I feel compelled to reply, I rarely do. My executive summary would be this: "Choose to do what you will enjoy doing - if that's not teaching and flying - dont FAIP."
I was a FAIP - it was my #1 choice out of pilot training. I would not change a second of it. Here is my FAIP experience - I think it worked out.

T-37 IP: 1300 hours
T-6 IP: 350 hours
T-38 IP: 600 hours
U-2 (IP duty was in a Camaro or GTO): 750 hours

So, I left AD last fall after 9 years and as an O-3 (Maj select) with 3,000 hours - all as PIC and about 70% Instructor. I also got paid about 107K to leave. Timing was, truly, everything.

Oddly enough, I had never planned to leave early, or fly for the airlines. I just did what I knew I would enjoy, and would therefore do well. I absolutely loved to teach and fly. So, I chose to FAIP and I went to work smiling everyday. When it came assignment time, I chose to fly the U-2 because those dudes fly their butts off in two completely different airplanes, and all over the world. Again, I went to work with a smile on my face (maybe not the time I had to take a sh** while in the spacesuit and with 9 hours to go until landing, but, most of the time I was smiling.) The decision to get out was the most difficult of my life - but, I was enjoying my time off more (ie, airlines) and knew that the flying and teaching thing was what I really enjoyed the most (ie, the reserves.) I am starting a Navy T-45 flying gig here in the next month or so and plan to keep smiling there when not flying for Delta.

My point to all of this is: there are no guaruntees, few things will stay the same. Choose now to do what you will enjoy doing - you will do well, and the rest will fall into place.

Or, I could be furloughed next summer and flie chapter 13 trying to make ends meet as a part-timer for the Navy.............. in that case, disregard everything.

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I don't. But, as a PIC of a UPT jet, you are an instructor. In a MWS (C-17, F-15, etc), you may not be an instructor. Every airline I applied too considered instructor PIC more favorable than regular PIC time. For the guys who have a FAIP job, they have more IP time and PIC than their non-FAIP buddies.

I'm just saying, if you want an edge in the civilian world, being a FAIP is a good deal.

-Fatty

I hope this is true! I've been instructing for quite some time now. Let's hope the rest of the aviation industry likes instructional time.

I guess my question here was about the person who joins the military to be a FAIP. Going around my current squadron recently I have run into a few SERGRADS as we call them. Not a one of them *joined* the military to instruct first tour. Everyone of them wanted to move onto a fleet squadron, but for some circumstance they were afforded the opportunity to stay and instruct. Sometimes it was a great deal because the waits for the RAG/FRS class might have been a year long! In 18 months - two of the former SERGRADS reported getting 700 hrs of turbine PIC time. Not bad eh?

USMCFLYR

-Fatty[/quote]