Originally Posted by
sebastiendupre
Hey! I’m not a CBP guy myself, but I can try to offer some insight on a few of these based on what I’ve heard from others in the field.
- AIA hours per month: The number of hours can vary depending on mission requirements, deployments, and station needs. Generally, I’ve heard AIA agents can fly anywhere from 50 to 100 hours a month, but it can definitely fluctuate.
- Best station assignments: It really depends on what you're looking for in terms of location and mission. Some people prefer the quieter, more scenic stations, while others go for the high-intensity, busy ones. I've heard places like Miami or the Southwest tend to be active, while areas like the Pacific Northwest can be a bit more laid-back.
- FLETC: From what I've gathered, FLETC is a pretty rigorous training environment but also well-organized. Expect long days with a lot of learning, but it’s a solid foundation for the job.
- Culture: The culture can vary a lot by location, but like with many federal agencies, there can be a mix of personalities and some politics. It’s not all negative, but definitely worth hearing different opinions from people in different offices or stations.
- Would you recommend the career?: It’s a rewarding career for those who are passionate about law enforcement and national security. There can be a good amount of stress and pressure, but if you’re into the mission, it can be very fulfilling.
- Future of AIA – drones vs aircraft: Drones are definitely becoming more integrated into operations, but I don’t think aircraft will ever be completely replaced. There’s still a need for manned flights for certain missions, but drones are definitely an area of growth.
Hope that helps! If anyone with direct experience wants to chime in, feel free to add anything I may have missed.
1. "
anywhere from 50 to 100 hours a month"- Not likely- I averaged 227 a year over a 25 year career
2. You won't have a choice when you get hired, you will be going to the southern border
3. "
FLETC is a pretty rigorous training environment but also well-organized"- not difficult compared to all your avaition training.
4. "
The culture can vary a lot by location"- mostly true but your first few years you aren't going to have a choice. Also, a branch that is bad can turn good quickly with a new Director. But the more likely is a good Branch can turn bad with a new Director (this is usually the case, poor quality in management these days).
5. Don't know that I can recommend it as a career anymore. It was good for the the first 15-20 years I was there and then started getting progressively worse due to being part of DHS and crappy management. The spiral continues. Maybe a possibility for improvement with the new administration (at least they can do their jobs) but unlikely because of poor management.
6. Real aircraft (especially helos) won't go away but drones are also there to stay. If you get stuck as a drone pilot, good luck getting out of drones.