I have heard only good things about the Air National Guard so far and I am wanting to look into it deeper. I haven't graduated college yet, (Junior) and have my Commercial and MEL rating. The only path I have been looking into so far is just the regional route. What would be the best route to fly for the Guard? I have been looking at their website and it seems the only positions open are Navigator slots. Would I get a pilot slot if I first started at Navigator? How would it be flying regionals and ANG? I have alot of potential questions but just some basic knowledge of how things work there and what I would need to do to get a pilot slot would be greatly appreciated.

 

The ANG is a GREAT supplement and enhancement to a civilian flying career. I would highly recommend it unless you don't think you would be a good fit as a military offficer (the majority of pilot types do have the aptitude)

Getting into the guard will require a LOT of initiative on your part, start with the internet. It's kind of like rushing a fraternity...you have to be persistent and they have to like you. The C-130 squadrons at Cheyenne, WY and Charleston, WV tend to be the first ones to need pilots off the street (due to their geographic locations).

If you do things in this order it will maximize your career progression. The key concept is that your airline seniority accrues uninterrupted while you are away on military leave...

1) Get you COMM, ME, CFI, CFII, and MEI and college degree.
2) Work as a CFI until you get enough hours to get a regional job (1000/100)
3) Start working on your guard application
4) Get the regional job, finish training, and fly the line for a year if possible.
5) Begin guard training (2 years)
6) Return to the regional. You should now have enough seniority to be a captain.
7) Upgrade to captain and get 1000 hours as captain.
8) Apply to major airlines.

This allows you to bypass the low-paying regional FO years while on active duty. Once you get the 1000 hours captain time you will be very competetive for major jobs with both military and civilian 121 experience.

 

DO NOT go in as a NAV if you want to be a pilot, no matter what any recruiter ever tells you!

 

Couple things to remember: You’re joining the military when your county is a war. The way our military is structured now, The ANG is a integral part of the force. You will be activated for long periods of time You will deploy. You will fight.

The days of the “Flying-club-only-one-weekend-a-month” guard units are over. Still way better than active duty units—so go for it! But go for it with your eyes open, knowing what you’re getting into.

I suspect you know all this, and are thinking of joining anyway. God Bless You.

 

Just don't go in as a Nav, in fact, don't allow the Recruiter to put the word "Navigator" anywhere on your dream sheet. Great way to handicap your career. Go to a unit and "Bro it up" with all the guys (pilots only), make a good impression and they will hire you. It helps even more if you know somebody in that unit who can mention your name around the chief pilot, so when you knock on the door he's thinking "I've heard of that name." Don't forget about Reserve Units too, or Units that are moving or changing airframes because of the Base Realignment (BRAC)...these "realigning" units are losing lots of guys because of the move, and need to replace people.

 

Thanks so much for the advice. I didn't know about the nav slots and if thats just kind of how you get filtered in to being a pilot. Ill talk to a couple of bases and see if I can get set up with a visit sometime soon. I still have a while to decide, but right now it seems like a great option.

 

go to Baseops.net, look under aviation job openings.

 

I fully agree, do not accept a Nav position. I made that mistake many years ago and it took me a helluva longtime to get out of it. Only now after 8000hrs of Nav and FE time, 40yrs of age and a lot of work as a pilot am I upgrading to CAPT with my airline. The usual line from the recruiter is that Nav is the fastest road to the frontseat. that's BS...

Good luck,
Lifter

 

While I agree about not going anywhere near a nav slot, if you're upgrading at 40 years old, you have nothing to whine about.

 

I agree with you fdx727pilot...