I was a primary instructor in the 06-09 timeframe, and we did have quite a few helo guys who got 1000-1500 hrs of fixed wing instructor time with us, so yes, that is definitely a possibility. In the past, those guys have been hired on with the airlines. I know because many of them were reservists.

The days of helo guys transitioning platforms to fixed wing are pretty much over. Of course, there are onesies and twosies, but with manning what it is today, most communities are loathe to let their good pilots go, and the gaining communities don't want the trash. The best way, honestly, to make this happen in the Navy is to go FTS or SELRES with a VR unit and not to stay active duty and endure the pain that comes with AD officer promotion.

Best way for a guy who selects helos to get fixed wing time in the Navy:
Kick ass as a helo guy (or you are done from the start)
Go to a VT command
Go FTS/SELRES when your commitment is up

Of course, this would require the obligatory 2 year boat tour, but if your timing is good, YMMV.

 

Caveat to above - unless we are talking about FEDEX...I had to do two tours in a multi-engine platform to meet their mins.

 

Hi, Navy helo guy here. My peers have flown C-12's for their shore tour, T-34's/T-6's at CNATRA and ranges, VX-1, Individual Augmentee billets, numerous other random assignments. My favorite was the exchange pilot with the Spanish Navy that racked up 100+ hours in a Citation.

As far as the trash comment, I will take that as a complement, since we do refer to ourselves as rotor trash. We do all the dirty work while you burn holes in your pedestal in the sky with a wire.

AND since I've done my homework as a Navy helo guy who sees no future in civilian rotary wing flying without another 1000 hours, I am happy to report that the majority of operators will count some if not all of your total time when applying. Hell, even Atlas Air will count 100% of rotary wing time, and 50% of your multi engine helo time. Even I think that's a little ridiculous, although very much to my advantage. Sure the majors won't, but with a couple years of some 121 or 135 in your logbook, it won't matter anyway.

Completely false. The guys who kick ass stay in the helo community. VT's are not desirable, and C-12's etc are a surefire career ender, which is fine if that is what you want. Honestly, the best way to get fixed wing time as a Navy helo pilot is to fly outside the Navy. That way, you don't burn any bridges in your military career.

 

Just remember, every post in here is probably correct for the time frame that we've experienced. Today is a very different environment that any military or civilian pilot has experienced over the last 20 years. Even though we mean well, none of us can predict the future and IMO you should do what your gut tells you. If you want to be in the military, join the military. If you want to be an airline pilot then IMO you are going to be unhappy in the military and you should focus on civilian flying.

BTW, USAF is by far your best bet if you decide to stick with the ends justifies the means approach. Very few rotary wing assignments and UAVs have their own career track now -- you should be safe from that line of work. Guard/reserve is even better than AD since you can have your cake and eat it too.

 

Tell that to the 30+ dudes I know that got H model -130s out of UPT in the last 6 months that are all going to preds and globals.

 

I was one of the few who got a Helo to FW transition (60Bs to E-2s) and rolled the career dice and lost when the LCDR selection rates went to crap the same time I got pulled up a YG.. Ended up leaving my E-2 tour at about the 2 year mark, and as a result of how the upgrades work there have very little FW PIC (A-Time) and as a result, have been working as an Engineer vice flying. (Pay's good. Hours suck, been home 5 days in the last 3 months, and still worked 8-10 hours a day out of my home office)

Bolded the best part of E6B's advice. Jumping communities, even when it is going away (I was HSL, it was becoming HSM, and I left for VAW/VRC) is playing with fire. Luck and timing have just as much as performance, and without all three, you are up the creek.

 

I would respectfully disagree. The two tracks CAN complement each other. Big Caveat though...you must be FULLY committed to the military mission and lifestyle for that period you expect to serve. You'll also need to at least attempt to manage your military assignments to obtain FW (and preferably ME) turbine PIC to set yourself up for the civilian side...this may hamper your military career progression, but sometimes you can't have your cake AND you ice cream and eat them both. There's absolutely nothing wrong with honorable service for a one term followed by greener pastures, or retiring at 20 as a terminal O-4.

You need to be doing the military for reasons other than just flight training and PIC time....but nothing says you can't have the right reasons and also be interested in an airline future.

Almost every military person has to plan a career transition at some point anyway. Very, very few make it to age 60+ in the military and they don't do it by flying airplanes.



x2

 

I wanted to chime in and say that I agree 100%. I think the idea that you should ONLY join/not join the military for reason xyz is a little too black and white.

If you ask me, there is absolutely nothing wrong with using the service as a stepping stone platform to achieve your life goals, and in this case flying. It's your career and you shouldn't have to fit into someone's own version of idealism. However, if you have the attitude purposely not caring about the military and are in it for the sole purpose to achieve something else on the outside, then of course that's a poor position to take. But I think that's a little too theoretical. I've yet to meet anyone who thinks like that.

Besides, 10-20 years in the military is a decent amount of time. Your attitude, family, and entire situation will change and evolve over time. And your outlook will most likely be completely different from once you started in your early 20's.

My 2 cents.

 

Mike, I agree with everything you (and pretty much everyone else here) say except for this last sentence... maybe. Many, if not most of us joined with the intent of doing our minimum obligated service with the intent of going on to something else. I've seen many who began with the intent of making AD a career jump to the airlines and many who joined with the intent of being an airline pilot stay for a career. I think what you might be saying is you must be fully committed to the military when you join, no matter what your long term goals are, in which case I agree.

 

A great post from the other (civilian) road travelled.

From a purely rational outlook, I can't justify AD except as a means to leave no stone unturned in looking for a military job. However, I think AD gives you a big picture appreciation of the airline life you might not get if you never see anything outside of the regionals/ANG. Yes, I know it's a little crazy to say the best thing about AD is it leaves you a little jaded about the world and a little more appreciative of airline life.