Question for civilian pilots
 

What were the reasons you didn't become a military pilot? Do you regret not joining the military?

There are quite a few civilian pilots with a military background. Sounds like you're making assumptions not in evidence.

I tried. Three times, actually - ROTC, active duty and ANG. Three different medical DQs, culminating in a DQ at Medical Flight Screening for a medical condition that isn't actually a medical condition since AF Medicine is stuck in the 1960s.

Do I regret it? Yeah, a bit, even though I got to my 'dream job' faster than had I gone .mil and hearing multiple people tell stories of queep, CBTs, gross mismanagement, abdications of leadership, repeated 180/365s to hot sandy places, etc etc.

<shrug>

I would say the majority of the older people I know in the civilian track tried, to one degree or another. Many ways to get sidelined, medical, timing/downsizing, etc.

These days, many of the new pilots are simply not military material (and they know it).

Man I just have to say, I don’t really know where you’re coming from with this. I fly with almost exclusively former military, as a matter of fact at my current site I’m one of two civilian trained pilots, and the military guys aren’t Chuck Yeager clones. Some are good and some are bad. In fact some are real bad. And I’ve flown with a good number of civilian pilots that I would put above everyone of the military guys I know in terms of skill. I went into my current job a bit intimidated about being one of the only civilian guys so it’s not like I went in with a grudge against military pilots. But now I realize they’re just pilots, no more, no less.

I don't think he is really talking about flying skills there KA.

He is talking about NOT MILITARY MATERIAL.

Oh, well then yes, I agree completely. That goes for the population in general, not just the pilot population. Come to think of it it goes for a lot of the military population as well.

Yes, this. Not talking about monkey stick skills.

I applied for military pilot training, but the Air Force hired me first. :D

Re: Military
 

I was in the Air Guard for eight years. You had to be the son of the Base Commander to get a Flight slot when I was in. I had too much time and money invested in training by the time I finished my degree. Hindsight if I knew 9/11 was going to happen I would of tried for an active duty slot. I don't get the Military versus Civilian argument. I have trained both groups and like any other segment of the work force you will have good people and some real jerks from either group. A Regional pilot could be argued is better qualified by pure sense of experience doing the task at hand but on the other hand spending time flying in the Military proves aptitude and generally -proven character. I am sure someone will get their feathers ruffled over this statement but there is a lot of truth to it.