Bingo. So junior X number of guys should thank their lucky stars the airline hired guys who are out on mil leave.

Pretty sure you just have to be released to the line after OE in order to use FMLA.

Fundamentally, if the DoD is willing to pay a reservist to be recalled then the military duty is legit by definition.

The military loves volunteers, because it means one less involuntary recall, and those have political consequences (they are tracked in detail by the OSD).

One one hand I generally encourage folks to complete one year before taking a recall, just to avoid the appearance of gaming the system but either way it's legit.

Also involuntary recalls do happen, so in some cases it was not the pilot's plan at all.

Hey thanks! a lot of you had responses that give me some perspective on what the mil leave entails. Only reason i even brought it up was because a guy I was talking to was actually bragging about scamming the system but sounds like that is just a fluke from what you guys are saying. Thanks again for your service.

Here's what I know without a shadow of doubt: I know there isn't a single vet who signed up just so they could "game the system" years later.

And even if there were such a person, as bad as our nation...and our gov't....has collectively screwed them over and outright F'd our men and ladies in uniform, I am 100% happy to let them game whatever they can for their personal benefit, even if it costs me and mine. Anyone wants to throw them under the bus for gaming the system....after all they and theirs have been through and sacrificed for the rest of us...be my guest. Me? I gladly stand aside and will gratefully buy them a round while I'm at it. God bless each and every one of them!

When we, their countrymen, hold our gov't and it's individual members fully accountable for the promises of support and fidelity we 100% owe our vets, and they actually get those benefits IN FULL, then I might...might...have a different opinion.

But not one nano-second before that. I gladly let them cut the line in front of me, and if you're standing behind me and don't like it, come get in my face before you dare get in theirs. I will beat you down like a red-headed idiot, or die trying.

post of the year

Pretty sure it's 12 months. Read PWA 13 H. 1., states clearly to be eligible for FMLA a pilot must have at least a minimum of 12 months of service.

What a joke. At my airline, especially back in the day of the "B" scale, the military guys would get hired and the go active and ride out their probationary year and the low-paying B scale until they reached "A" scale pay-rates. Then they would miraculously return from Active duty with A-Scale wages and OFF PROBATION. Well, B-Scale has come and gone at my airline and so have the rules changed - Mil guys can go on Active Duty during their probationary period BUT when they return The still have to put in a total of 1 year Probation. I'm ex-military myself but I'm no apologist for this "un-gentlemanly" behavior.

Gee, you sound like a swell guy. Can you work over-time and pay me your wages. I mean heck, I'm ex-military, when I came home from Vietnam, probably before you were born, I got nothing but scorn from the public. Maybe you can come over to my house and cut my lawn and pull weeds in my garden.

I know at United they ask for a copy of your DD-214 to show proof you left the military... not sure what they do with the form or how much they review it. However, If you were a guard bum or reservist this option/loophole might work (get off AD orders and then immediately get back on AD orders once hired)... but its a very small number of pilots who would be eligible.