I have a few questions about the DEN and IAH bases:

1) How long does it take a new hire (this winter) to hold each?

2) What "type" of flying exists at each base?

3) Where the best public schools/most desirable communities within a 2 hr radius of each airport?

Thank you ahead of time for your replies and advice.

 

I can only help with item #1 - About a year for both IAH and DEN. I know a pair late Jan 18 new hires who were recently able to bid into each location. At best, they will both be activated in their respective bases in Jan 19. At worst, they will have to wait a couple more months.

Since hiring has picked up from late last summer, it is now conceivable to get either base inside of one year. But if/when hiring eases back off again... YMMV.

 

If you have kids that play hockey...i would recommend avoiding IAH.

 

If you want to be able to afford any kind of a nice house and have good schools go to Houston.

If you’re a liberal move to Denver.

If you like to ski. Move to Denver.

If you like mountains. Denver.

If you want way more bang for your buck. Houston.

If you want to own a pool. Houston.

If you want no income tax. Houston. (Don’t listen to the people who say property taxes are high compared to Denver...they are, but tax deductible. State income tax isn’t)

Smoke pot? Denver.

If you are a conservative. Houston.

Big variety of flying? Houston.

Want to own acreage? Houston.

Cheaper yearly car registration? Houston.

Lower gas prices? Houston.

Hate humidity? Denver.

Want mild winters? Houston.

Want to own a boat and ski? Houston.

Better Hunting? Denver.

Cost of living? Houston.

More house appreciation. Denver.

Wide body flying. Houston.

Both places have their pros and cons. I’ve lived in both places for long times each.

 

Good assessment, except state income taxes are every bit as deductible as property taxes. Though now with the new tax law, the state income tax + property tax deduction (SALT) is limited to 10K.

 

I didn’t know state income tax was deductible.

 

The only area in Colorado that is liberal is Denver, Boulder, Ft Collins and a few tiny blue dots around the ski towns. The rest of the state is solid red. The problem is that the majority of the population are in those districts and they out vote the rest of the state.

Once you get 10 miles out of any of those above mentioned areas Colorado is a very conservative state.

I do enjoy Texas, most of the entire state except Houston. There is a definite cost of living advantage to Texas. And a huge outdoors activities advantage to Colorado.

As far as hunting goes, there is some spectacular hunting to be done in Texas. But the quality stuff is all pay to play. Colorado has vast tracks of very good public hunting land.

Houston has way better variety, seniority and career progression. Denver is the fastest growing domicile at the moment.

 

I grew up in Colorado and hunting big game on public land in the mountains, to me, is way better than hunting “caged-deer-lease” deer from a tree stand that are baited with a feeder. But that’s just me. Colorado has awesome out doors activities compared to Texas in my opinion. Even though Texas is a huge state with lots to offer, I just prefer the majestic mountains and scenery.

 

Better than any of those bubble gum real estate articles out there. Good on you, Sir! 😀

 

I had hunting rights on a 200,000 acre low fence, free range ranch in Northwest Texas for 12 years. Year round hog hunting and deer hunting in the fall. So yes there are some small high fence places in Texas. There are also a whole bunch of wide open free range hunting opportunities. In West Texas there is a whole bunch of spectacular desert mountain country to hunt. Free range mule deer, elk, Barbary sheep, javalina, and desert Bighorn are in abundance.

While there is no comparison to the public land opportunities in Colorado, there is a lot more to Texas hunting than small high fenced put and take operations.


I live in Colorado, I hunt in Colorado I prefer Colorado. With that being said I’ve done some spectacular hunting and hiking in Texas. The problem being it’s mostly on private land and it’s all pay to play.