Stuck in the Air Force
04-24-2007 | 12:49 PM
#1
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Joined: Apr 2007
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Stuck in the Air Force
Hey guys,
Here is my story. I have 615 hours about 15 multi and no jet/turbine time. I got all that time while in high school and in college. I am 23 yrs old. I participated in the AFROTC program at U Miami (FL). and earned my comission as an officer. However, the sent me to navigator training!! I hated every minute of if while I was there and was not motivated enough to get through since the Air Force forces you to serve as a nav for 2.5 years before even being eligble for pilot training, ( which has a 10 year committment now.)
The reason they force you to serve as a navigator is that if you decline any "rated" position, nav, air battle manager, or pilot, or if you wash out or self eliminate from any of those courses you cannot apply to the other ones. That way they can fill those slots with people.
The last thing i wanted to do was sit facing sideways in a C-130 telling the pilots (who are logging all the flight time, btw) which way to go.
Now I am sitting in a cubicle at Los Angeles AFB working as a finance officer for a space project. (pardon my venting) I may have the opportunity to get out with in a year or two but I want to know what the options are for my in the corporate/airline world.
What should I be doing now to prepare myself?
Thanks
Here is my story. I have 615 hours about 15 multi and no jet/turbine time. I got all that time while in high school and in college. I am 23 yrs old. I participated in the AFROTC program at U Miami (FL). and earned my comission as an officer. However, the sent me to navigator training!! I hated every minute of if while I was there and was not motivated enough to get through since the Air Force forces you to serve as a nav for 2.5 years before even being eligble for pilot training, ( which has a 10 year committment now.)
The reason they force you to serve as a navigator is that if you decline any "rated" position, nav, air battle manager, or pilot, or if you wash out or self eliminate from any of those courses you cannot apply to the other ones. That way they can fill those slots with people.
The last thing i wanted to do was sit facing sideways in a C-130 telling the pilots (who are logging all the flight time, btw) which way to go.
Now I am sitting in a cubicle at Los Angeles AFB working as a finance officer for a space project. (pardon my venting) I may have the opportunity to get out with in a year or two but I want to know what the options are for my in the corporate/airline world.
What should I be doing now to prepare myself?
Thanks
Last edited by Mrsmith42e; 04-24-2007 at 01:22 PM.
04-24-2007 | 01:01 PM
#2
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 280
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From: Mostly Herks. Soon to be Guppys and FRED
Hey guys,
Here is my story. I have 615 hours about 15 multi and no jet/turbine time. I got all that time while in high school and in college. I am 23 yrs old. I participated in the AFROTC program at U Miami (FL). and earned my comission as an officer. However, the sent me to navigator training!! I hated every minute of if while I was there and was not motivated enough to get through since the Air Force forces you to serve as a nav for 2.5 years before even being eligble for pilot training, ( which has a 10 year committment now.)
The reason they force you to serve as a navigator is that if you decline any "rated" position, nav, air battle manager, or pilot, or if you wash out or self eliminate from any of those courses you cannot apply to the other ones. That way they can fill those slots with people. What a load of horse ****.
The last thing i wanted to do was sit facing sideways in a C-130 telling the pilots (who are logging all the flight time, btw) which way to go.
Now I am sitting in a cubicle at Los Angeles AFB working as a finance officer for a space project. (pardon my venting) I may have the opportunity to get out with in a year or two but I want to know what the options are for my in the corporate/airline world.
What should I be doing now to prepare myself?
Thanks
Here is my story. I have 615 hours about 15 multi and no jet/turbine time. I got all that time while in high school and in college. I am 23 yrs old. I participated in the AFROTC program at U Miami (FL). and earned my comission as an officer. However, the sent me to navigator training!! I hated every minute of if while I was there and was not motivated enough to get through since the Air Force forces you to serve as a nav for 2.5 years before even being eligble for pilot training, ( which has a 10 year committment now.)
The reason they force you to serve as a navigator is that if you decline any "rated" position, nav, air battle manager, or pilot, or if you wash out or self eliminate from any of those courses you cannot apply to the other ones. That way they can fill those slots with people. What a load of horse ****.
The last thing i wanted to do was sit facing sideways in a C-130 telling the pilots (who are logging all the flight time, btw) which way to go.
Now I am sitting in a cubicle at Los Angeles AFB working as a finance officer for a space project. (pardon my venting) I may have the opportunity to get out with in a year or two but I want to know what the options are for my in the corporate/airline world.
What should I be doing now to prepare myself?
Thanks
04-24-2007 | 04:15 PM
#5
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 274
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From: KC-135T
So wait you couldn't suck up 2 1/2 years of being a Nav, to do what you wanted to do the rest of your life? Man they coulda declined you for a rated position all together. Yeah I would check the attitude.
anyways -know any rich guys around LA? I would bum some rides with them. I would get your MEI too. The big deal I would say would be to get the multi-time. Since you only have 15 hours you, will need more time than that when you get out. And since you have 615TT, and most regionals are hiring at 600, you pretty much got that covered.
Oh and I wouldnt tell too many people that story of your life. That might **** the wrong people off. Like former AF pilots who are on hiring boards. technique only.
anyways -know any rich guys around LA? I would bum some rides with them. I would get your MEI too. The big deal I would say would be to get the multi-time. Since you only have 15 hours you, will need more time than that when you get out. And since you have 615TT, and most regionals are hiring at 600, you pretty much got that covered.
Oh and I wouldnt tell too many people that story of your life. That might **** the wrong people off. Like former AF pilots who are on hiring boards. technique only.
