Originally Posted by
CoastiePilot
Well, I guess I'll chime in here. Recently retired prior Falcon and HC-144 pilot now doing 121 'stuff'.
Pretty much everything said is spot on, so I'll just throw in my two cents.
-Completely agree that you should only go Coast Guard if you are in love with the mission and organization. It's too big a commitment to see it as just a stepping stone to 121 flying. There are better routes (like a guard unit) if that's your goal.
-I would disagree that fixed wing flying is at a 'low'. The majority of coasties going through are selecting helicopters as that's where all the glamour is. If you want fixed wing, it's probably gonna be there for you. So you'd end up on a 130, 144, or a 27. Arguably, all good platforms.
-I've never met anyone that EVENTUALLY didn't get into flight school. You can apply every 6 months until you get it. What you do while you waiting, like other have said, could be spent floating on a 378. So how bad do you want it? The real challenge is getting into OCS....officer billets (academy and OCS) are obviously highly coveted.
-Flight time is in great abundance with most fixed wing communities. Ten years ago in the Falcon, a good year was 400 hours. There are 144 pilots getting over 600 hours a year. Concerns on flight time shouldn't be an issue in your decision process.
I thoroughly enjoyed my career in the CG and would recommend it to anyone, but like I said, only if you enjoy the missions. I absolutely loved low level VFR cruising along the blue waters Caribbean chasing bad guys and doing rescues. Yea, I flew in some pretty snotty weather, but that was a small part of the time. Just do your homework (which you are obviously doing now) and make sure the Coast Guard is a good fit for you because 10 years is a long time. Like I said, it's not a good gig if you are just looking for a place to log mil time.
Best of luck!
Spot on. I am currently CG teaching primary flight training and I can tell you that if you want fixed wing in the CG right now, you've got it. There are usually 4-7 "disappointed" students every quarter getting selected to go fixed wing, their second choice. Of course, it could all change tomorrow, but the young flight students want the glamour and glory of the rescue like in The Guardian. I still have to convince some that they will not be jumping out of the back to affect the rescue, that they are pilots and flying is their job. As a HC-144 pilot myself, I flew lightly (mostly due to my year group having lots of copilots) and averaged 500-600 hours a year easily. All of the CG aircraft are great, maintenance does a great job, and the mission keeps you motivated.
With OCS you will have an 11 year total commitment. That will mean flight school followed by two flying tours then your commitment is generally over. You might have a little time left over on the back, but if you manage it right, you could fly your whole time. If you want to do more, great! If you want to then jump ship into a reserve or guard unit, you can do that too.
One last thing to remember, in the services you are an officer first and a pilot second. It sounds ridiculous because being bad at your desk job won't get you killed, but being a bad pilot will. Find a mentor with whichever service you end up and also lean heavily on your peers to get spun up on ground jobs. This can help keep focused without losing sight of the big picture both as an officer and aviator. Hope this helps.