Pretty much sums up my game plan. I am figuring approx. 6 months worst case to separate/palace chase especially with the A1 paperwork log jam that is ensuing with all the force shaping happening. I really wish I didn't sign the 4 year GI bill transfer when I did (17 months left), but AFPC assures me all I need is to palace chase and it will be honored since UPT commitment expired 3 months ago....who knows if they are right though.

good deal. commitments are totally waiverable. I left AD with 3.5 years active service, I owed 1.5 years on my USAF Academy commitment. They waived it no problem. If youre going reserves, that probably helps your case I think.

Yeah considering both Reserve/Guard opportunities. For now, I am staying AD since I am in a position to do so until an opportunity presents itself. It seems the lull in hiring is due to the training backlog at most majors, hopefully by spring/summer it clears and they will figure out ways to get capacity ramped up and start hiring consistently. For me, being in a hiring pool for a few months is ok since it gives me time to work separation like you alluded to above. My one fear is that the longer I wait, the AF could swing back the other way in order to prevent a mass exodus. Quite a few at my base are getting out/transferring to the guard for various reasons, not all airline either.

How many hours are IP's getting a year? Is bumming still possible in tankers in the reserve?

To VSP or not to VSP?
 

Don't get too discouraged, in 07 it was competitive too. Biggest thing is to get all your ducks in a row, network and get LORs.

I was able to snag 4 interviews in 07(CAL, DAL, NWA, AirTran), with only 700 hours of FW ME PIC. Granted, I had 3.2K TT but 1.5K if that was in helos.

Network!

Apply everywhere, take terminal LV whenever you get hired by anybody. I've had friends get out, take a job at a regional, leave during training, go to a 747 cargo operator for 6 month then snag a job at a major.

The scariest thing is taking the leap. If you WANT to get out, get out.

Good luck

I've been thinking about this nonstop for weeks. Can't decide. Mostly worried about family life as an airline pilot. Are there schedules out there where you can fly mostly out and backs?

Yes, but not until you have a ton of seniority. Best you can hope for is to move near a junior base. But at UAL, you go on the road for 3-4 days, esp as a junior guy.

This is cut and pasted from the SWA application site:

"**PIC for this purpose is defined as Captain/Aircraft Commander of record, not simply the sole manipulator of the controls. For military personnel, Southwest Airlines will allow flight time logged as "Pilot in Command" (PIC) only if you are the Captain/Aircraft Commander, Evaluator, or Instructor Pilot. Primary time will only be considered PIC on a specific aircraft after an individual upgrades to Aircraft Commander n the appropriate aircraft. Time logged as "Other Time" will not be considered."

Because SWA only has categories for PIC, SIC, and IP any student time does not get counted. It's likely there are others but I've got so many apps in I'm not going to double check every single one.

This statement is only defining PIC time and says Other time will not be considered. UPT time is not logged as Other time. Other time is usually logged by C-17/C-5 types for time spent in the bunk which is why airlines don't count it. Pretty sure UPT can counted as SIC

SIC in UPT can only be logged in an airplane requiring two pilots on its type certificate. BE-400/T-1. The 6/37/38 are all single pilot.