Do Active Duty pilots build hours quicker than Reserve? I'm assuming they would, but I just don't know what an Active Duty pilot does....

 

Many variables. Airframe? Deployment tempo? Non-flying job(both AD or reservist)? It seems like most guard guys I know can fly almost as much as they want, have the option to volunteer for more TDY's, and don't get saddled with desk tours unless they want them. So, I think your assumption is incorrect in many cases.

If you're asking because you're trying to decide which route to pursue, you're worrying about the wrong questions.

 

In the tanker reserve world you can build hours very quickly if you are willing to deploy. I would think if you are willing to deploy you could build hours very quickly in every airframe.

 

The golden answer: IT DEPENDS.

Typical active duty airlift guy builds hours faster than an active duty fighter guy.

Either way, you'll get about 250 hours in pilot training. As a reservist, you'll get about 3-6 months of full time seasoning in which you should fly your ass off and possibly get another 300 hours. As a part time traditional reservist, you can fly as little as 5 hours per month, or you could be quite more active, volunteer for trips and deployments and fly 500-800 hours per year.

As an active duty guy, most new LTs get their first 1,000 hours within about 1.5 years or so, then as you start gaining rank you generally fly less. I hit 3,500 hours in the C-17 at about 8 years... I'm at 12 years and about 4,000 hours.

Things to consider:
- What airframe?
- What reserve status? Traditional reservist with a full time civilian job? Traditional reservist bumming for full time work in the reserves? Activated reservist? ART? AGR?
- Do you live near your reserve base? If so, it'll be easier to fly more.
- How many training hours per month does your airframe do? In the C-17, you pretty much need to do about 4-6 hours in the jet and 3-6 hours in the sim every month as a min for the first year or 2.
- What is the operational flying like? If you're a strat airlifter, then you'll be able to do both long (120 days) and short (5-15 days) trips. The fighter and tanker guys might not have as many shorter trips to pick from... it might be deployment or nothing.

 

Very, very broad strokes here........ but the bigger the jet..... the bigger the hours......... fighters small........ tankers and haulers, big.

Also, one other variable........ there are also guys in my reserve squadron, who are active. They can fly a ton. For the most part, all of us reserve guys are flying full time with an airline, so the active guys in our squadron have to pick up the slack to make missions happen.

I will say that those active duty slots in a reserve squadron (FTS) are very hard to come by.

for what it is worth,
Aloha

 

I hate this question. Why are you trying to "build" hours? For a crappy airline career? It'll take you at least 5 years (heavy unit) or 3 years (fighters) MINIUMUM to get the hours for an airline job, assuming you fly your a** off the whole time. The entire time you are "building" hours for something else, you're expected to perform. You'll be expected to be a copilot, a two-ship flight lead, an aircraft commander, a 4-ship flight lead, an IP, an EP, perhaps a weapons officer. If you're entire focus is on "building" hours, then you'll be crappy at all of those. If you're goal is to be a professional pilot and be good at what you do, then pursue whatever avenue gets you there, and focus on what you're doing. If your goal is to "build" hours for some imaginary future job, then leave the military alone and go find a crop duster job.

 

The military isn't a place to build time.

 

Well said Deuce..........

Hacker, I'm not sure I agree. When we hit that time in our military career that we start to say, "maybe it's time to get out", the military training command - as an IP - is a great place to give back, impart your knowledge and skill, and build a ton of hours for your next life.

My .02 cents,
Aloha

 

I'm with deuce. WHAT future job?!?!?

Military route for an airline aspiration is like the kid that makes more money doing something else and sleeps at home every night in order to qualify for a job that pays him less and has him gone all day.

Work smarter, not harder.....

 

I think the building of time is a by-product of doing your job; not a reason to come into the military. We are lucky in that our military duties give us a skill that translates well to the outside job market in a variety of ways.

USMCFLYR