Coolbrz

Have a question for the community...



Current Army Guard O4 UH60 IP who is flying for a regional right now. I may have an opportunity to get a C-12 qual if I convert to warrant officer. Otherwise would continue on with promotion in a non flying assignment.



Will this qual make me appreciably more marketable for a major/legacy airline? Or does the promotion to O5 look better? Lot of factors to consider of course and just trying to get a handle on this particular aspect.



My ultimate goal is to transition to a full civilian career in the next 5 years or so. I'm over 20 years already so this would be a way to remain fulfilled in my military career but not the sole consideration.


If it matters I'm at ~2500 TT, 800 FW, 450 121.


Appreciate anyone's thoughts.

Phoenix21

C-12 time will help you apps. No one gives a flying flip about your rank in the airlines... at least anyone who matters.

C-12 PIC time counts for part 121 upgrade requirements (upto 500hrs) so this will help make your stint as a regional FO shorter.

If you’ve got 20 in now and want to go to a legacy why are you talking about staying in for 5 more years. Retire now, do An RTP program and get the ball rolling on your next career!

60av8tor

Can’t say I agree. You’re already at a regional and 1/2 way to 1000 121 for upgrade. Gotta think you will have your 1000 by the time you would get done with the WO transition, go through the course in Dothan, etc. Plus I think only PIC time counts towards the 1000 - could be wrong...

As far as rank... while not the end all be all, plenty of folks on hiring boards are/were military and understand what you’re dealing with in field grade jobs. Looking at the total person concept, I definitely wouldn’t say no one gives a “flip”.

At the end of the day, if it’s something you really want to do, I say go for it. But to pass up an O5 promotion for some c-12 time when already flying 121...? Not me. My opinion only.

Coolbrz

Well I heard that carriers like Delta like to see O5-O6 but maybe that’s more a navy/Air Force thing.

And I already have my ATP and fly for a regional now. Probably won’t upgrade at the regional until the end of the year at my current pace of flying.

Phoenix21

Reading is a breeze when you don’t worry about comprehension... my bad... I thought you meant you were an active guard guy.

If you’re flying an RJ full time now and helos on the side, the C-12 won’t bring much to the table. Military fixed wing PIC is greater than military helo time but I’m not sure that’s enough to break you out if you’re going to be logging part 121 PIC soon. It will help with total time and add another type rating if you do the milcomp. I’ve got a buddy who left the army an O-3 flying C-12s (only thing he flew) and is at delta now do they do take C-12 guys of junior rank.

I wouldn’t pin on a rank and take a non flying gig unless that’s what you want to do. Not sure being an O5 reservist non flight current is going to help your application all that much either.

Goodluck with your decision.

BeatNavy

Unless you just love the army, I would gtfo and retire and tell green where they can shove it. And I sure as hell wouldn’t go fly a C12, especially at a big pay cut. Unless you went straight to an O4 gulfstream billet, I don’t think there’s any army fw job worth staying in for. Go be a 121 captain and go to a legacy. Your life will be so much better. If you love being a UH60 IP, keep doing that part time. Just my $.02.

StandardBrief

If it were me I would take the promotion to O-5 and take the non-flying assignment. It would show airline HR teams that you can be more than a monkey flipping switches. Going back to the school-house to get a 350 type rating will only take up valuable time...time you could be using to get 1000 121 hours and then upgrade to Captain. Somebody else here is correct when they say only PIC time in a multi-engine military aircraft counts towards your 121 upgrade. Also, how many trips are you going to have to cancel in order to fulfill you Guard annual minimums? Canceling 121 flight time for SIC guard time doesn't seem worth it to me unless you are flying C17s or C5s for the Air Force. I am assuming the non-flying position will require less time on your part than a flying billet. You have to think that airline flying is going to pay the bills once you retire, and you all ready have 20 years. Probably the quickest way to get to the major you seek is to commit fully to airline flying to make up for all the rotor time that you probably have and try like mad to check all the boxes you can (check airman, SOE/IOE captain, etc. Of course, if you want to fly King Airs than by all means, do it. Good luck.

REBEL SCUM

Coolbrz

Thanks for the feedback for everyone who responded. Kind of confirmed what my instincts were in that I should just take the promotion this year and focus on the 121 hours accumulation. Just wanted to make sure there wasn't some angle I hadn't considered that would help in both worlds.



If anyone else has any other thoughts though I'm all ears.


Thanks again.

ipdanno

One question I have is:

Do you have twenty “Good” years? Are you retirement-eligible right now? Okay, that’s two questions, or one and a half.

As you are already flying 121, and are already a graduate of a military flying training program, the more time you spend playing with Mother Green the longer it will take to get to your dream legacy or that 40+ continuous years of profitability B737 operator of choice. Every drill period or Annual Tour, or deployment that has you drop 121 trips will delay you to your destination. And time spent NOW not getting closer to your destination will cost you BIG bucks in final salary and retirement account LATER.

The retirements and hiring are ramping up now. Get upgraded, get 121 PIC, get your apps in ASAP; you don’t know who might call you in, or when, to interview.

Now if you are dead set on staying in the Guard, do it. But I would caution you on chasing the C-12 to improve your resume; it doesn’t seem you need it. Regardless of whether it was as WO, O-4 or O-5. The time spent getting qual’d, then seasoned, before PIC, is all time better spent logging 121 hrs.

What is your rationale for “five years until full transition” to pure civilian life. If you need that to qualify for retirement, good enough. If you need a year for O-5 selection, a year to pin, and three more to retire in grade, do an assessment, and decide if that would truly be time well spent. But that is your decision to make. Full Disclosure: I stayed Blue longer than I needed to, but personally, it was worth it.

Coolbrz

Point well taken thanks. If all goes well then selection and pin by the end of this calendar year. Then 3 years for pension.



More than the pension though the guard service provides some income to "soften the landing" of this regional life. And recession proofs my career a bit. And the health care. Yes I'm giving up probably a half trip a month on average to get that but seems like a decent tradeoff. Lastly, subconciously it's probably hard to leave after 23 years and counting too. More than I'd like to admit anyway!


I'm going to stay the path for now and pass on the C-12 qual. Maybe another opportunity will present itself down the road that will be a better fit. At the current pace end of the year I should make all the mins for legacy and majors as well so that will be another decision point.