Air Interdiction Agent, DHS

[OCK2F]

There are civilans from various flying backgrounds in the agencies. Vast majority are on the fixed wing side of the house, but its entirely possible so long as the min qual for certs and hours is met.

Thanks for the information! I've always been interested in getting into this kind of flying longer term, but my experience in contracting led me to believe that getting into a government flying job was all but impossible without a military background. Even though I assume that it still very difficult and requires the right connections, it's good to know that it has been done.

 

[zippy]

@MikeD

Do you think more "dual rated" jobs will be popping joe for guys who are manned and unmanned trained?

Dual rated is for fixed wing and helo. They're pretty strict with it right now, I'm a P-3 guy and I got shot down for a non- P3 billet because they had just started the dual rating and the advertisement said commercial fixed wing and/or helicopter. Things may change as the airlines start hiring more but right now, UAS systems are their own path, dual rated is the path for non-p3s and p3s are their own path.

Moving availability is money based. There was a period of time where guys weren't being moved at all, which sparked them leaving. When I was applying I was told to plan on not moving unless I got s supervisor position in DC 10 years down the road. We'll see how much that changes after the next election cycle and the airlines are hiring in full swing.

 

[MikeD]

Dual rated is for fixed wing and helo. They're pretty strict with it right now, I'm a P-3 guy and I got shot down for a non- P3 billet because they had just started the dual rating and the advertisement said commercial fixed wing and/or helicopter. Things may change as the airlines start hiring more but right now, UAS systems are their own path, dual rated is the path for non-p3s and p3s are their own path.

Moving availability is money based. There was a period of time where guys weren't being moved at all, which sparked them leaving. When I was applying I was told to plan on not moving unless I got s supervisor position in DC 10 years down the road. We'll see how much that changes after the next election cycle and the airlines are hiring in full swing.

Sup positions can be had for less than that in DC, but then again its DC....where one goes to become a mushhead.

Yeah dual rated is whats being hired for right now with the non-P-3 "riff raff". Time was that fixed wing only was being hired for also, but there's not a ton of that to be had, depending on the branch.

 

[zippy]

Are they still getting a ton of applicants since they made dual rating a requirement? Any talk of them going back to fixed wing only applicants being Okay as guys leave for the airlines et al?

I don't mind being a GS-13 riffraff with LEAP by any means. I'm not sure it's worth me going out and paying 60k for a commercial helo rating just to apply to one agency though.

 

[MikeD]

Are they still getting a ton of applicants since they made dual rating a requirement? Any talk of them going back to fixed wing only applicants being Okay as guys leave for the airlines et al?

I don't mind being a GS-13 riffraff with LEAP by any means. I'm not sure it's worth me going out and paying 60k for a commercial helo rating just to apply to one agency though.

I wouldn't spend the $$ getting a helo add-on rating just to get the job. Since you won't fly helos anyway due to having only minimal hours. You'll still be fixed wing only.

Nothing has come out that I've seen yet, but I can't imagine that they could keep the dual rated only requirement open, as the need for fixed wind guys is there. Granted our office, the fixed wing only guys are like the Maytag repairman, barely any flying for them at all. But other locations need fixed with guys for the planes they have at their locations. The C550s are on their last legs, the PC-12 we may possibly be getting more of. And the Dash-8 fleet I think is pretty healthy as is. The King Air 350 acquisition is still going, replacing the older -200s and C-12s.