Fast track and three months? Have they told you when you could expect to be hired?

Not really. Polygraph has opened up very slowly and very limited. Keep in mind polygraph and backgrounds are backlogged for all federal agencies. I wouldn’t be surprised if it took me another 6 to 8 months to get hired. I know that as far as FLETC dates, they are looking at January at the earliest since FLETC Just opened up last week at 50% capacity.
If you’re even thinking about applying, I would do it now just to get the process started. Your medical and fitness will be done within two weeks depending on how fast you want to get those done but everything will hold as soon as you reach your polygraph stage.


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uh, no....

To the guys that have done this for a long time, do the bubbas that flock to this job during down turns stick around once the good times come back to the airlines, or are they the first to go once the hiring comes back?

Just curious as someone who is interested in this job besides just a safe place to ride out the down times in aviation.

I can't think of many furloughed airline pilots that work for us and I have been here 20 + years. Our hiring process is so long and slow (it is improving) that people don't really come here as a job to fill in while furloughed. The majority of pilots here that were former airline guys came here with no intention of returning to airlines (most from regionals however).

When I first started at AMO prior to 9/11, all the old AMO (Customs) pilots said I should go to the airlines. A couple years later I was glad I didn't (9/11). This current situation is the third major setback for the airlines since I have worked for CBP. I guess that staying was the right choice. Many pilots left for the airlines in the last few years, many are probably wishing they had not now.

We are pilots, the grass is always greener on the other side, somebody always is getting a better deal than us.

Being a pilot for AMO is very different than an airline pilot. Both have good and bad points. Financial stability is probably CBP's best point.

Airline: boom and bust cycles with big money during the boom times. 200-300k etc a year Big-3. May "get rich" may also get very broke. May never fly with the same Captain ever. 10,000+ pilots each Major etc. Set parking brake, you are done. Loose your medical may be a big deal. everything is about seniority. Aircraft is a tool to make money. Point A to Point B. Houston to Tulsa. Airline jobs are about making the company money, and making yourself money

Govt Jobs: retirement package, healthcare in retirement (healthcare on duty too, obviously), salary low to mid 100's in most cases, full retirement at age 50 with healthcare in some law enforcement jobs. Will never be rich, will never be broke either. Start a second career. Commonly have a core group of coworkers you get to know pretty well. This is good and bad. Collateral duties, "work on this project", powerpoints, etc may be assigned to you. Good if you like that stuff. Loose your medical ? Salary will continue without a hiccup (in most cases) while you get assigned to a "support role" pending medical return. Seniority plays a role but a "slug" senior to you will probably not get that cool assignment or new aircraft training (but maybe he will). Ready room mentality. Reputations and credibility are very important. Great pilots but those who complain all the time are avoided for TDY duty, just-average pilots who never whine and are cool TDY dudes are always in demand. "get the mission done" etc. Aircraft is a tool to provide success to the ground guys (most agencies). Govt is flying 737, 757, G-550, King Airs, P-3, UH-60 Blackhawks, Cessnas, Challengers, and other stuff. Govt does not conduct flights, it conduct missions. Most Govt flying is is some form designed to protect America or make America safer in some manner. It is "not about you." PIC/Captain is called Aircraft Commander. this requires some de-Governmentalizing at resume / job fair time, especially for younger millennial HR types. "Why do you operate a King Air with a crew, isn't that a single pilot airplane?" etc. stuff.

Some Govt jobs will send pilots to annual recurrent events, conduct internal annual checkrides, surprise no-announce checkrides, send pilots to water survival/dunker school, survival school, etc. Many are highly structured and modeled after military programs.

etc

two different worlds

SC it was like you were reading my mind :p)

Well explained.

Personally - I'm a turtle.
Slow and steady.
I don't do BOOM or BUST very well.

ha ha - never thought of the hornet as a turtle! More the hare - pretty damn quick but there better be a tanker nearby if you want to see the end of the race...

Awesome thank you for the explanation! Getting ready to apply! :)

Hey all - Loved reading through thread!

I applied to CBP last week, and received an e-mail this morning saying I was referred and deemed eligible, which was then followed by the you have a conditional job offer. The obvious question will be moving my family to one of the bases likely on the southern border, away from our immediate family and near no friends or support structure.

I'm curious, when flying missions do you typically find yourself on an assignment away from base for an extended period, or are most of your missions day trips (or night trips) and out and backs?

I spent 6 years during the recession as a US DoD analyst, so I'm familiar with government structure and bureaucracy. I will need to send them my SF-50 (as soon as i find it, or request one). I'm by and large a midwest boy, enjoys fishing, shooting, art, and spending time with my family.

Curious how well I'd match with the majority of CBP pilots out there?

Is there a golf course available?

A few points of clarity...

$200-300K is for FO's. CA's will make $400-700K. That will be reduced for a year or two with covid, and if things get really ugly BK proceedings could set things back for years, time will tell. The mid-tier majors are not far behind that either.

