Take the AF's second bonus to get recency?
 

Hello aviators and thanks in advance again for the advice...

I'm an Air Force pilot with an ATP looking at career options now. I was planning on retiring at ~21yrs (2020) out of an inactive flying job, but then saw (thanks to your all's replies to my first post) how important recency plays into the equation at the majors.

So, the AF has offered guys like me a second bonus at $35k a year, which essentially would commit me out to 2022 (2 years past my current commitment). It's tempting because the intent is to get pilots into cockpits meaning that I'll likely end up in a cockpit after my current non-flying tour. So, I have two plans...

Plan A: Retire from my non-flying job in 2020, roll the bones on a major and likely(??) end up at a regional for X months before being a candidate for a major.

Plan B: Take the bonus, do a flying assignment and retire with recency in 2022 at which point I'll be more marketable for the majors.

Thoughts?

Intent? After all these years you still believe in intent?

Nothing is guaranteed except the fact you will be locked into two more years doing whatever they want you to do. Now if that aligns with what's good for you remains to be seen.

Get out. Regional currency will be achieved in about 3 months. A year of regional flying post retirement gets you 500+ hrs.

It's a 20 yr retirement career. Last years will be $300,000 or more. Taking a $35,000 annual bonus, at the expense of 1-2 years of $300,000 along with being 500-2000 guys more junior for 20 yrs?

The hiring demand will be up, and supply is forecasted to be tighter, in the coming years. That increases the odds that an airline might take you without flight currency.

Currency at one point at "100 hrs in something at least commuter size." For some companies that's dropped away completely or to "anything". Join a flight club and start applying with 100 hrs of currency at least six months prior to retiring. Keep current, and above the 100 yrs in the last year curve, while applying. There's a thread about the timeline, and steps to take, transitioning from AD to the airlines. Search 'albieF15'. I think it's his thread.

AD guys in no flying jobs, but who were flying on the side (CFI's, etc), have gotten hired. Some non current AD guys have gotten hired. I've heard one or two airlines don't require currency for O-6 and above. That might drop lower, perhaps any retiree(?), as the supply/demand curve tightens.

Staying in doesn't add up.

The hiring standards the airlines use in 2020 will be very different from today. Get some time flying anything you can at the base flying club or local airport and you may well be good to go.

Stay in if you want, don't if you don't.

I would say if you are extending solely for chance to leave current.....might not be a great plan. Not sure the program you are speaking of, but in general the AF wants rated guys to stay in...often for staff.

All things being equal, punch asap and you will get multiple offers from regionals. Pass training and fly line for a few months and you magically become very attractive to the majors.

Guys have been hired non-current as well, so don't rule it out.

What happens if you extend, and they put you in a non flying job. Would you be ok with that? Goes back to my first question.

You could extend for 2 years and they could give you a one year remote (flying or not...whatever) to thank you for your service. Or you could be in a "flying" job but be put in charge of (name an FGO job) and still not have the 100 in 12 that is needed to go directly to most majors. Then you wasted 2 years. Go to the regional, get current in 3 months, then be at a major within a year. Don't look back.

If you can retire out of a flying gig then YES... if not depends on how you see the hiring in the future. Getting hired at a major without recent flying is a pipe dream... you'll need to go to a RJ gig for about 4-6 months ten update apps.

"Likely"? That doesn't sound like 100%.

Count, if you're absolutely loving what you're doing and just want it to last a few more years, then stick around.

But if you're purely looking for a strategy to go into the Majors, then I don't believe the extra 2 years in will help.

Also, won't you incur a 2 year commitment for requal? If so, that will add a few more months to your ADSC.

Don't be one of those military folks who foolishly does backflips to avoid going to the regionals because they think it is beneath them professionally.

Yes, there is some short-term financial pain incurred by going that route, but everything else about it is a net positive professionally that will pay off big in the long game.

Bingo. How many separating/retired military guys have posted "I learned..." from their regional time? You should learn from each new job.