I started off as a Nav in the AF. The only thing it did was give me a decent pay check to help pay for my civilian flying. I was lucky enough to get picked up for UPT 3 years following UNT graduation. The only way you could get from AF Nav to Pilot earlier was if you were bumping up against the age restriction. By the time I finished my UPT commitment, I had 13 years of AD (1 for UNT, 3 for Nav, 1 for UPT, & 8 for pilot) and I stayed around for the 20, eventually getting to the airlines. As was said earlier, Nav to UPT is doable, but limited. The biggest thing is that you have to push everything thru on your own.

On a different note, I know an AF Reserve Nav that did the civilian route while staying in the reserves as a Nav. Worked real well for pay, etc. until he was furloughed from American. He was deployed and then had to turn to the AF for a paycheck since he had been out of the cockpit as a pilot for so long. Bottom line is he has virtually no pilot time since furlough (therefor can't apply anywhere) and is now dependent on going back to American.