Old 12-31-2009 | 09:31 AM
  #8  
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rickair7777
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From: Engines Turn or People Swim
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Re-evaluate your priorities. Give very careful consideration to taking that WO gig. The army has a lot of FW airplanes now, and is getting more, so you can probably get the FW time you need for airlines/corporate/etc.

A 20 year AD career would have been a bit much for me, simply because I wanted a family at some point and couldn't rationalize how the two are compatible. But if you are young and single, and already accustomed to military service, that is the better path to aviation. But yeah, I have worked with the army too, so I can't say as I blame you.

You will be financially secure with benefits and training paid for...quite the opposite of civilian entry-level aviation. You can transition into the guard/reserves when your AD commitment is up, providing a critical economic fallback position.

If by some chance you have performance or discipline problems in your military record which would prevent you from getting a WO slot, civilian aviation is probably not going to work well for you either.

Also be aware that the post 9/11 GI Bill has some SIGNIFICANT limits on vocational training (including flight training). Research that carefully, I don't think it will pay for ATP, DCA, or any other "puppy mill" flight school. If you are eligible for the old GI Bill, you should be grandfathered to use that for flight training. Also be advised that those big flight schools just want your money...they will happily sell you a worthless commercial pilot license and launch you out into the world with no hope of employment. Do a lot of research...

And get a real degree, aviation science is useless in the real world. Civilian aviation will not provide you with uninterrupted lifetime employment...you will need some kind of outside skill.
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