I just answered another thread by recommending the military to someone with over 750 hours who was looking for some more multi time. I want to start out by saying the military isn't for everyone. In most branches, you are sworn in to be an officer first, and a pilot second. Many fail to realize that, and therefore, fail those who are depending on them outside of the cockpit. Lots of "taking one for the team". Enough of that...

When I went through Navy flight school, the guys who had their FAA tickets rocked the program and had their pick of aircraft they wanted to fly. Within a year, they were getting shot off the front of aircraft carriers, while their civilian buddies were selling blood plasma to try and get enough hours to make part 135 IFR mins. Good stuff, but not as exciting. Here's what I posted on the last thread...

Join the military.. with your hours, you'll probably get your choice of airframes right out of flight school. The best flying you will ever see.. the books written about it don't even do it justice. When I tell some of my civ friends what we do.. they just have this blank look on their face like they can't even comprehend what was just said.. Go for it.. you have nothing to lose and everything to gain,, Doesn't matter what you fly or in what branch.. all great stuff.

You're talking about 25 hours in a piston twin when you could be talking about cat shots off the front of a carrier loaded to bare with enough weapons to do some serious population control and landscaping.. or flying a helicopter into the mountains to pickup a downed pilot with your crewmen locked and loaded with miniguns and hellfires. The Navy C-2 COD pilots trap on the carrier all day then party like rock stars in hotels in Hong Kong, Bahrain, HI, and Australia..

Think past leveling off at FL 360 on autopilot and calling KC center to ask about ride reports so some idiot doesn't spill his coke. You can do that after you get your retirement check... Then you can tell this industry to kiss your A$$ and go live on the beach in a hammock.. How's that for a plan B ?


If I were looking at the industry in the condition it's in now and still had the dream.. I would fly for the military in a heartbeat... You will never regret it!

If anyone is considering it, you can pm me, but with all of the experience on this site.. just start a thread and ask the former mil guys to chime in.