The better majors (including mid-tier) generally have own-occupation disability. If you lose your medical you get 50-60% until age 65. That combined with some other generic job will keep your current lifestyle, if you're somewhat prudent.

I know folks who don't play the boom/bust game... when they get in the money, they bank it hard. I know people who can retire any time after age 50 if the airlines get ugly. Some will, rather than put up with covid-induced schedule and lifestyle disruptions. You only need one boom cycle to set yourself up, if so inclined. Then it's all gravy after that.

Works better if you take some personal responsibility. If you're just along for the ride, you'll be going for a ride unless your timing is exquisitely lucky.

The better majors have pretty good bennies, some of which extend into retirement. A few still have pensions (cargo). If you're military, your retirement medical plan should be tricare, even if you have to run out the clock at a desk in the reserves.

Airlines (especially the better ones) provide a lot of flexible time off. You never have to be at work just because it happens to be during normal working hours. No collateral duties, ever.

I do miss having regular co-workers, rarely do I fly with people I know, who I enjoy getting a beer with, on a schedule that's conducive to beer. May have to volunteer with the union after I retire from the mil... which amounts to seeking out collateral duties.



Yes indeed.

Sorry to hear about your recent job loss. Based on the years of posting here, I know this industry has not been nice to ya. As someone who endured the TX-MX border for 8 years with no ties to the area (military), I cannot recommend it, absent natural filial ties. I would really have a frank conversation with your loved ones about what it will mean to relocate to proverbial McAllen/Laredo. I know folks in Sierra Vista as well (on the ground pounder side of CBP, though I like to call AMO Border Patrol too since it gets under their skin), and the AZ border locales are not much better. I get a paycheck is a paycheck, but there's more to life than money. I had to get my family out. I was about to geobachelor them, but lucked out with snagging a PCS right as the kid was about to start gradeschool.

Some people geobachelor to San Antonio/Corpus on the weekends from these locations, but most can't do it long-term and the families start disfunctioning, which drives divorces or calls to quit the job. Those with actual experience with AMO can tell you about the expectation management wrt transfers in that agency. I remember everybody who worked at any 3 letter agency in the location I was military was at, was indeed looking for the transfer. The location was known as a junior point of entry where everybody and their mother went to in order gain access to federal employment; from there everybody would inter-agency bail to the first alphabet soup that got them away from the hinterlands. People don't even make a secret about it, so you're not alone in this issue.

Good luck to ya in whatever you decide. If I was forced to seek civil employment away from military flying before I could retire, I'd probably just lean on an ASI gig to a more tolerable location, and fly my private airplane on the side. But that's me at my current stage in life and with a family in tow. The wife made it pretty clear: Other than Aguadilla (I'm native to PR), she's a no-go on MX-border or desert town living anymore. Happy wife happy life. To each their own.

Thanks for the reply - The wife and i had a loose conversation about it, and while I know she doesn't consider it ideal, she didn't threaten to murder me....she did threaten to GeoBachelor me though, but not murder...truth be told, i don't think the family would do well with such a move, between two school aged kids, and a wife who loves her work, I think it's a losing proposition...hopefully one of these other avenues works out, or the airline industry can recover. If not, it'll be trying to go through the rehire process at my former federal agency and moving people around for the next twenty-four years!

I know CBP counts Pred/Reaper/Global Hawk time, but what about some of the other (smaller) RPAs out there? Would ScanEagle time be worth anything to CBP?

Keep in mind that the guys flying the pred/reaper are doing so as Instrument rated commercial pilots or military equivalent. Most small drones are just cool toys flown by a guy with a controller, not by an actual pilot.

Yep, understood. There are a couple defense contractor gigs flying ScanEagles deployed overseas doing ISR work (more of mid size drone, smaller than preds but bigger than the off the shelf amateur things). They require Comm/instrument pilot ratings to get hired to fly them (or military drone Quals). They’re still decently smaller than Preds and Global Hawks though so wasn’t sure if CBP would value that time from a drone perspective.

On the qualifications they list what they count, mq1, mq9, and manned time. You can always apply but I wouldn’t put the scan eagle time in the total time. Might just want to list it in a separate category to show that you have UAS time. Im sure if they wanted shadow or scan eagle time to count towards the total they would make a cutout for them.

Whoever "they" is you're referring to, does not require a license to fly scaneagle, I was on the program for nearly 8 years, yes there are rated pilots but there were also everything from former mechanics, interpreters, aircrew, and everything in between flying the scaneagle. They, being Insitu, when I was hired, required operators to have at least PPL written exam done, and they provided it, but that went away. It is only a 50-55lb drone with a 28cc engine, nothing close to the GA products. Now, with ISR being a mature industry now, having a license may make you more competitive for hire, but like the other guys said, it doenst count for much other than "UAS experience."

