Originally Posted by Albief15

A repost edited to update. Just my two cents...take it for what its worth.


I've helped hundreds of military pilots make the transition to the exits over the last eight years, and thought I'd share my 2 cents on some suggestions. Watching quite a few military aviators make some (what I consider) mistakes I decided rather than venting to specific pilots I'd throw some shots out into cyberspace.

Rule one--start early! For you no-civilian rating/no civilian logbook types, here is a conservative guide. Yes...you can jump through your butt and try to do it all 90 days from your retirement/sep date, but even if you get a class date when you get out (not likely) you will at least be suffering a lot more stress than necessary.

Network--3 YEARS out. Keep a list of bros at the airlines. Send those Christmas cards...and emails. Visit. Ask about the lifestyle. Learn. Listen.