nicks748

At this point and time, which is the easier route? I just spoke with a OA recruiter and he told me that it is really tough to get a pilot slot right now. any truth to this?
I live in HI and there is no USAF reserve unit, only ANG. So its not like I can just drop by a reserve unit and just "hang out." I have all the requirements to get a pilot slot in the USAFR, 25 yrs. old, 20/15 (not corrected), BS in AS, cum gpa 3.08, commercial pilot, etc...
I just sent my resume to the OA recruiter, what steps should be taken now? Do I just start calling some USAFR and asking them if there are any pilot slots open/interviewing? I don't know where to go from here. BTW I dont know if this makes a difference but I'd rather fly C-17, C-130 (especially the ones that fly through the hurricanes ), KC-135 VS fighters.
Any reccomendations on which one to focus on, guard or USAFR?
Any help is greatly appreciated.

blastoff

Either way Guard or Reserve takes about the same method and difficulty. I'm Reserve...either way, you need to go "hang out" so you're package magically rises to the top of the interview queue. There are several units rapidly expanding due to their expansions from the BRAC 2005(while the units who lost airplanes are closing)...The Selfridge KC135 unit is getting larger AND moving to McDill AFB in Tampa, FL, those are guys I would definitely talk to if you're looking to go anywhere.

nicks748

thanks for the info! Going to send you a PM

Jaxs170

19th Air Force recently (mid-JAN) said they will be cutting about 10% of the pilot slots (mostly due to overmanning in the fighter community) for the next few years, from around 1000 to around 900. He implied, but did not say directly, that the loss would come almost exclusively from the fighter pipeline and that the heavy (T-1) pipeline would remain the same and maybe even grow a bit.

With that said, that still gives you 900 chances in the Air Force alone, more if you try the Navy/Marine route as well. No harm in trying, but it will take you a year or two at least before you start training if you start the process today. Best of luck.

zondaracer

The hurricane hunters are out of Biloxi Mississippi, http://www.hurricanehunters.com/ . I would start looking at www.wantscheck.com and www.baseops.net for hiring info into reserve/guard units. There is some really good gouge over there.

Goes211

As a former Marine F/A-18 driver, I have to ask how you think your career is going to pan out when the first thing you are asking is what is the "easiest deal" out there?

If you are only considering a military flying career if it can be easy, then please reconsider whether you really want it. JFK said something about doing something because it was hard, and I assure you I have never regretted taking the harder route.

My advice: Apply for OCS, get a commission and go active duty. You'll never have to wonder what you could've done!

In my interview at FedEx, I said I've always done the hard thing when they asked if I liked to fly at night, and ALL night!

blastoff

I think he's just looking for "paths of least resistance" to getting a pilot slot, not how hard it is when he gets in, since he's Guard vs. Reserve he's talking about identical training and identical missions.

hindsight2020

Like some have already explained, the OP was asking which one was a more readily accessible route from the context of the Reserve Component. He wasn't asking about AD. FWIW, as a Reserve baby myself, I find no intrinsic value in doing things the hard way for the sake of itself, there's no value in that in my book. Minimalism is a virtue in my life experience so I can't say I relate, and judging by your philosophy of life I don't expect ya to hold it in much light, to each their own. I've met enough AD dudes hating life and wanting to go Guard/Reserves to rest easy in the fact that I did the right thing by doing my homework (some of those AD types didn't) about military aviation during college and placing my efforts on what I deemed the 'best of both worlds' choice. The OP is thinking right

To the OP, you're kinda limited by living in HI, but in my experience the Reserves are easier to get into. Granted I got in as an unsponsored candidate and that pipeline is closed for the forseeable future, but I spent a couple years pimping Guard units (granted mostly fighter units) to no avail, and yes it was before and during the 2005 BRAC period. That was 3 years or so. Then I spent less than 10 months from picking up the phone and asking whose responsible for pilot applications, to getting approved by the board, medical approved and all, to finding a gaining unit and swearing in. The extra kicker is that once you're in that side of the fence, 9 out 10 times the Reserve dude will beat the Guard dude to UPT. The NGB is off the rocker when it comes to wait times for training dates and package approvals, the Reserves turned me into OTS in less than 30 days from swearing in, and UPT report-to dates less than 2 weeks after that. The pace was furious but you'll hardly be able to match that in the Guard. Of course there's hardly any Reserve fighter units compared to the Guard, but if that's a non issue then the Reserves look better. I also think reserve units are a little better on the man day money pot but I have no way of proving that so I'll acknowledge that as potential chaff. Good luck, move CONUS if you want to expand your chances of getting into Guard/Reserve flying.

Scout

Goes211, I'm with you on this one. I'f your looking for the "Easy Button" go to Staples. The path of least resistance is easy to find and follow, but you will be on it with a long time...don't sell youself short.

nicks748

EXCUSE ME!!??? Take a breather and READ!
First of all, if you read I did not ask for the "easiest deal"
Second of all, if I was looking for the easiest deal I sure wouldn't be in aviation.
And third of all, I don't want to apply for OCS, get a commission and go active duty......That is why I was asking about guard and USAFR

And why do you feel the need to say something sarcastic like, "way to set your sights high!"
Im sorry I'm not mister hardcore ex F/A-18 marine pilot.......get over it