Considering Air Force Reserves, Have Question

flyliberty

Well-Known Member
Hi All,

I just got my CPL and have about 256 TT. I am aware that pretty much the only job I can get is flight instructing but It'll be awhile before that's financially possible. I've owned a bar for about 6 years so I have absolutely no resume to speak of. I've been thinking that in order to get a job in aviation, let alone flying, I need a start. So I've been in contact with an AF recruiter.
Here's my question:
Will it help me or hinder me to have that commitment for 6 years in terms of finding a flying job later after i build time?
Will the job I get with the Air Force make me more employable in the aviation field since I'll have another skill set I can call upon? Obviously, right? Which field should I shoot for in the air force then?
Anybody with first hand knowledge/military service background would be much appreciated. I basically understand that aviation is like anything else- it's all about who you know. And I don't know anybody. I figure this will atleast introduce me to some people. Also, I'm 32 so being a pilot in AF is out of the question.

Much thanks in advance
 
How is owning a bar for 6 years not having anything on a resume? That (or any other private business) is tough, and speaks to your character, possibly towards your leadership and management skills, and probably a lot of other things that the military likes to see in officer candidates. I'd hire you before any random kid off the street with a fresh college degree. Don't be so pessimistic my friend!
 
What job are desiring in the reserves to help flesh out your resume? Do you have a college degree already? Are you planning to enlist, or go to OTS? If you're 32, where do you want to be when you're 40? What is your ultimate goal, to be an airline pilot or do you have something else in mind? You alluded that you want a job in the aviation field", that could be any one of dozens of things. Answer those questions and then whether or not the Reserves would be a good fit. And you are right about getting to know people, in the Guard/Reserve you will meet all kinds of people with all kinds of businesses and that have positions in all kinds of different companies. There is definitely opportunity to network, however you are there to serve first and foremost. I would not consider networking a good reason to join the military.
 
Really- bar owner on a pilot resume? That's cool, I would of thought it would almost go against my cause rather than for it. :)
Soku-
Thanks for responding, no I don't have a college degree. I'm planning to enlist. I want to fly for Fedex or Ups, something freight, when I get the necessary flight time. It would be ideal to get a job flying, but realistically speaking I'd take any job in the "aviation field" because I'd like to have something on my resume concerning airplanes (and I want to be around them!)
So, I just kinda like to get some random aviation job while I save money for my CFI. Then instruct for awhile and build time. I was hoping to learn a trade in the Air Force to help get that "random job" and also the AF is awesome, want to be a part of it, networking a plus.
So which job in AF? And will being in the reserves inhibit my ability to get that flying job down the road? These are the questions I'm pondering....
Thanks for your help
 
Really- bar owner on a pilot resume? That's cool, I would of thought it would almost go against my cause rather than for it. :)

You are a successful small businesses owner, managing personnel, inventory, marketing, and accounting. These skills cross over very well into almost any other field. I would hire you long before a recent Business Admin grad with no experience. Don't sell yourself short.
 
So first the bad news, Flying for Fed-Ex/UPS will require a college degree, I'm not sure if you need one to work somewhere like Polar or Atlas.

Now the good news, there are still plenty of flying jobs where you won't need your degree. They aren't Delta or Fed-Ex, but with the right time you can still get them. As for the USAF reserve, if the wing you are looking to join is a flying wing (ie they fly an aircraft or a drone), in my opinion the best and most applicable enlisted job for you would be aircraft maintenance, be it avionics, sheet metal, engine etc etc. The skills you will learn there can help you work towards an A&P and eventually get you an FAA A&P licence, and to be frank, in today's labor market the mechanics make more than the pilots on the regional level. There are also some flying positions, but I do not know how willing a unit would be to send a 32 year old off to be a load master, just being honest on that one.

As for flying while in the reserves, yes you can do that, after all your training is done will only be very part time which allows you to do whatever the hell you want 28 days a month. There are full time positions, which depending on your location and wing may never happen or the opportunity could come up sooner than you think as people retire out. Remember the wing operates 24/7 365, not just one weekend a month. There are often trips, deployments, random jobs at the wing, TDYs and PME to do that will all pay.
As for paying for your CFI with it, I would try to get an applicable job, such as acft maintenance, that they are giving bonuses for. Might as well take care of it in one fell swoop if a CFI is what you want to invest in right now.

Lastly some state air guard units will pay for 100% of a bachelors degree at a real brick and mortar college (none of that online stuff) for enlisted coming in without a degree. I know New York and West Virginia do. For example we hired a load master, 18 fresh out of high school. He went to basic, did his training and seasoning, then got to fly around for the rest of the year. Now he goes to college full time, ALL OF IT, on the guards dime, and when he's not at school he's flying as a load in a Herk, poised to get a pilot slot when he finishes his degree. My jaw simply dropped at how good of a deal it was. If they don't pay 100% then it will be some other good deal that you CAN NOT pass up. I'm not sure about the reserve benefits, but the USAF is in general highly highly pro education and you can use that your advantage. Times may be "tough" for the next few years funding wise, but there will still be ways to get your self an education.

Everything I said of course is based on my personal experience, wing to wing your mileage may vary. Moral of the story is joining the military is a serious thing that should be carefully considered, and I can guarantee for as many good times that there are, there will be bad. I'm up for answering anything else from a non recruiter standpoint if ya need it.
 
