Are you prior mil?



Why is your goal a P-3?

The P-3 guys don’t let just anyone into their clique. You should stick to something realistic, like being an astronaut. :p

Make it more difficult for him to keep you than let you go.

The 3 year policy is no more (as per EAC's townhall). Your Director should keep up with the times. That said, HQ only is allowing CAMB guys to transfer anywhere, and SWR only to transfer within the SWR. Also, those transferring within the SWR, such as TAMB, are required to become UAS pilots so that they fly the UAS part time, and real a/c part time.

Writing is on the wall, I am going to the airlines while the timing is still good. This job will ALWAYS be looking for pilots...

No, I am not prior military. I think it would be pretty cool to fly an old four prop airplane. The missions they do seem to be the most exciting and you arent taking off and landing at the same airport all the time. Also, Jacksonville, and Corpus Christi would both be places my wife and I would enjoy living.

I truly truly hope that works. Once again AMO fails to comprehend that soon they won’t have you in your current branch either after you quit. I am so so tired of stupid AMO face spiting.

If you’re trying to move north PM me.

Regarding reasons for any moves not happening.

#1.
The 3 year in place policy is alive and well. Our XD WILL NOT move anyone inside that.

#2.
Needs of the service always trump any move. Ask any pred driver!

And #3 My favorite, "I said so!"

It's been my experience FLEOA nor LER will touch this.

I want to thank everyone who contributes to this thread.

I’m a rotary wing pilot close to retirement and looking at AIA positions.

Some thoughts.

The basic lack of leadership and structure in such a large organization is quite disturbing. These issues with morale and day to day operations are easily fixable with the right people in place. Truly mind blowing.

Is having a TS helpful during the hiring process? Will I have the opportunity to fly 60s again?

What advice do you have for a retiring WO looking to transition into AIA?

Don't give up the pension! You've come too far.

Reading through this thread it seems like a lot of pilots are leaving or looking to leave AMO. Just wondering where these pilots are going? Major Airlines? Are AMO pilots looked at similarly to military pilots? Considering AMO has a lot of single piston aircraft, not sure how they are looked at by the airlines/ect after they leave AMO.

Only a current SCI will get you out of the poly. “Regular” TS will not.

AMO is very, very small. The size of a small aviation brigade. And that includes everyone - pilots, boat guys, sensor operators, flight engineers, HQ, HR, senior management.

When I came here, senior management was all pilots. Now non- pilots run the show. There is way more incentive for non-pilots to promote financially. Even before the raise a GS-13 pilot on LEAP would often cap out at higher steps. Now that a line pilot makes directors pay, this trend will intensify. An anticipated side effect of the SSR. I personally had no desire to promote and certainly not now.

As always, taking this job is about more than the money. It is continuing your service in a very different way. But - many feel they’ve done their service and now it’s time to concentrate on whats best for their family- which often means UAL, SW, etc.

It's a highly personal decision. But no doubt many were promised moves that were later denied. That doesn’t seem likely to change soon.

Seek medical care for your head injury.

Then, find an RTP and enjoy your retirement working part time in an air-conditioned, comfortable cockpit with a ****ter.

Do you really want to spend the next twenty years sitting in a 60 doing ground turns on a 100 degree ramp? It doesn’t get easier as you get older.

Apply and see what's offered. Don't be surprised if you are given a location that you are least suited for. Meaning rotor head only going to a pred site!!

my 2 cents....
 

I left to a major airline and cant be happier with the quality of life I have now. I only miss my friends but not the office the way runs these days. I felt miserable working at CBP! I do have over 12k hours, most on turboprops and 500 on Citation 2. In the past 2 years all 7 that left the Miami office were hired. 4 to the majors, 1 to Atlas and 2 to really good corporate outfits.
I wish I had left 10 years ago.
My best advice: Stay away or run away!

Honestly this doesn’t sound like too bad of a gig for Air Force RPA guys who would want to keep working towards federal retirement and while getting a non zero chance of flying and a steady paycheck.

Yeah, if you want to fly the Pred for 20 more years...

Some serious thought
 

I am currently working (10 years) for another agency under DHS that has the same problems; severely under staffed, days off cancelled or flexed, never knowing if your working 8 or 12 hour days, management is making decisions about things they have never done. I think the government is the same across the board.

