HogDriver

Looking for some honest advice on this one.. is the transition from active duty military flying to commercial airline flying worth it? I’ve always envisioned myself serving my 20 then swapping into the airline biz, but recent events are causing me to second guess my gameplan. What’s keeping me in? Exciting flying, decent paycheck, comfortable lifestyle, healthcare for my family and knowing that if I stick it out, I’ll have a consistent income for the rest of my days. Ultimately, this is a huge family decision and I’m seeking info from past military guys who have made the leap and civilians who may think the grass is greener on the military side. So, what say you?

KC10 FATboy

HogDriver:

The grass is greener depending on what your priorities are. You need to list them in order and then rank the two paths against each other.

Both routes have a lot of pros and cons. I made the leap after serving 10.5 years active service because to me, and my priorities, my QOL would be better going civilian. For someone who is looking for a pension for the rest of their life and a virtually guaranteed job, that might not be the same for you.

Good luck in your quest ...

dragon

I'll tell you it's a personal decision. However, if you have 10 years or so already done in the Military, stick it out for the pension. I retired with 21 and am now on year three pay at DAL and am not close to what I had in the take home department with the military.

However, with the retirement and lower health care costs, life is good.

Factor in the time away from home. Right now, you may be deploying a bunch and are sick of doing power point presentations and point papers for decisions that won't ever be made, but take a hard look at your compensation versus the relative uncertainty of the Civilian World.

The grass may not be greener on either side of the fence. You just have to ask yourself what you want. There are a bunch of threads on this subject over on the Military forum.

Good Luck

CVG767A

I bailed from the Navy after 6 years of active duty, because the airlines were just gearing up for a period of hiring. I don't regret it a bit, because I was hired toward the beginning of the hiring wave. Guys who were hired just three or four years after me were at the back of that wave, and have seen a dramatically different career than I have.

Are we now at the beginning of a wave of hiring? That's something you have to decide on your own.

FWIW, the get out/ stay in decision doesn't need to be absolute. In 1987, my priority for career path was: (1) Delta, (2) American, (3) Northwest, (4) stay in the Navy for a career. I saw a lot of guys that, once they decided to get out, were ultimately willing to take any airline job when their top choices didn't pan out. That didn't work out too well for most of them--

Good luck with your decision!

NavyAACAL

I did 10.5 years active before being hired by a major but I made it a priority to get a RESERVE job. The reserve job was a savior to the instability of an airline career. A good friend stayed in the military full time. I would say the major negatives about active duty are moving, fitreps, next set of orders, deadlines, politics, and deployments however you are probably home more consistently and job security is great. The negatives to the airlines are job insecurity, initial pay, time away from home, and randomness of personalities however you take no work home and most negatives change with seniority. My buddy wonders all the time about the same decision and I tell him the trick is finding the job that you gain seniority the fastest but also allows for good pay and security. I was pretty active in the reserve world and was mobilized for 2.5 years during my furloughs but I am now reserve retired have really enjoy the time off with the airlines.

KC10 FATboy

Very objective and well said. You hit a very big point there.

Waldo11

If you can get out of AD, get on with a decent carrier and land a guard / resv gig; that's about the best of both worlds.

UAL T38 Phlyer

For me, the fact that I'm on a mil leave of absence, after 12 years in the airline biz, and 28+ years in the military, should say something.

I enjoy better pay, benefits, schedule, flying, and camraderie in military flying than I do with the airlines.

That being said, I'm glad I have an airline seniority number, and have a post-military job to go to. The airline biz in and of itself no longer has the long-term fortune-making ability it once had (maybe SWA). But supplemented by a military retirement, it isn't bad.

If I had it to do over again, it would be virtually identical: I wouldn't give up a military career to go airline (ie, I would have a Guard or Reserve job lined-up before I separated).

Good luck---it's a tough decision.

Grumble

PM me your email address and I'll send you an Excel spreadsheet I built. I used three companies I think I'd like to work for, DAL, FedEx and SWA. The I compared the pay staying active duty until 20 and then making the move, and leaving when my commitment is up and going reserves and airline.

Making the assumption that you do the bare minimum as a reservist, and stay on the smallest airframe at each airline, and don't upgrade to left seat until 10 years, the total pay earned at age 60 is more across the board leaving early than staying until 20, and that's using the conservative upgrade times on the smallest equipment. That also assumes nothing but current pay scales, as well as the 2010 DFAS table. YMMV but you can change the inputs of the spread sheet to recalculate if you'd like a copy of it.

ERJF15

Got out after 13 as a crew chief. For me, the grass is greener, but a different shade. I get a pretty good pension from the VA, 90% of E-6. Although I'm working for a regional, I'm glad I did go against the grain and bailed when I did. I had to get a start somewhere.