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Will it help me or hinder me to have that commitment for 6 years in terms of finding a flying job later after i build time?
If you want a job flying, you need to fly. So, the question is whether joining the reserves would increase or decrease your flying opportunities. To increase your flying, it has to provide you with additional time and/or money to fly. Reserve service ties up your time and doesn't put a lot of money in the bank. I don't think bar owner looks any worse on your resume than Air Force reservist. Of course, that may reveal my affection for bars and my attitudes towards the Air Force.

My gut tells me that you are better off growing your business, enjoying the increased profits, and flying more.

I've seen the question take many forms, but the answer remains, if you want a flying career, you need to keep flying.
 
Hi All,

I just got my CPL and have about 256 TT. I am aware that pretty much the only job I can get is flight instructing but It'll be awhile before that's financially possible. I've owned a bar for about 6 years so I have absolutely no resume to speak of. I've been thinking that in order to get a job in aviation, let alone flying, I need a start. So I've been in contact with an AF recruiter.
Here's my question:
Will it help me or hinder me to have that commitment for 6 years in terms of finding a flying job later after i build time?
Will the job I get with the Air Force make me more employable in the aviation field since I'll have another skill set I can call upon? Obviously, right? Which field should I shoot for in the air force then?
Anybody with first hand knowledge/military service background would be much appreciated. I basically understand that aviation is like anything else- it's all about who you know. And I don't know anybody. I figure this will atleast introduce me to some people. Also, I'm 32 so being a pilot in AF is out of the question.

Much thanks in advance

Generally, in a fighter squadron the first duty of any new 2LT is run / clean / manage the squadron bar (i.e. SNACKO), I'm sure you would make an awesome one!
 
Generally, in a fighter squadron the first duty of any new 2LT is run / clean / manage the squadron bar (i.e. SNACKO), I'm sure you would make an awesome one!

Never heard of a 2lt/ENS fighter pilot......guess you guys must make it through the syllabus faster than us. I was nearly an O-3 before I got to an operational squadron. With the exception of "meaningless" break even jobs (coffee mess/PAO, pubs O, other "collateral" type jobs), the standard I've seen is a 6-12 month tour in skeds, followed by something more useful. While in skeds in a single seat squadron, you can expect to have 2 or more collateral jobs of varying importance. Of note, the SNACKO (must be AF jargon) or coffee mess is actually very important to everyone, and is probably one of the higher vis JO jobs that you won't have enough time with your regular job and your flying job to do right......the next time anyone really cares is when you get to positions of greater responsibility like AOPS, or QAO or something that can actually get the skipper fired if you F it away. Just my .02. I know, I went all serial on this one when you were joking around ryan :)
 
Never heard of a 2lt/ENS fighter pilot......guess you guys must make it through the syllabus faster than us. I was nearly an O-3 before I got to an operational squadron. With the exception of "meaningless" break even jobs (coffee mess/PAO, pubs O, other "collateral" type jobs), the standard I've seen is a 6-12 month tour in skeds, followed by something more useful. While in skeds in a single seat squadron, you can expect to have 2 or more collateral jobs of varying importance. Of note, the SNACKO (must be AF jargon) or coffee mess is actually very important to everyone, and is probably one of the higher vis JO jobs that you won't have enough time with your regular job and your flying job to do right......the next time anyone really cares is when you get to positions of greater responsibility like AOPS, or QAO or something that can actually get the skipper fired if you F it away. Just my .02. I know, I went all serial on this one when you were joking around ryan :)


Good point, I'll make O-2 about halfway through the Strike Eagle B-Course, which I think is pretty average. For the Navy flying on the weekends in primary, it's hard to believe they don't make it through faster?
 
Good point, I'll make O-2 about halfway through the Strike Eagle B-Course, which I think is pretty average. For the Navy flying on the weekends in primary, it's hard to believe they don't make it through faster?
If they made 11,000 foot aircraft carriers, Navy training would progress much faster. Flare to land, squat to pee.
 
Good point, I'll make O-2 about halfway through the Strike Eagle B-Course, which I think is pretty average. For the Navy flying on the weekends in primary, it's hard to believe they don't make it through faster?

Part of it is maintenance problems, weather (we love to do training in the southeast), and just not a very efficient process of moving people in groups the various syllabi. The Navy throws about a million and a half dudes at a problem that really only needs a million and a quarter dudes, so there are backups for that reason and the above (I'm sure you saw the giant group of guys and gals waiting in A pool to start doing anything). The USAF I think is just generally more efficient, while the Navy just lets people wait around for a long time here and there. Another part is the pilot vs WSO route......our WSO's are normally comparatively more junior (typically less than 2 years of flight school), as their training command experience is significantly shorter. It is common for Hornet pilot types to hit the fleet as LTJG's, but typically they will be one only for a few more months.
 
Thanks everyone for taking the time to respond. This forum has been a tremendous resource for me and many others I'm sure. I guess the next step is talking to the recruiter and finding out what jobs I qualify for.
Cheers
 
If your goal is to fly in the military, I would not recommend enlisting. If your goal is to fly in the civilian world, any military job is going to derail progression towards that goal for a significant amount of time. How old are you? Understand that flying in the Air Force or Reserves incurs a gigantic commitment and a ton of sacrifice. Do more research and think long and hard. Then think more.
 
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