USMCFLYR

I was always jealous of some of my Navy brethren for the opportunities to stay flying at jobs outside of the squadron/CAG/wing/etc....

When I instructed in VFA-106, we had a female get attached to the NSC. She was allowed to come back as often as her NEW job would allow and fly as a *guest* instructor. Later during my time in VFA-125, we had a similar opportunity given for people would went to staffs tours in San Diego. They would meet us on Weps dets in El Centro.

Conversely, when I was an Air Officer for 1st Battalion/2d Marines - my two FACs were from MCAS Cherry Point and MCAS NEW RIVER (the same town!) and neither were allowed to keep flying. If you were not on flying orders - not a chance to find yourself in the cockpit.

CB - were you XO of -101 during any of the time the 'Crusoe' was the CO - or it seems that was probably after your time. I was the XO of -125 at the end of my tour.

kb8018

Rickair, thanks for the insight. That is kind of what I've been thinking, if I could co-locate both jobs as much as possible, QOL might not be bad. For example, with Compass I could base at LAX and try to pick up reserves with the squadron in San Diego or Point Mugu (LA) then be very close to both. I'm guessing you work at SkyWest? What combo did you make work for your situation?

Rusty17

Maybe I have just been getting bad advice, but I am in a similar situation. I have the opportunity to get off Active Duty early with a retirement and was worried that I have low pilot time (prior Navigator). I have about 2400 TT with 1300 PIC as an IP/EP in the C-17. Several guys I've spoken to who are AF Reserve and Major Capts said that having the mins and being an IP/EP in the Military on the resume should eventually get calls from Majors, but said it might not be right away since they will work through the 3000+ TT military guys first. They suggested to get on with a regional and suck it up until I got a call and update my Apps with every 100 hrs or so of TT I flew. They didn't mention being recategorized into the "regional category"… definitely don't want that to happen. Between a pension, savings, and Regional pay I could suck it up for a year or so which should push me over the 3000 TT mark with all ME jet time and get some 121 experience for the resume, but don't want to screw myself if that puts my App into a different pile.

Rusty17

One other question for anyone with Regional experience as well as military… I keep hearing about terrible QOL with the Regionals, but what is that compared to? Most military guys will spend over half the year on the road to the desert with little to no-notice as to when they are going and when they are home are spending the whole time in the office dealing with queep like writing performance reports, awards packages and taking useless CBTs about sexual harassment and information management. Most would be quite happy to just fly the line and not deal with any of the other crap. What makes Regional QOL worse than what the military guys have been doing for the past 12+yrs aside from the pay?

Sputnik

At least in the military I was paid for it. Sitting reserves in a crash pad with 12 of your closest friends to make $25K a year being gone from home 2/3rds of the year, yes I'd say it's quite a bit worse than anything I did in the military.

That said, Skywest has a base where I live. I'm considering it.

CrakPipeOvrheat

If Envoy passes the TA go there because you will get flow to American.

Kato

I'm considering the regional thing as well, and figured we'd be categorized as both, no?

rickair7777

I honestly have never heard of mil pilots losing "mil status" in the eyes of the majors because they worked at a regional. Should be the opposite...they gain 121 knowledge and demonstrate motivation to do airline flying.

Now if you spend 15 years at a regional...

at1024

I have many friends both at the regionals and in the military, and I've heard horror stories on both ends.

I will say this for the military though...they take care of their own. My gf is enlisted and if she gets moved to California she gets a nice housing allowance to help pay the bills. The regionals simply don't care about the cost of living at their bases nor do they care how you will put food on the table.

Oh and if they don't need you they will throw you out in the street in a moments notice. I've seen it happen many times.

FRAG USN

USMCFLYER, I'm CB (changed user name). Crusoe was a few years before my time at 101 as I just finished there this summer - he is indeed a great American (got to fly with him in Fallon when he was at TG). I was probably in Lemoore when you were at 125 (did 13 yrs there off 'n on between '95 and '10). Small world. May have overlap with Tuna somewhere, too...