AD to Reserve while starting in Regionals

[PenguinAviator]

Hey JC,

Looking for advice from current and former reservists, specifically ones that transitioned from AD to R and somehow juggled the new life to Regional airlines and beyond. I will be at 9 years AD by the time I separate and take on an admin-type leadership position in the Navy R. Of course I can accept or decline the big R, but I feel like I would be throwing away a retirement.

With the R drilling, how much did that impact your schedule/life balance, and, was it worth it?

Thanks!

 

[Nark]

Does your potential reserve gig require "additional" periods outside of drill?

A traditional M-day guy, not a huge impact. You have to potentially drop a 4 day over the drill weekend.

If you have to fly, or pull additional duties outside the 1 weekend/month it's near havoc. Of course your employer has to let you go, but the QOL /family hit is pretty big. Especially if you commute to either locations.

I haven't found the magic bullet balancing both careers yet. 3+ years at my unit, including a deployment.

 

[Soku39]

Need more background info;

Desired military goals? Make 20 as a trad? You mentioned a leadership position, so how active do you want to be in the unit?

Do you live either in base at the regional or do you live where you drill? Depending on your job I would say it would be nearly impossible to commute to both.

Like @Nark I have yet to be able to perfectly balance the two jobs and I've been trying for 4 yours and for the first time in 5 years I went non-current in the C-130 due to requirements at the airline as I'm in captain upgrade. The military chief pilot was understanding and to an extent, they have to be. I find that the one biggest key is being able to say no, so that you don't end up working 29 days a month (you laugh, but I've done it before), because between the two jobs I could literally work every day of the year if I wanted to and you need to maintain some semblance of life balance so that you don't burn out.

Provide the airline with as much notice as you can when you need military leave, but do not hesitate to drop it short notice if something comes up militarily. I figure that guys call in sick under the time required to notify a long call reserve, so I am being more than fair if I give them 24 hours notice of military orders, I'm sure the DO at the airline has other opinions, but at the end of the day they have to follow federal law.

 

[PenguinAviator]

Thanks fellas, this is what I was afraid of. If flying planes was along a 9-5 schedule, it would work with a reserve commitment. Seems like airlines and reserves mix like oil and water.

 

[Soku39]

Thanks fellas, this is what I was afraid of. If flying planes was along a 9-5 schedule, it would work with a reserve commitment. Seems like airlines and reserves mix like oil and water.

No one here would say don't do it, quite the contrary. I'm thankful every day for Tricare Reserve Select, as my airlines health insurance is a joke. The benefits from being in the Reserve/Guard far outweigh the convenience of getting out completely. There are many guys that make it work out, just realize it is going to take more effort on your part.

I'm saying is that you need to more cognizant of how your life is arranged, organized, how you spend time and where you live, than the average airline guy, because time wasted commuting is a larger deal when you have something else that you need to be doing.

My own personal example. I am young, single and value having my weekends off as that is when my friends are off and that is when there are the most opportunities to socialize/have fun/blow steam off, which is important to me because being an airline pilot at a large regional is a decently isolating life. Of course due to the guard I am already down one weekend a month just for UTA. So now that I am senior enough to hold weekends off at the airline I would bid to fly M to Thur or Tues to Fri. If I had to do something for the military during the week I would schedule it for Mon, Tues or Thur, Fri, and simply deadhead to or from the hub to catch up with or get off a trip. This way I still ensure some quality time at home.

My last military chief pilot suggested I fly for the airline Fri to Mon and do guard Tues - Thurs, I declined that advice, it has taken me 3 years to get to upgrade at the airline instead of 1.5 years, because I do drop ~ 25 to 40 percent of my flying depending on the month, but I in no way regret choosing to try and have some semblance of normalcy in my life inasmuch as that I actually get to spend time with the girlfriend, friends and family vice texting them from the Hampton Inn Des Moines Airport (ie wherever) on a Saturday night wishing I was home, especially considering that 4 out of 22 months are spent overseas on deployment.

Life is too short to not attempt to balance, keep it sane and you'll be fine.

 

[Nark]

^^well said.

 

[Ian_J]

I’m an Army Guard pilot and have been a regional pilot for about six months. I’ve found the balance to be pretty easy. I of course get my drill days off in advance which deducts about 5 hours of pay for the month. I more than make up for it in Guard pay, but still can pick up trips at a premium out of open time to make up the difference as well. I also have a requirement to fly for the Guard at least once a week. I don’t ask for those days off, I just bid those days off and it works out pretty well. And there’s more than enough down time in the airline life to handle my leadership duties. I used to be full time in the Guard and I enjoy my military life a lot more now as a part timer.

* I drive to both my airline base and my Guard unit which drastically increases my quality of life.

 

[This is My Screen Name]

don't most airline/reserve pilots purposely keep the reserve commitment to ask for order specifically to avoid sitting reserve while climbing the seniority ladder ?

thats my plan anyhow...

 

[Soku39]

don't most airline/reserve pilots purposely keep the reserve commitment to ask for order specifically to avoid sitting reserve while climbing the seniority ladder ?

thats my plan anyhow...

I've definitely turned a 6 day block of reserve into 4 like this.

 

[This is My Screen Name]

I've definitely turned a 6 day block of reserve into 4 like this.

I found a cross training opportunity that is 16 months of orders

I will leave a line holding FO and come back and be able to hold a line after CA upgrade

 

[Nark]

don't most airline/reserve pilots purposely keep the reserve commitment to ask for order specifically to avoid sitting reserve while climbing the seniority ladder ?

thats my plan anyhow...

Meh, depends. I left a regional as a middle pack FO, came back able to hold CA, (during flight school). I left to a major before any recurrent/upgrade sims took place.

This time 'round after coming off a year of active duty orders, about the same. I come back in Feb as a senior FO, and will be awarded Captain in March (or earlier). It all depends on your specific company.

 

[Soku39]

Meh, depends. I left a regional as a middle pack FO, came back able to hold CA, (during flight school). I left to a major before any recurrent/upgrade sims took place.

This time 'round after coming off a year of active duty orders, about the same. I come back in Feb as a senior FO, and will be awarded Captain in March (or earlier). It all depends on your specific company.

God I should've flown C-17s or fast movers, C-130 is literally a career killer advancement wise, oh well.

 

[kaudbron]

God I should've flown C-17s or fast movers, C-130 is literally a career killer advancement wise, oh well.

We have more fun though....