Does anybody know the vision requirements for CBP AIA. I got dinged on the medical and they need further information. I've never worn glasses but I think vision uncorrected in my right eye was 20/40 when I did the cbp medical. I don't care to get glasses if I need them but wonder what the exact rules are for vision. The hiring site seems a bit vague/general.

https://www.cbp.gov/careers/aia-app-proc

Medical Exam, Vision

it is all there

Does anyone know about the Grand Forks location? Is it easy to transfer into? I saw it was listed as one of the new hire locations.

So what does it mean when the person administering the poly says he cant fail you, yet he cant pass you either? He wants you to come back and try it again?

Was it “inconclusive”?

Polygraphs are pseudoscience at best. I can’t believe that agencies still rely upon them.

It is because QC decides who passes or fails which is someone that can analyze the data. Also, I haven’t really read much on polygraphs because you are advised not to.


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Grand Forks is a UAS location, shouldn't be too difficult to get if there are openings.

Last I knew if it was "inconclusive" you can't be hired. So I would guess the best course of action is to try again.

If it’s inconclusive, they have the option to repoly you.


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I’m still in school working on my Fixed wing ratings. An Army veteran. The current hiring requirements are 1000 hours . I’m debating applying once I get to that mark. Obviously about two years away. From what I’m reading there’s a huge chance I’ll go UAS? Is that correct? I like the idea of continuing to serve my country. And stability is important to be. I get there’s other parts to this job not just flying but A drone doesn’t sound appealing at all.


Thanks for the input.

Come back in 18 months.

Oh, don't worry. Competition shouldn't be toooooooo steep. Wink wink. Word on the street is that there are only 6-700 applicants in the pipeline. Everytime the airlines take a dump they all come running to CBP. Weird!

And then dump on the organization when the airline hiring is good, or at least that's what I've gathered from this thread. Do the dudes who flock the agency ever stick around for the long haul?

I'm in the same boat as you man and we'll likely be at the back of the line until airline hiring picks up again. But who really knows what the industry will look like by the time you have your hours. Just try and knock off things that you think may improve your resume for the job.

I'm thinking of adding a helo rating at some point as well even though I know there is no way they would put me straight into an A-Star with a fresh helo add on. But at least it shows a commitment to the missions CBP flies. Or at least that's what I'm telling myself to justify the fact that I just want a helo add on rating haha.

I checked into a commercial instrument helo add-on several years ago. I think it was going to be around $25K and 6 weeks. Is there a better way to do it?

yeah, come work here and get paid mid-six figures to do it.

Can anyone tell me what the pros and cons are of selecting Puerto Rico?

Is there any type of housing offered with any of the locations on the border and also Puerto Rico?

Any known crewmwmber benifits at all?

Are they still trying to fill McAllen?

Does CBP do house hold good shipments?

Also is Grand forks still one of the "harder to fill" locations that I can select?

(Uh60 guy dual rated with 1000 hrs )



Thanks

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Pros: lots of work, new facilities, blackhawks, Dash-8, aguadilla/Isabella is a great place to live. Cons: living on isolated island, power grid and public water needs repair.
CBP employees are civilians and are required to attain housing for themselves.
No crew member benefits. AMO isn’t an airline
not sure about McAllen. CBP only does household goods to PR.

Thanks for the response. I heard there might be a coast guard base there that CBP employees could pay to live in. Is that just a rumor?

What is the flight evaluation with this agency like. Tough oral? I understand I can pick between the 2 aircraft since I am dual rated. Any tips or advice with this?

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If you go to PR, CBP will pay for your move. Other than that I've been kicking the idea around with my wife...but most say it's not a place for kids (I have 2 small kids)

I took the oral and interview ride back in February of this year. Oral is exactly what they tell you to know. General part 61 and 91 along with vfr/ifr, nos charts. No tricks. Ride is exactly like they tell you in the hiring info. I have almost no time in Cessnas but had 0 problems talking to my instructor and telling him what speeds I wanted to do and he assisted with some general s
and power settings. It is all very fair and all the people in OKC that day were fantastic.

I was only offered Sierra Vista and San Angelo. I was told the other border cities were at capacity (in February).

Not a rumor. Oral and flight check are straight out of the instrument and commercial PTS/ACS.

That's a bummer about the kid issue there. I as well have kids and that's important to me as well. But cant kids be enrolled with the schools and stuff on base there?

Are there any other CBP locations that have DOD housing as an option?

I would like to continue flying UH60s but I dont mind flying fixed wing either obviously. I understand I'll be a drone douche more than likely but for the pay (unless it's worse than i think) is pretty worth it and the stability factor. If I wanted to fly what bases should I request?

Will I get any time to practice before the check ride with CBP? I havent flown a cessna in sometime and flying an Astar for a check ride for the first flight sounds a bit scary to me.

Also I am only multi engine ATP rated and helicopter commercial. No single engine commercial is this gonna be a problem?

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