SkyPig09

That's basically what I've been offered: take this set of orders or get out. All services are down sizing and have no incentive to give any quarter. I want to continue flying more than I want to stay in beyond the 24 yrs I already have, but if no one is hiring I may end up an unemployed wanna-be flyer on food stamps instead of an employed wanna-be flyer stuck flying a desk permanently.

SkyPig09

Although I've spent most of my career in the office to earn the precious hours I've flown (OpsO, Maint O X2, Det OIC, XO) I can't quite live with the idea that the next orders might end my flight career. Life in a cubical just doesn't seem cut for me. I bet there are a legion of people out there in the same boat who can't let go of the flying career mirage. Several people have said just give it up, take a 9 to 5 gig, and have a real family life, but it's like giving up an addiction.

HuggyU2

There are plenty of aviation jobs out there for someone with your resume.

Tweetdrvr

You can be in the Air Guard/Air Force Reserves as an active duty retiree. You basically trade a day of retired pay for a day of military pay in whatever pay status you choose to participate in for that day's duty. You can even get promoted. So when you retire the second time, you get your current pay grade retirement check until age 60, then if you had time in grade to retire at the new grade you earned after your first retirement, your retirement check automatically recalculates to the new pay grade. If you don't get promoted, your check still gets bigger at age 60, based on the participation you did until you retired the second time. We have had at least three guys who got promoted as retired dudes at Laughlin. We have and have had several former USN/USMC folks, and we have several folks retired who still come in 6 days a month to fly. We have never to my knowledge had a retired interservice transfer. I don't know if it can be done, but it might be worth looking into.

PM me, if you have enough posts, and I can put you in touch with our folks who can answer that question.

Kikuchiyo

If you want to fly on the outside, then DO NOT be non-current when you leave the service. I spent the last three years on a non-flying staff job. I'm paying to get my instrument currency back in a Cessna, and haven't gotten even a nibble on the job hunt for a flying job. If you're current now, there's jobs to tide you over until the legacies start hiring - if that's what you want. But 3 years from now, having not flown in that whole time, you'll be unlikely to land anything at all flying.

jetIP

Suggest you follow Tweets suggestion. I'm extremely familiar with the person he is referring to.......

SkyPig09

Thank you everyone for all the gouge I should have known before I got to this point. I hadn't known I could fly military in any form after retiring. It might help bridge the gap even if I can get on with the bug smashers until something better comes along. Next huge task is to figure out through all these threads who in the commuters/corporate/fractionals is hiring. Someone told me the pilot hiring fair that went in Miami a few weeks ago had more people lined up to see the majors than the Boston Marathon and that the next day when the commuters were there the place was empty. Clearly there's a trend here. I feel like I'm on a fool's errand giving up the security and pay check of active duty military for the peanuts and hardship of a beginner commercial pilot's life, but I'm praying there's a payoff in the end.

Pakagecheck

Sky,
as an 0-4, if you want to go to the guard, you can just separate and guard bum. My unit always had it's token one or two gold wingers. When the day arrives to go to the airlines, you then could retire with the additional points. Not sure what type of flying you are doing but a great deal of guard units have a bunch of airline guys either on mil leave or currently flying for contacts and a wealth of info. All I can say is, the places that I know of that are hiring right now, currency is huge. One other thought would be to try and get a professional instructor job with one of them. When the time to hire happens, you are already a company employee and have made contacts with the entire training department. Good luck and thanks for your service.

Grumble

Personally if I were in your shoes, I'd punch. I don't know your life situation but a retirement check will take a lot of the sting off Regional pay, which you'll have no problem getting picked up for. That way you can get some 121 stink on you and stay current. I would also search usajobs as there are always gigs on there. Lots of civil C-130 jobs pop on baseops.net too.

As has been mentioned, currency is huge. Your other option is to find a local FBO and either rent 10 hours a month so that you can keep up with the 100 hours in 12 months rule, or get your CFI and instruct. A dept head of mine did the latter while on a staff job and was averaging 60 hours a month, which also gave him a nice little fun money supplement to boot.

Hawk 285

What Grumble said.