3 yrs), you will NOT get an interview invite. Period DOT.

Things may change, based on requirements. BUT, I suggest trying HARD for a flying billet, in your MWS or out. 2nd the rec for trainer a/c. Look at high demand act, i.e. U-2, and specops assets, big and small.

If you're still stuck flying the LMD-7 (large metal desk, seven drawer), start preparing for your Guard/Reserve application cycle, 18-24 mos out. You can regain recency/currency, and build airline contacts with folks in your squadron. Look into all branches; my former AFReserve transport unit hired from across the board, big jet, little jet, fixed/rotor, Army/Navy/AF/Marine/Coast Guard. Mind you, this was 5-10 yrs ago, YMMV.

Good luck.

Shadow1995 - I had a similar question in another thread and a large majority of the replies said to go Air Nat'l Guard or Air Force Reserve. I would agree that would be a great place to regain/keep turbine currency and figure out what type of civil pilot job you would enjoy. good luck.

I recommend volunteering for an mc-12 assignment to get yourself back in something. I think doing something like that will help you in the long run. Being current in something that is turbin is key. If you can't do that I'd hit the local airports looking for a part 91 operation to fly for on the side. I'd did that in my last non flying assignment to stay current. You'd be surprised the great contacts you can meet doing that. Good luck

With 6 straight years of desk flying you can surely get a masters degree or two. Rumor has it SWA and Fedex give extra hiring points for graduate degrees. Also get some safety training...that also gets extra hiring points. Also get your mil CFI conversion...
that carries weight on the application. So dont just get current...get competitive.

Good luck!

When I was applying to Majors in 2007-08, as I recall almost all of them had a requirement for at least 100 hours in the past 12 months or 200 in the last 24 months.

I suppose that could change, but I doubt it. Recency of experience is very important. I would second the calls for (1) do all you can to get a flying job, or (2) if you can't, then do some other things (Masters degree, etc) to make you more competitive and plan to do Guard/Reserves to get your recency back once you get out.

Good luck!

Like others have said, wait and see what the climate's like at the time...it's possible you'll be able to get a major job with 50 hours in a 172. It's also possible you won't be able to get a flying job with 20,000 hours and type rating on the space shuttle.


That's gotta be one of the better and shorter descriptions of the airline industry I've ever heard. Well played :D

Yeah it's tough out there now. Lots of guys are on furlough. No real hiring by the majors. I'm sitting with over 5000 hours 1500 TPIC currently flying 121, ex mil and cant get the call. Hopefully something will change in the near future

I have a very similar question to Shadow's. Would flying gliders for 4-6 years prior to retirement kill my shot at airlines?

From flying C-130, T-37, and T-6 I have:

3500 Hours turbine
2400 PIC
1800 IP
1700 Multi
800 Multi PIC

I am AGR T-6 IP now, but do not have career status (met AGR Review Board last month, do not know results). My unit is supposedly converting AGRs to ARTs starting next FY. A similar plan to convert our AGRs to ARTs was in the works last year, but went away. No word on how the conversion will work. I have 14 years of active duty and at the end of my first AGR order will have over 15. I do not want to be an ART because I want to get my 20 and be done with the AF.

AGR glider position open at USAFA. If (not sure how big of an if it is) I got hired, I think I get automatic career status and my four year assignment wold take me into sanctuary (cue harps and rejoicing angelic throng). But then what kind of job does a retired glider pilot get to support large family.

Thanks for the Advice,

AggiePilot

I'm guessing that as a glider pilot, you should plan to do an MC-12 tour about 2 years into the tour,... and a couple of years later do an E-11 tour. Or vice versa.
I don't believe the major airlines will rank you very high with 6 years of soaring without that powered time... although it sounds like a lot of fun.
Certainly, there are some on this forum that would know for sure
Good luck Aggie,... and Hook 'em (... and the students too).

Aggiepilot:
You need to be current in flying turbine PIC to enhance your chances to get hired. I would not recommend flying gliders prior to applying to airlines. Things could change but I'd stay away from them