los5041

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I apologize for asking the same questions that always seems to be asked by many of us, whether to stay AD or jump ship, but the advice given here is invaluable and many of you provide great perspectives.

Currently, I'm a C130 pilot with just under 1,000 hours in type and 600 as PIC in type. I've been fortunate enough to get every instructor qualification. Prior to flying the C130, I was a rotor head and have just over 1,000 in RW and 400 as PIC and was an instructor in that community also. My total time between FW and RW is 2,100 and 900 PIC, all military.

I'm sitting at the 12-year mark on AD and am heading on a 2-year non-flying tour, but can jump ship summer of 2018 after a year, which would put me at 13 years AD. I've got a sugar momma who brings home a stable check so the money aspect isn't an issue, other than the blow to my ego going from O4 AD pay to Regional FO pay. I know that I'm not competitive enough yet for a major airline and I'll have to go to a regional for a few years. I'd also plan on going the reserve route in order to get some sort of pension when I hit 60.

Sitting in my spot, would it be smart to leave the good pay but stressful life of AD at 13 years and go the regional route or stay in do my two years at the non-flying tour and hope for my follow on orders in 2019 to take me back to a C130 squadron and stay there till I get more hours, potentially putting me at the 15 year mark on AD. I know it's a buyers market for us and just want to make sure I'm not making a bad decision.

If anyone left AD around the same time frame, I'd love to hear your perspective. To be honest, giving up the great pay and benefits is one of the things holding me back, but because money can't buy happiness, is the quality of life really better on the outside?

Again, I apologize for asking the same question many others have asked, but everyone's situation is a little different.

Thank you for your honest inputs and advice.

Cheers

JTwift

I'm retiring soon, but if I were in your shoes, I'd punch.

The AF isn't getting better, it's getting worse. There has been no movement on getting rid of additional duties, even though Goldfein said he's working on it.

Through my career, approval levels for things have been going up, not down. (I.e. The Wing Commander needs to approve your bathroom break via eSSS that routes through 24 Chiefs and Colonels).

Deployments still suck. Not going anywhere.

We are undermanned, but somehow still have enough people to cook multi-course meals for every General out there.

One OPR still consumes 462 man-hours of work.

There is literally no compelling reason to stay in in your situation that I can think of. Even the retirement isn't THAT great. Plus, you have your wife's additional income, so that helps greatly.

By the way, I'm also a career C-130 guy with 3800 total. No calls yet from the airlines (but I just applied a few weeks ago..kind of late in the game).

Velo

Just another opinion--that's all I offer. I'm 20 year plus active duty C-130 bubba about to retire and headed to a major.

When I was in your shoes, there was not as much hiring going on, but SWA was hiring. I decided to stay mostly because I liked the people I worked with. You have a unique situation where money isn't a factor. That provides you with great power to DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO--what feels right to you.

The last 5 of active duty were the most stressful...and also the most rewarding. If you stay in there are strong odds you will have another deployment. Your jobs will get more stressful. However, you will also be in a position where you will probably have more influence on operations and in a better position to help/mentor the next generation. If you stay 20 you will amass more valuable friendships and a lifetime check. With the ups and downs in the industry...its always good to know the mortgage will get paid (and with your sugar momma maybe even some extra for some fun toys).

If you leave, you may have to do a few years in the regionals...but I would consider that professional education with pay. You will learn the 121 world and when you jump to your forever major, it will be much less stressful than it will be on me. You will also be able to make that jump to a major sooner, and thus start earlier towards seniority and its perks--most importantly schedule control. Plus--if you wait it out there is no telling if they majors will be hiring like they are now.

In the end, both sides have pluses and minuses and only you can decide. I'm happy I stayed in, but I was on a command track and got to be a commander--so some of what I mentioned only happened because of that. I'm happy I stayed the course, but also know friends that jumped are happy as well.

Its good that you are asking others...but in the end--only you know what's best...and you and your family have to live with the results. Good luck on the decision.

rickair7777

Pretty much comes down to...

Do you want airline lifestyle?

Or opportunity to influence and improve your organization as a senior officer or maybe GO?

You can still fly and enjoy the camaraderie in guard/reserves, probably even more so than AD, so that's a wash either way. A reserve senior officer can still mentor people and improve his organization, but the scope is potentially wider on AD.

BeatNavy

If you love the Air Force and that's what you want to do, stay. If you don't, leave. If you want to get a seniority number faster at a major, go fly regionals/LCC until you get where you want. If I were in your shoes, I'd punch, get some 121 time, and do the guard thing. Best of both worlds.

UAL T38 Phlyer

^^^This.

All good advice here, but Rick has highlighted the "Have your cake and eat it too" scenario. It's what I did.

It gives a lot of security in the uncertain world of airline flying.

Your fixed-wing time is low, but you could probably get on with a Regional easily, and transition to a Major shortly after.

Otterbox

I left active duty with just after 12 years in after a 3 year stint non flying. Had I stayed in a flying tour next would have been a dice roll, at best and my previous tours non flying left me feeling professionally empty. I didn't feel I was bringing any contribution to the billets that any mouth breather with a commission couldn't handle doing so I looked for something else to do.

Regionals were paying about $17k-$25k/ year when I went job hunting and I decided I didn't want to have to foreclose on my house, have my car repo'd, put my dog down and move into my parents basement to survive off that pay so I went the ISR route. Money and hours are great. Downrange is meh, but the off time is 100% my own and I have zero ground Job/ collateral duties that I do outside of flying. The only part of the job that absolutely sucks is the taxes, and making too much money to take advantage of many tax breaks (terrible problem to have) that you have elsewhere.

If I had to do it all over again the only thing I would have changed was resigning and getting out the very first day I was able to.

In your case, I'd get out the first day I could and go to the regionals (unless you need the money and are willing to risk not getting called by the majors for a longer period of time). Pick one with a base where you're happy living and a quick upgrade program. If you think you'll really miss mother blue associate with a guard or reserve unit early. It gets harder to stomach the idea of going back to AD style bull**** each additional day you spend away from it.

Sputnik

I'll tell you one observation, no where in your question was any mention of having fun. If you don't actually like it, don't stay in. Having income from wife makes it that much better.

It's quite likely you wouldn't even spend a year at a regional.

Scraggly Heron

If there's any doubt at all in your mind about staying, I recommend leaving. I left at 15.5 years for the defense industry, and despite the flaws here it's still a lot better than active duty.

If you decide to leave, don't make it known until you put in your paperwork. You will end up as a magnet for all of the worst tasks, and the non-flying jobs that they put pilots into have an inordinate amount of painful (and generally unnecessary) tasks to hand out.

los5041

To all who responded,

A truly heartfelt thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedules to provide your experiences and thoughts. It's amazing to see the support complete strangers are willing to give. It's people like you guys that make the military great. I've got a little over a year to make my final decision and hearing your responses lets me know that it'll be okay, whichever route I take.

JTwift, the best of luck in your job search, I'm certain it won't be much longer till you receive the call.

Velo, enjoy your new second career.

Again, thank you all for your time and thoughtful responses.

All the best