Guard/Reserve or Airline Grind

zVo

Well-Known Member
Bottom line up front: my main goal is to fly for the 'Big 6' first and foremost, however, I am concerned that pursuing Air Force UPT may set me back in pursuit of my civilian career goals.

I just left the Army as a helicopter instructor pilot with approximately 8 years of active duty service in order to pursue an airline career. The fastest way to get the time to be competitive for a major carrier is more than likely though flying 70-85 hours a month through my regional carrier, but I would love to continue military flying through the AFR/ANG -- especially given the recent policy change allowing training up to age 33 (I'm about to turn 30). As much as I'm enjoying the airline gig, I am going to miss the camaraderie and mission-oriented flying in the military.

In the time it'd take me to get through UPT, aircraft qualification, and any unit full-time 'seasoning' orders, I likely would have been able to upgrade at my regional and knock out 1,000+ airplane TPIC. While I know military fixed-wing flying is a huge plus on a résumé, I doubt I'd accumulate enough to really make the trade-off in the short term worthwhile if my main goal is to secure a major carrier seniority number.

Is UPT worth pursuing at this point, or would I ultimately be prolonging my timeline to obtain a seniority number at a major airline?
 
I wouldn't bother with UPT. For once, you as a helicopter pilot are a somebody now. You're an actual human being worth something, in the eyes of airlines. Push ahead with that while you can. Unless you want to be back into deployment cycle crap that you can add to the rest of the waste of time stuff that you cited that takes you away from the civilian flying.

You've done your time in the military already.
 
I wouldn't bother with UPT. For once, you as a helicopter pilot are a somebody now. You're an actual human being worth something, in the eyes of airlines. Push ahead with that while you can. Unless you want to be back into deployment cycle crap that you can add to the rest of the waste of time stuff that you cited that takes you away from the civilian flying.

You've done your time in the military already.

I think the Russians hacked your account. I know you wouldn't want Mr. zVo to be some good for nothing unpatriotic quiter.
 
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