04-24-2007 | 04:41 PM
#6
Line Dawg
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 150
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From: 777 Captain LCA
MR. Smith,
Alot of us who spent 20+ years serving and are darn proud of it in whatever capacity we had the honor of serving dont particularly care for your negative slant on the Air Force. There was probably a valid reason for you not attending UPT. I would agree with the others that an attitude adjustment might be in order as we wouldnt want that attitude in our cockpits. Best of luck.
Alot of us who spent 20+ years serving and are darn proud of it in whatever capacity we had the honor of serving dont particularly care for your negative slant on the Air Force. There was probably a valid reason for you not attending UPT. I would agree with the others that an attitude adjustment might be in order as we wouldnt want that attitude in our cockpits. Best of luck.
04-24-2007 | 05:15 PM
#7
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 354
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From: Desert Poolie
Ditto what slaveship said. I knew of more then one herk nav that wanted nothing more then getting in the front seats when they showed up in their first sq. Some made it to UPT with some awesome SA for a student...others changed their minds and stayed in the herk...all of them loved being a nav in the herk. Change the attitude and you can go far!!
Cheers,
JD
88 ROTC Grad
19 very proud years in the AF
Cheers,
JD
88 ROTC Grad
19 very proud years in the AF
04-24-2007 | 06:00 PM
#8
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 202
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From: 737 Left
As I've stated previously, I have had a great and lucky career but I would have given my left arm to fly for USAF, sideways, upways, downways whatever ways they wanted. Unfortunately they weren't interested.
Positive attitude and a can-do spirit have gotten me to the left seat. Anyone can learn to fly.
My .02
Positive attitude and a can-do spirit have gotten me to the left seat. Anyone can learn to fly.
My .02
04-24-2007 | 07:09 PM
#9
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Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,385
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From: 737 Right
Get ready for a much longer and tougher road than the 2 1/2 years you were previously worried about.
Start saving every penny you can because you're going to spend it on your own training.
Go to the education office and see what they can help you with as far as getting flight training while you are still on active duty and what they can do for you after you separate (gi bill if you're qualified).
I don't know if another branch of the service would touch you, depending on the circumstances surrounding your removal from training, but it might be worth a call to see if the Navy or Marine corps would offer you a job, or maybe even Army aviation (helo's or C-12/23).
Just for the record, I know plenty of pilots who started out on the Nav track who kept their focus and are now working for major airlines. I even know a few who went the other direction, washing out of UPT and going to NAV school, who were fine officers for long careers.
Start saving every penny you can because you're going to spend it on your own training.
Go to the education office and see what they can help you with as far as getting flight training while you are still on active duty and what they can do for you after you separate (gi bill if you're qualified).
I don't know if another branch of the service would touch you, depending on the circumstances surrounding your removal from training, but it might be worth a call to see if the Navy or Marine corps would offer you a job, or maybe even Army aviation (helo's or C-12/23).
Just for the record, I know plenty of pilots who started out on the Nav track who kept their focus and are now working for major airlines. I even know a few who went the other direction, washing out of UPT and going to NAV school, who were fine officers for long careers.
04-25-2007 | 04:09 AM
#10
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,242
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Hey guys,
Here is my story. I have 615 hours about 15 multi and no jet/turbine time. I got all that time while in high school and in college. I am 23 yrs old. I participated in the AFROTC program at U Miami (FL). and earned my comission as an officer. However, the sent me to navigator training!! I hated every minute of if while I was there and was not motivated enough to get through since the Air Force forces you to serve as a nav for 2.5 years before even being eligble for pilot training, ( which has a 10 year committment now.)
The reason they force you to serve as a navigator is that if you decline any "rated" position, nav, air battle manager, or pilot, or if you wash out or self eliminate from any of those courses you cannot apply to the other ones. That way they can fill those slots with people.
The last thing i wanted to do was sit facing sideways in a C-130 telling the pilots (who are logging all the flight time, btw) which way to go.
Now I am sitting in a cubicle at Los Angeles AFB working as a finance officer for a space project. (pardon my venting) I may have the opportunity to get out with in a year or two but I want to know what the options are for my in the corporate/airline world.
What should I be doing now to prepare myself?
Thanks
Here is my story. I have 615 hours about 15 multi and no jet/turbine time. I got all that time while in high school and in college. I am 23 yrs old. I participated in the AFROTC program at U Miami (FL). and earned my comission as an officer. However, the sent me to navigator training!! I hated every minute of if while I was there and was not motivated enough to get through since the Air Force forces you to serve as a nav for 2.5 years before even being eligble for pilot training, ( which has a 10 year committment now.)
The reason they force you to serve as a navigator is that if you decline any "rated" position, nav, air battle manager, or pilot, or if you wash out or self eliminate from any of those courses you cannot apply to the other ones. That way they can fill those slots with people.
The last thing i wanted to do was sit facing sideways in a C-130 telling the pilots (who are logging all the flight time, btw) which way to go.
Now I am sitting in a cubicle at Los Angeles AFB working as a finance officer for a space project. (pardon my venting) I may have the opportunity to get out with in a year or two but I want to know what the options are for my in the corporate/airline world.
What should I be doing now to prepare myself?
Thanks
Me: have PPL , researching schools for rest of training.
You should think about the following:
I would stay as long as you can in the AF and get your masters and all your ratings / hours upto an ATP while you can afford to and have a good QOL. Space Command is a cush job. Try to get on with NRO - its even more cush and the experience / security clearance opens a lot of doors - lots of position in nice (flying friendly states). With your finance background you can set yourself up nicely now for a good life as a pilot down the road and your experience will be valuable as a back-up job.
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