Originally Posted by
daddysocks
I am considering becoming a helo pilot in the army national guard. How much of an advantage will I have when I apply for major airlines after the regionals? Obviously I won’t be as desirable as a fixed wing military pilot. However, will I still have a good chance at a major?
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At this particular time in modern history, I would not recommend Army aviation to anybody. By joining now you are willing to accept the following:
1) Stupid low amount of flight time
2) Stupid high amount of extra duties to include:
a) Stocking the fridge
b) ALSE Officer,
c) Supply Officer
d) HAZMAT Officer
e) Unit Movement Officer
f) Fire warden
g) Stocking the fridge
h) Sexual harassment rep
i) Resilience representative
j) Container inspector
k) Infantry ruckmarcher
l) OPSEC Officer
m) enlisted PT participator
n) seat warmer
o) staring at wall until 1930 waiting to go home but you can't
because the commander hates his wife and wants you to stay at
work with him/her
p) fellow officer stabber-in-backer just to get a good evaluation in
order to get promoted
q) -10 test taker
r) -10 test RETAKER because you failed the first one because you
haven't flown a helicopter in 6 months and forgot how it works
s) Mission planner for flights you won't fly
t) Stock fridge, listen to fat W4 complain about lack of fat snacks
u) Stock fridge, listen to crew chiefs talk about lack of mountain
dew
v) Wash aircraft that other people fly
w) Redo your proficiency flight eval because dumb ass instructor
****ed up your records
x) Get talked down to by everybody, including enlisted
y) Watch clearly incapable people get promoted
z) Arms room supervisor
If you want to be an airline pilot, do literally anything besides join the Army. If you want to defend the country one JRTC rotation at a time, join the Army. Do not be fooled, the airlines aren't hiring helicopter pilots because they suddenly realize we're amazing (we ARE amazing though...seriously). They are hiring them because the desired pool of fixed wing pilots is not as full. The current market requires butts in seats. I am not shaming military rotary wing pilots, I was one for many years, I am just speaking the facts about supply and demand. By the time you get enough flight time through the Army to go to the airlines, the RTP programs will probably no longer exist. It is an amazing time for current Army pilots who have done there time fighting the wars and are ready for a change, but i would not recommend you go just to get qualified for the R-ATP. You can get 1500 hours of total time faster in the civilian world than you can get 750 total time with Army rotary wing.