Airline Pilot Central Forums - To Stay or Not to Stay

Quote:

Originally Posted by EAndres1486 (Post 825801)

I am currently finsihing out my enlistment in the USAF (about 18 months). I am an airfield management by trade however dreams have been in teh **** pit since i was knee high to a grass hopper. I have been batting ideas around as to what to do after my enlistment. My heart is not in my job and after 2 tours to the middle east and more on the horizon for my job im looking for an exit strategy. I have considered applying for AF OTS and trying to fly for them however its a highly competitive program and flying spots are not guarnteed. If i would get picked up its a minumum 10yr commitment and im not ready to put my family threw 10 more years of deployments and TDY's. Currently the average cargo pilot in the AF is gone 180-220 days A YEAR.

Any advice on where to start. I will have my bachelors degree before my enlistment is up and should have private and instrument ratings and working on commercial. I want to stay as close to the aviation world as i can. Prefer flying but will take something to put food on the table for the family until the market gets better.

EA,
Good on you to be looking into your options ahead of time. AFRES/ANG is a very good way to go, but statements like "will have" are not good enough. (I am trying to motivate ya not sound like I'm criticizing!) I don't know about other units, but at least at mine, they don't want to talk about what you will have...they want ready individuals--AFOQT 90+ in Pilot/Nav categories, BA or BS COMPLETE. Remember, you are useless to them if you don't have the boxes checked. There are lots and lots of "coulda/mighta/maybe will/someday" people out there. There's no better advertisement for you to have then for you to be able to say: "I'm ready to go TODAY." That, in my opinion is how you separate yourself from all the others I mentioned. Show that you are a self starter--Check all the boxes yourself and show you don't need someone to tell you to get something done. Don't let up on your current job either ("my heart is not in my job") any employer and especially the AFRES/ANG will be checking your EPRs. How else does a unit/employer determine your reliability and how do they know your heart won't leave the job they give you?? Be a hard charger until the very end in all that you do. You agreed to enlist--show yourself and anyone that checks that you are a person of your word and will follow through on ANY commitment you make. To do other is suicide for future employment IMO. It sounds to me like you need to make some "fork in the road" type decisions and commit--I mean really commit! Which ever way you decide go for it with all the gusto!
Very best of luck!
Philly
ex-CATCO/AOF