With that out of the way, I was a pilot before all this with enough time for an ATP. So the question, is it worth my time to get my commercial instrument single engine current so I can apply? I am currently 35 years old and I walk a canine around cars at a vehicle checkpoint for a living.

This job would be a pay raise with the new SSR rate. Don't care for the initial locations though. What other locations are there to move to down the road?

I have flown Piper warrior /Archer/Seminole/arrow
King air 100/200
Citation 2
Learjet 31/35/55 and SIC typed 45

Any and all thoughts are welcome. I have been working between 500-800 hours of overtime a year and traveling, so that part seems about the same. I would just be able to get back into flying.

Thanks for everyone's time!

Realize, you have to do 20 years of 6-C (law enforcement) time to get the 6-C retirement. You can add your active duty time on after that, but you cannot use it to shorten the 20 years...

Will Houston become a NASOC? Looks like they're getting a DAO and the baby dash.

Baby dash?

Hey guys, I’ve been watching this thread and I need some real advice. My current situation: 11 years time in service, 6 as a Blackhawk driver and currently in AFG (limited contact with recruiters right now).

What is the likelihood that I will continue to fly?

Does CBP train all their pilots on UAVs or do you have to have a predesignation for that?

Is the climate truly that bad? From everything I’ve read it seems in line with being a military pilot- maybe even better (no NTC twice yearly, no JRTC, no monthly FTX, ect)

How is the atmosphere for females at CBP? I’ve never had problems in the military, but I have recently heard that is a stigma for females (especially in AIA side).

Thanks again, any/all answers are welcomed.

I'd get Envoy to pay for my F/W and start an airline career.

Leaving the military to be slightly less miserable at CBP sounds like you're prolonging the agony.

Thanks for the reply but I'm not military. I flew privately till 2008 and then my 1600 hours didn't stack up with all the airline guys and gals getting laid off. So I jumped in bed with the government (DHS) and this is my tenth year...

Care to elaborate about envoy?

I think Emerson was replying to the UH60 pilot above inquiring about her options on CBP vs an RTP (Rotary Transition Program) available to .mil rotor heads and some .civ who want to get their fixed wing training and time building subsidized/paid for depending on the regional carrier agreement. Envoy offers some money, signing bonus to get this done and still do I think, a lot of the other small players do as well as feeders/flow into the majors.

I know envoy is a hot hire right now, I would say they are the reason the army has released the most recent 100k/3 year bonus for pilots. Envoy isn’t a great option though, none of the big airlines are (I am dual military and we have children). Thanks for the advice though.

AIA a good option to start an aviation career
 

I recently applied and am in the testing process for a CBP AIA position and have some questions for the current AIA’s on the thread. I am a 1,000 hour single/multi engine fixed wing pilot and CFI. Do you guys think this would be a good way to start a new career in aviation? I’m a huge fan of law enforcement and actually look forward to that part of the job and am not necessarily looking to build flight time. What are the odds I would get assigned a UAS position (I prefer to fly manned aircraft)? How easy is it to transfer within the organization? Do they often force employees to transfer? My family is not crazy about moving to the boarder, is there any possibility at all of getting a first time assignment at a location other than those listed as the new hire locations? From everything I’m hearing and reading CBP is hungry for pilots, how willing are they to negotiate on your first duty location?

There will be no negotiations. New hire pilots will go to one of the listed locations. Forced move are rare, unless your location is closed, which shouldn't happen in the near future as restructuring should be complete and there are no plans to close the new hire locations. If you are hired into a UAS location, you will fly it. If you don't want to move to the border, holy cow did you pick the wrong jbb.

You’ve wasted your time.

Sounds like you need a fractional with a liberal commuting policy.

Zero chance of any but the listed locations. Plan for 5 years at your new hire branch.

Questions for the group. I am USAF with less than 2 years until 20. I will be 45 when I retire. I have flown tactical FW my entire career. I am not excited about the airlines (my dad was a airline guy and I grew up with it). I want to eventually move back to Northern California (Sacramento specifically) for family. I am happy to go to Lorado for a year or two to do my time with the goal of eventually transferring to McClellan in Sacramento.

