Any changes to this logic post covid? Regional airline interview scheduled this week. Currently have the option to go either:

GS-11 full time position + Reservist
Pros:
Better money... Probably could clear close to 100k
No regional lifestyle problems with commuting, sitting hot reserve, etc.
More secure job, not dealing with regional furlough drama.
Cons:
Queepy LT bull****
Might not get as many hours with my unit manning/budgetary constraints. Not sure what the upgrade timeline would be to AC. Guessing ~3 years.

Regional airline + Reservist
Pros:
ATP Paid for
121 Time... might upgrade prior to military AC
Travel benefits
Cons:
Less money: <50k regional + TR pay
Schedule/commuting/sitting reserve

Leaning towards full time mil. Its just hard to quantify just how much the 121 time and/or upgrade time will compensate for the reduction in QOL/pay in the meantime.

 

Making some assumptions here that you're young since you said, LT. Now, I know you could be prior E and be older and may have family/kids etc. If so, stability and pay is what I would lean towards. But...if you're a young, single LT or even if your spouse is understanding that you guys might be a little tighter for the next few years, I'd go the TR/Regional route. If he/she works and makes income, then it's moot and I'd go regional/TR no matter what.

Your 121 experience will be the main meat of your resume going forward and your mil service will strengthen it. If you go GS/TR you'll be mil only and low time. You'll fly more in 4 months at a regional than you will in an entire year at your unit, no matter your MDS. Flying hours and budgets are only shrinking and will continue to shrink. As you said, queep, non- sensical taskers, and fighting to get paid will be your life. With that in mind, it will be more difficult to upgrade at your unit vs. your regional. Upgrade at your regional = PIC and a pay raise. Upgrade in the squadron, sure, you're logging PIC, but still less PIC overall, and your pay stays the same for more work. If I was you, I'd go to that regional and hustle to max out your TR pay. FWIW, I'm a 13 yr AD guy, recently over to being a TR and at a 91/135 gig. Good luck!

 

Where I’m guessing you’re at in your mil career based on your 2019 post, I’d go to a regional, and look for opportunities to get longer term active orders once you’re an AC. This gets you a lot more flight hours, a paid for ATP, and gives you two avenues towards TPIC.

A GS-11 job at a reserve unit of any kind sounds F terrible.

 

Major hiring currently appears to be on a trajectory, in a few years, to be almost like covid never happened (lots of early outs will help through 2023).

The technician gig does not look like the fastest track. Less flight time, and no 121 or additional types.

The most aggressive option is clearly do regional and TR. That also gives YOU the ability to control the 121 vs mil flight experience balance (within the left and right lateral limits of reserve participation and available trough).

My recommendation, based on years of experience, observation, and a few lessons learned the hard way would be to aggressively pull out all stops to achieve your career objectives... once you get to a career major gig you can chill out. Anything else and you risk getting caught in limbo at the next recession, war, plague, zombie apocalypse, etc. (and there will be a next one). Family circumstances are about the only thing that would trump that philosophy.

That said the GS gig should get the job done eventually but if you're looking at a few hundred hours/year it could be later in the decade after the majority of the retirements (in the US) are done with. There will still be retirements and you'll still get hired but that will leave career seniority on the table.

 

That's where I'm at. I know the TR+Regional will be a grind.

I'm a late joiner. 34, single, no kids, no debt, solid finances. I could stomach the pay cut if I had to. I know there's no guarantees in this career, but I'm willing to take some risks if it'll propel me further along.

Also, upgrading to AC at the unit gets promotion to GS-12. Its a program they call TDART to help fund newly rated dudes getting to AC/IP at reserve units.

 

Go grind at a regional. You’ll probably be at a major in 2-3 years max.

 

You’re single and no kids AND you’re reaching an age where lifetime earnings starts to get squished if you don’t get to a major soon. I know which avenue is the obvious choice if it were me. The only thing that keeps you from being at a major with the info you’ve given is your TPIC.

 

GS-11 vs. GS-12 (or O4 vs. O5 vs. O6) is almost insignificant in the context of career major airline earnings and that includes most ULCC. Consider that you'll be making, worst case, presumably about 350K per year as a senior NB CA... how many years of avoidable delay do you want to take? You can of course weigh the time-value of money now vs later.

 

Fair enough... Thanks all.

The bottom line was me questioning whether the TR/Regional grind was worth it considering the pay/QOL/job security issues. It sounds like it is based on the consensus here, especially in my circumstances. Fingers crossed I can get with one of the two regionals that has a base close to my reserve unit. Now to prepare for interviews.

 

There are no absolute right answers in this industry, and few absolute wrong answers. We're just telling you what the odds are.