Originally Posted by
sourdough44
Have you looked into Guard/Reserve pilot slots? With your flight time & experience I’d think you’d have a great shot, check several units. There should be online information.
I’d rate a guaranteed pilot slot well above the idea of applying later. Back in my day, you had the flight physical before entry, then checked again at P’Cola.
Depending on the unit one can fly much more than the mins with a Reserve pilot position, while remaining flexible for civilian employment.
This. Navy or air guard/USAFR is your best bet in terms of flexibility, building more time quickly and civilian career. I appreciate what you're saying about flying being flying and not caring as much about airframe. Just keep in mind that during the recession, some airlines did not recognize rotary time at all and all of these RTAG programs and groups did not exist. If you fly 60's or 65's right now you still have to do an RTAG program at a flight school to build more fixed wing time as part of your CJO with a regional. So, if you go rotary regardless of whether it's the CG, navy or guard, you're guaranteed to have to go back to a civilian flight school to build more fixed wing time and then you will be headed to a regional airline, not straight to a legacy/FedEx/UPS. Alternatively, your fixed wing friends from the military are going straight into the airlines, most directly to legacy, FedEx or UPS. They will literally be YEARS ahead of you if you choose to go rotary, and if the economy is bad, you won't even have RTAG opportunities.
Point is, be very careful if you sincerely want a 121 career. The choices you make now will affect everything. Even if you ultimately decide to go USCG, go fixed wing because flying isn't always flying as far as the airlines are concerned. If you're flying P8's or C17's, you'll be setting yourself up for going directly to a legacy 121 carrier. If you go helos in any service it's going to be more fixed wing time building at a flight school, then regionals, then legacy, and that's IF everyone is still recognizing rotary time in a few years after the next recession occurs.