The failure and washout rate for guys like this are actually pretty high at the regionals. Especially if they haven't flown in several years. They usually don't make it to the sims. Training at the regionals are not at all like mainline training.

This. The only guy who washed out from my new hire class never made it to the sims. And he was a 1* General.

Fake news. About half of the O6’s out there are horrible pilots, and almost everyone above that rank. They are all company guys who never deployed and sat at a desk being an E level qual. Your average crew dog that ended their career on a 5yr staff tour is likely still a solid pilot. I find it extremely hard to believe that a retired mil pilot would wash out of regional training these days (staff POGs excluded).

only guy to bust the checkride in my regional NH class was a non current fighter pilot (unsure of rank but I'd imagine O5 ish) it does happen. to the OP, at OO classes are a few months out. they will probably offer you an interview but class most likely would not be immediate FWIW. Best of luck

Just facts, not fake news. He never made it to the sims. All about his attitude. He expected the company to teach you what you need to know. That's not how it works at regionals.

nobody likes fighter guys, so that doesn’t count. ;)

sounds like an Air Force guy who expects everything spoon fed to them. Most likely wouldn’t happen to navy dudes, they are much more attuned to the big boy program without any handholding

Attitude and airmanship are entirely different things... in the case you mention, I’m in complete agreement... if you can’t be a good dude/chick, then it doesn’t matter what type of stick you are, I don’t want you around. But the point I’m making is that a mil pilot (or civ for that matter) being out of the cockpit for 5 years should be a non issue unless they were a shtty pilot in the first place. That’s possible with any background. I’m proof. :)

I'm with you. I think flying is like riding a bike. The fundamental skills don't disappear. You might be rusty, but getting back up to speed won't take long.

That is not the problem with a lot of mil guys. They are a training risk because of their attitude, not aptitude. Happens more often at the regional level than you'd think. My comment was in response to someone who said mil guys are "close to a zero training risk".

At my regional, we have more year 1 washouts from military than civilian backgrounds. Granted, a lot of them are rotary, but it's mostly attitude towards studying rather than actual skills to fly a plane.

I interviewed at AA with a former F-14 pilot who had been at a desk in the Pentagon until he got 20 years... he was the first one hired.