1) is this reasonable to achieve?
2) what do they fly out of McClellan (KMCC)?
3) would they let me work 4 on 3 off at Lorado to leave my family in place in southern TX?

Any other info about hurdles I might face would be appreciated. Thanks!

1) I would say unlikely. I would be skeptical of the future of the SAC.
2) They 1 have FW when it’s not TDY to STX and 1 helo. Essentially they only have 1 helo. Guys in SAC are TDY to the STX at least 1 once a month to cover the FW flights.
3) No to your would be request to 4 on 3 off. AIAs have been trying to get that for a while and have told it’s against OPM regulations.

If you were to go Laredo or Mcallen then you are only going to fly a 206. If Laredo still has the 206 that I remember, then it has no equipment on it to do the Mission.... so it’s a waste of time. Flying a 206 summer time in STX gets old quick.

If you don’t want to fly for the airlines, I would say you have a ton better options that working for this agency

TFlood -

PM sent.

Can anyone here provide some insight on flying out of McAllen? I noticed they have the 206 and no uas...so pretty much the only base I would want now that they aren't doing new hires for puerto Rico.

Thanks

They arent hiring for PR?? I just got this email from recruiter a few days ago:
"The announcement at this time has the following locations Aguadilla, PR, Grand Forks ND, Laredo, McAllen and San Angelo, TX and Sierra Vista, AZ"

AMO is not a people organization. It is run by a former AIO who despises pilots and exercises every opportunity to be vindictive.

AMO will not work with you to achieve your personal life/family goals.

Federal pay rules that govern the position absolutely will not allow four tens to be worked. You will work five, eight-ten hour shifts between Sunday and Saturday.

Sounds like you need to move your family home and work in the sandbox 50/50 for $200k.

I find it difficult to understand why people reading these forums about AMO don’t get the fact that the place is not about mission effectiveness/job satisfaction/efficiency/retention, etc.....

AMO is the place to go if you want job security and a pension. NOT if you want to fly what you want, work the schedule you want, where you want with competent supervisors and leadership that realizes that the mission requires a unique type of employee.

Think about what type of organization that guarantees the retirement that AMO does and is losing mid and late career employees at the rate they are. Do you really want twenty years of that?

your should really reconsider the airlines:

you could easily work 4 on 3 off (more likely 4 on 4 off or even 3 on 4 off)

if you are willing to commute to this crappy job, a commute to the airlines where you can jumpseat will be no problem. (or a drive to SFO/OAK)

you can have none of the administrative BS and make at least double the money in a few years (or less)

if you really really want a badge and a gun then become an FFDO

good luck whatever you decide.

While I agree with a lot of the points being made my Emerson, there is the other side to consider...

I have been with DHS for 10 years. We are treated the exact same as you describe, Job First family second. There is 0 consideration for quality of life. I have worked 500+ hours of overtime a year for the last 6 years and not by choice. We are also losing people to the private sector that have put in 10-15 years.

That being said, where I work now there is NO option to fly anything. I also don't even have a choice on where I want to live. Washington DC is the ONLY choice.

And where else can I go and make 6 figures, have job security and a pension, and fly something like a Cessna 206 or drone around?

I spoke with a drone pilot, he says he works 8 hour days and goes home with a little overtime here and there.

I'm not trying to say AMO is the best thing on Earth but for those of us who aren't flying that would like to stay federal and fly, it might be a good option.

So that all being said, is there anyone hear who flies f/w for AMO? I would love to hear what your average work week is like.

Thanks again for all the input you all have provided already.

And as far as the airlines comments I keep seeing....I make 6 figures a year now and have 1600 hours of flight time. If I were to go to a regional or somehow a main line, I would not see that kind of money for years! No FO makes that and the captains I know at United flying airbuses don't make that for a few years either. Just food for thought

You are kidding right?

2nd year at UPS is almost $200k as an f/o.

All the majors pay over 100k 2nd year, some a lot more.

Major captains make $240-$350k plus

He’s either kidding or he’s delusional. He also left out that he didn’t make 6 figures at AMO year one as a GS11 even with LEAP.