Scoop

Did you consider the hybrid plan. Get out. Get hired. Stay in the military via the reserves.

It is definitely tough doing both jobs but it provides a lot of security. After
9-11 many airline pilots went back on active duty after getting furloughed.

Tricare blows away most company health care plans. Oh, yeah a retirement at 60 is pretty nice too.

Scoop

2loud

The BS only gets worse with time but it has always been like this as far as I've been around-same gripes 25 years ago! Stop-loss one day, VSP another, pilot overage, then pilot shortage, bonus, no bonus, on and on...they never seem to get it right nor will they ever, all because we have no true leadership and it starts at the top.
A friend's dad was retiring from the military (F-4 pilot) when I was graduating from high school. All of his stories aspired me to be an AF officer/pilot. That was back in the mid 80's (yeah, I'm getting old). I think that was the beginning of the end of the "good 'ol days" because I've never experienced them. It was always do more with less and being a pilot was an after thought for the SQ-Wing CCs. Endless BS additional duties (mostly made up "make your CC look good" projects) along with ludicrous time consuming ground training events was unbearable, as ya'll know. It should not surprise AFPC with respect to the high percentage of VSP takers. For all those going for 20, my hats off to ya'll. During my AD years, I've missed every single anniversary, missed the birth of my second child, missed most of my kids' birthdays, most Christmas, Thanksgiving, and major holidays. A bad day in the airline is when I'm a day late getting home, paid at 150% vs. 5 days late getting home and getting my arm twisted to waive my post mission crew rest by the scheduler/CC. Oh, how about them 6+month non-flying tours to the sand box?!?! So.... I'd have to say the grass is muuuuuch greener on this side!

Tanker0906

Thanks so much for the info all...especially regarding the B-fund. I think we already know we're getting out. We just haven't figured out the best way to make it as seamless as possible.

FLY6584

Tanker0906 were you in UPT class 09-06?

130drvr

This ^^^^^^ x 1000

AFRES compliments an airline job nicely, very nicely.

Grumble

Brother, if you're looking to get out in August and trying to make a seamless transition... If you haven't already started the process of applying with a good nest egg socked away to cover the year one pay cut, you are WAY behind any hopes of ever making it seamless.


http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/mi...11-update.html

http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/hi...e-corners.html

Tummy

Scoop,

Do you think the reserves are as good of a deal as they used to be? Specifically, the Navy just changed the rules regarding mobilization. Apparently, one can no longer resign in lieu of mobilizing. Wouldn't one involuntary mobilization pretty much wipe out the benefit of joining the reserves?

Tanker0906

No; I was Vance 06-05. The 0906 was for the 906th back in 2006.

The good news is that I've been preparing for the inevitable exit for a while now; I'm only waiting until Aug to push the button because there's 1 more thing that could keep me on active duty. I should hear back from that board by Aug/Sept. Then I was planning for a 120 separation with palace chase/front. I'm hoping to get hired as a TR between now and then though.

1Seat 1Engine

Don't make assumptions about time to upgrade. 5 years is about as optimistic as you can be.

Decide first if you can be happy as an FO for the rest of your life because nothing in the airline world is guaranteed.

Flamer

If you are in a deployable unit, with no intentions to ever deploy, I'd say that's kind of selfish. Ops tempo these days means everyone needs to share the load. You are soaking up a billet and never want to fight, so now one of the other billets will have to go twice as often. Just retire dude.