I think what he meant was that it's pretty difficult for a fighter guy to get to 2000 in 10 years, you're far more likely to have way less. And getting to 3000....probably not going to happen unless you count UAV hours logged.

As for heavies, obviously depends on the community but we don't exactly fly our asses off for years on end either. There's a lot of non flying assignments out there.

So, in sum, you're right, in the AF we don't pile on hours. However we do get some quality time.

The average total time of military guys in my DAL new hire class was around 2700.

Average for civilians: well over 6,000.

You won't get as many hours in the AF as you will as a civilian, but you won't need as many to get hired, either. My friends at SWA, UAL, UPS, CAL, NetJets...all had less than 3,000 hours of mil heavy time.

USAF age limit is 30 but I have seen at least three guys with waivers.

Now would be a great time to go guard, especially if you want to track 38's. Right now most bases are dropping 1 maybe 2 38's per class (out of ~25 people). Not to mention UAV's will be coming to a drop near you!

I don't think that at all. I know of guys who are tagging 1,000 hours on their FIRST TOUR, thanks to two or so trips to OIF. OEF sorties are less, but still adding do fighter guys' logbooks much faster than your standard 1.5 trips around the home 'drome.

Im a bum in the reserves and I am consistently getting about 400 hours a year...Pretty sure that's below what active duty guys are racking up over in the desert.

That's awesome man. Keep in mind I'm in a wing with C's and Raptors....i.e. guys who ain't going to the desert and ain't racking up the hours you are. Still, good to know you all get that much.

Throwing no darts, but I'd guess as a reservist you aren't spending much time doing non-flying 120s to the CAOC, writing OPRs/EPRs/Award packages, prepping ten million mobility folders, getting your masters, doing SOS in correspondance so you can go in residence, doing ACSC in correspondace you so can go in residence, non flying staff tours, etc.

In the 02-05 time frame our new copilots usually got 1000 their first year. It's easy to get 400 hours a year, it's not so easy to do that year in year out for a decade.

Though I'm happy to say I've done it. So my semi-smartassness aside you're right, it's possible.

No darts here either, but the reason I joined the reserves was so I didn't have to do all that crap!

One must remember, for the Navy, their needs come first. You might finish top of your squadron and put Tailhook as your first choice but there are no Tailhook (read jets) slots. Guess what, not getting jets. About 45-50% of all Navy pilots are helo pilots. About 75% of all MC pilots are helo pilots. Something to consider.

Hey Vandal -

What aircraft are you bumming around the reserves in:eek:? In my community - 400 hrs a year is nearly impossible! I'll probably be close to the high time guy in my squadron this fiscal year with around 350 hrs in a fleett aircraft training squadron and I fly maintenance flights on the weekend and hang around for that dash 3 night formation flight when no one else wants to fly it! Generally - FRS (RAG) IPs fly more than their brothers in the fleet. Our guys on deployment are flying some really good hours while deployed, but then come home and barley fly enough to maintain currency.

USMCFLYR