Military PIC or 121 SIC? Which matters more?
 

I'm a KC-135 reservist and I was hired by a regional about 15 months ago. After IOE I went on military leave for over a year, so I only have 30 hours SIC (obviously never got consolidated with the company).

I have 1500TT (400 PIC), most of it in the tanker.

As an Air Force reservist, I have the opportunity to fly roughly 50 hours a month (all PIC) if I deploy and go TDY enough (but I would have to delay training and consolidation at the regional). OR I could complete my consolidation and fly with the regional primarily. With my seniority number I can hold a decent schedule for flying 80 hours a month as an FO, while supplementing my time for a few hours of flight time a month in the tanker.

My question is, what do the majors value more? PIC time, but lower Total Time OR more Total Time with less PIC?

In a nutshell - military PIC vs 121 SIC. Which matters more? Or are they just boxes to be checked, and from there you chase the total time?

Thanks in advance.

Hard to say what the algos will give more credit to, but you have the PIC square filled. If I were in your shoes I’d churn out as much TT as possible. I’d fly a full regional schedule and try to fly as much in the tanker as I can on days off, assuming your family can hack it, if you have one. You can prob hit 90-100 hours of block a month. I’d give it a year at that rate and you’ll be competitive. Maybe less with as much hiring as there’s been and will be in the next year.

Guy in my Delta interviewed got destroyed in his panel interview for being on Mil leave his entire time he was at a regional. His answer wasn't the best to the question ( said he preferred the military flying) but if you're gonna take the time to go through training at a regional why would you not fly? I'd start cranking out total time now.

Generally, military PIC is better.

But as was mentioned, it can be a problem if it involves extensive mil leave for guard/reserve.

DAL is most certainly highly suspicious of folks who drop a lot of mil. They love ex-mil... current mil not quite so much.

I would think that would almost be a illegal question to ask the interviewee. Military service is protected under Federal law. I however don't know for certain.

With that in mind I would split the time between the regional and the tanker job.

At your stage of the game, mil PIC as it counts as PIC and 121 SIC equivalent time (upto 500hrs worth).

Once deployment is over you need to go and demonstrate you can be a productive member of the team at your 121 gig, otherwise you probably will get destroyed at a 121 interview, especially if you go to it while you’re on military leave...

Should be protected, yes.

But that's a battle that's hard to fight if you're a job applicant. Very low odds of litigating your way into a major airline job.

Illegal or not, As Rickair said good luck fighting that battle.

If you are claiming a Type rating or employment at a regional for a substantial period of time yet haven't hit consolidation time yet AND are claiming simultaneous military time indicating you were fit to fly it wouldn't have to be asked, it woukd be obvious.

And if you didn't claim it and they ever found out - and they woukd - it woukd be making a fraudulent claim on your application which woukd be grounds for nit hiring or even dismissal.

Hard to sneak that one by...

How much of your 1500 TT is military and how much is civilian?

We don't know what the best blend of mil vs civ that the computers search for. But you could be blasting out 800+(?) hours a year in the 121 and rapidly closing on your upgrade to get 121 PIC time. That's what I'd hunt down. And I'd volunteer for high flying time deployments but revert to a part time status and bust my ass flying 121 the rest of the time.

With 400 hrs military PIC I'd pursue more TT and getting my 121 Captain upgrade.