Active Duty vs Reserve
 

Can someone explain to me the benefits of going reserve versus active duty when joining the military as a pilot? Like many others flying for an airline after my service is a goal of mine. I've been told to go ANG or Reserve over RegAF(AD). I've been searching this site for some time now for this question of mine. I want to put in 20 years, but if I went reserve, not receiving the benefits until I'm 60 is a let down. I also want to fly as much as possible. Here's what I've found, correct me if I'm wrong.

Active Duty
- Able to retire with full benefits after 20 years of service.
- Not always in the the cockpit
- As an active duty guy, most new LTs get their first 1,000 hours within about 1.5 years or so, then as you start gaining rank you generally fly less

Reserve
- Able to retire after 20 years of service with modified retirement benefits.
- Won't receive monetary benefits or full medical until age 60.
-As a part time traditional reservist, you can fly as little as 5 hours per month, or you could be quite more active, volunteer for trips and deployments and fly 500-800 hours per year.

My recommendation is to pm MikeF16: he likes to give career advice to aspiring military pilots.

Your assumptions are fairly accurate.
Where active duty guys can get screwed when trying to transition out of active is the last 3 years might be non-flying...so you have NO recency, and that makes you less marketable to an airline.

Thanks! I'll send him a message.

I'd do the reserve gig if given the option… less BS.

Could you elaborate? Everyone says go reserve..less BS. Never explain as to why that is.

I'm currently an AD pilot and a LT: the bs that you'd deal with is you're an officer before anything else. You will have collateral jobs and responsibilities ON TOP of being an aviator. Military pilots don't just show up, fly, and go home. In order to promote and have a successful 20yr military career, being the best pilot alone won't cut it.

So going reserve would put me more in an aviator spot with "less" responsibilities?


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AD is 24/7/365. As a reservist/ANG you still have requirements but beyond meeting those you can choose to participate more at your option. AD that isn't an option.

When "everyone says go reserve" (actually ANG is usually the first choice) at some point you can take the advice or ignore it.

If you're a 'home body' and get into an ANG unit, with major airline crew bases nearby, you'll have hit the trifecta.

Would going AD for 10 years first then reserve change my retirement benefits? When I receive them.


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