Too bad they make you take a reduction in rank to IST. But yeah, if I was hard up to fly helos that's where I'd go. Rewarding flying, and the best duty stations. Sign me up for San Diego!

 

It is unfortuante that they make you take a demotion, but I would have done it.
I would have tried to go C-130s / Falcons due to my background though I believe the helo flying would have been even more rewarding!
All water under the bridge now, but I just met a fellow pilot in Indoc class who has 22 years in the Army / Coast Guard (helo), so I'm sure I'll have an opportunity to hear some good stories on the road at some point.

USMCFLYR

 

Remember that a reduction in rank, due to an interservice transfer (IST), can be a good thing sometimes. For the Navy Reserve squadrons, you get to stay in the squadron until you promote to O-5. After O-5 you need a waiver (s) that may or may not get granted. Life in the Navy Reserves is not like the air force where you can't swing a dead cat without hitting an O-6. A reduction in rank, due to an IST can be a great thing. I was about to put on Major in the Corps, did an IST, then was a junior LT. in the Nav.

Only now, years later, does show up to be a blessing. I now will be able to stay in the squadron for my full 20 years of service - and won't be forced out of the squadron due to promotion to O-5. In the end this means an extra 30-40 K a year in salary, agumenting my airline gig, serving my country, hanging out with the brotherhood, drinking beer and flying around the world.

A reduction in rank can be good for some,
Aloha

 

Or Barbers, Borinquen, LAX, NOLA......the list goes on. USCG helo duty stations are awesome (FW stations ok also). Those who don't mind the cold enjoy the Pacific NW spots, and it seems like most of the Detroit folks are happy as well. Helo only Air Stations are small, tight nit wardrooms in non-military towns.

Good QOL, good mission. I recommend the USCG OCS route vice years of Army WO pain only to come to your senses and drop a DCA package years down the road.

 

A lot of guys do a four year stint at Air Station Cape Cod, which of course has both fixed wing and helo. Nice QOL and live in nearby towns.

 

To each his own I guess. You'd rather go 120kts that 650? Ohhhh Kay.

 

That was my thought process going through flight school. Watched a lot of fleet guys that were able to redesignate who wanted QOL over platform and speed. I thought they were crazy.

I wouldn't change a thing, but now I know where they were coming from.

 

I wanted to fly every platform going through flight school, each for a different reason.
Helos for the "real life" missions that they were flying in those years. I especially like flying LOW!.
KC-130s for the crew concept and flying all over the world (I wanted to be stationed out of Okinawa first and fly the Far East)
And jets for the thrill low and fast, high and fast ), dropping bombs, and fighting.

Augmentation rates ended up being the deciding factor for me. When I selected about 99% of the jet guys were getting augmented in comparison with the help guys who I think were barely over double digits.
Thanks for the info Capt Burris (CH-53E pilot and motivated T-34C flight instructor - and no he wasnt my on-wing but I wish he had been)

USMCFLYR

 

Give the guy a break....maybe 120 knts @ 50 AGL using NVGs is more his thing, than 650knts at FL350. I'm just sayin'...

 

I think I remember that guy... wasn't he in Corpus at VT-27, early 90s? I remember a motivated great guy 53 Helobubba there, still didn't make me want to fly Helos first.

To others: I'm not saying that I wouldn't have enjoyed flying rotary, but I guess my attitude was try to fly the thing you really want, and if you can't get that then so be it. Why I said, "to each his own." It wasn't in my nature to "aim" for helos, so I guess I just don't get the OPs perspective, that's all.