Anyone get hired by a major non-current
#11
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Joined APC: Aug 2016
Posts: 80
How many years active-duty service do you have? If you have less than 15, I recommend bailing for the airlines (if a major wont hire you, hell yes go to a regional). If you have five or more years until your 20, and you stay until 20, you are giving up thousands of seniority numbers at DAL, UAL or AA. Even FedEx has massive hiring plans. SWA, not sure, anyone else have info of SWAs projected hiring the next 5 years?
Any Reserve or Guard interest? I have friends that left active duty at 16 and 17 years, got an airline job, got off probation and then via full-time orders, or an AGR position, and military leave, got their 20 year active pension.
Any Reserve or Guard interest? I have friends that left active duty at 16 and 17 years, got an airline job, got off probation and then via full-time orders, or an AGR position, and military leave, got their 20 year active pension.
#12
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2007
Position: Petting Zoo
Posts: 2,068
It sounds like you are looking for reasons to not go airlines. And really want to stay in. Also that you want security, which staying in provides.
Nothing wrong with that. God knows someone needs to stay in. Unless you die in uniform, everyone gets out eventually--ensure you prep.
Recession, who knows. Sooner or later one will come. When and how bad? If I knew that I wouldn't be flying planes.
Don't forget retirements. Unless the majors want to shrink, they have to keep hiring to replace those forced to retire.
Nothing wrong with that. God knows someone needs to stay in. Unless you die in uniform, everyone gets out eventually--ensure you prep.
Recession, who knows. Sooner or later one will come. When and how bad? If I knew that I wouldn't be flying planes.
Don't forget retirements. Unless the majors want to shrink, they have to keep hiring to replace those forced to retire.
#13
It’s a leap of faith... Same for me in 2013, I was current, but the hiring was just starting to pick up back then, with lots of competition. I told my wife, we’re rolling the bones, we’ll either be a hero (hired at the front of the wave) or a goat (unemployed) I gave my separation notice with no jobs lined up. It was not easy, and was the most stressful time of my life. I was turned down for the reserve unit where I was stationed. Then picked up to the fly the same jet elsewhere about a month later. Got my US Airway (knowing it would actually be American) job offer 23 days before my terminal separation date.
I can now hold captain and make double what I would on active duty (as an FO), live where I want, and am much happier than I ever was on active duty.
Yes, it could have gone bad, and I feel very fortunate every day. If you can line up a reserve job, it makes it very doable. Prepare your wife and cut your budget to the bone (I’m talking no cable, never buying Starbucks, etc). I’m not going to lie, the first year was tough, I hated the job for awhile, made $40 an hour, commuted to both jobs. But it got better quickly.
I have a great wife and that makes a huge difference, she was on board. I sold her on the vision, and we were a team.
I can now hold captain and make double what I would on active duty (as an FO), live where I want, and am much happier than I ever was on active duty.
Yes, it could have gone bad, and I feel very fortunate every day. If you can line up a reserve job, it makes it very doable. Prepare your wife and cut your budget to the bone (I’m talking no cable, never buying Starbucks, etc). I’m not going to lie, the first year was tough, I hated the job for awhile, made $40 an hour, commuted to both jobs. But it got better quickly.
I have a great wife and that makes a huge difference, she was on board. I sold her on the vision, and we were a team.
#14
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Joined APC: Oct 2006
Position: IPZ to Mr.
Posts: 1,915
With 5 years left until retirement, and a plan to go to the airlines after leaving Big Blue (regardless of if now or then), and with the understanding that employment at the regionals is a realistic potential path to the job you eventually want, you should be preparing now by bulking up your savings account in preparation for those lean times.
Also ensure that your family is on board with the decision, too, because the transition will require some temporary belt-tightening that will impact them.
Just like with all military flying, you can't just have a Plan A in which you step directly from your AD job into a good paying major airline job. You have to have logical secondary and tertiary plans that you could actually execute if your main plan goes awry.
Since you're contemplating getting out *now*, I'd argue that if you don't currently have a financial cushion that you're prepared and willing to burn in a temporary low-paying job enroute to your career destination, you're already behind.
Yes, the regional route is a temporary financial hardship but it is a great way to get where you want to go if you're not current.
If "recession" is your #1 threat, then stay in until 20 and pick up that pension. That is the closest thing to a sure-thing that you're going to see anywhere in aviation and you're in the unique situation to be able to take advantage of it.
That being said, if you decide to stay in you are leaving 5 years of airline seniority, and the possibility of millions of dollars in career pay, on the table by waiting.
That's the bet we all have to decide the correct time to place.
#15
Recession? Maybe. But, keep in mind, without my sounding too dramatic: the largest airline pilot retirement wave in civil aviation history is just getting started. This has totally caught the idiot AF management off guard. I mean, who could have seen this coming ? Recession or not, the airlines will have to continue hiring.
As others have typed, if you haven’t started saving, you are way behind. If you delay the airline job 5 more years, you are giving up oodles of seniority, mountains of cash and QOL.
Good luck to you.
As others have typed, if you haven’t started saving, you are way behind. If you delay the airline job 5 more years, you are giving up oodles of seniority, mountains of cash and QOL.
Good luck to you.
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