Military Pilot > Part 91/135

[MikeD]

I feel ya brother!

Most of this stuff has to be done, though. Seems like for some (but definitely not all) of this stuff, the airlines would have to do it also. Things like tracking the training of the pilots, making sure everyone gets their check rides on time, scheduling crews, etc., etc. I guess they just hire guys specifically for those roles. That is probably a lot more efficient in the long run, since you don't have to train those guys for 2 different jobs (pilot AND crew scheduler). You also don't get have to worry about guys splitting time between the two functions, so both functions are always manned. There are no "why the crap is there no one in the scheduling shop today?" moments.

I think a part of the problem (but definitely not ALL) is that the size of the service is mandated. If I can take 1 person's job and split it among the spare time of 3 or 4 pilots, then that is 1 less person I have to hire.

Don't know how it is in a heavy squadron, where there more people available simply due to crew sizes, but in a fighter unit we had guys with multiple additional duties, most of them BS that could be done by a non-rated person, such as VCO or Deployment Officer. Still, and again I'm talking a fighter unit since that's my experience, we were working 15 or so hours a day......anything less and you were a slacker. What an absolute waste of my time. And again, time is money. Nowdays, Im not allowed to work over 8 hours for anything normal, as overtime has to be authorized if not for a mission in progress.

 

[PGT]

IIRC you have yet to start mil flight school, correct? If so, I REALLY would not worry too much about stuff like this. You will spend a minimum of 9-10 years on active duty, if not more, should you pursue and earn mil wings.

Yea haven't started yet.

Just lots of different things I've heard from corp. flight department CP's.
Some say they prefer guys with fighter time, other say they wouldn't hire fighter guys put prefer heavies such as the P3, others said they like to see CFI - single pilot 135 stuff.

 

[Hacker15e]

Yea haven't started yet.

Just lots of different things I've heard from corp. flight department CP's.
Some say they prefer guys with fighter time, other say they wouldn't hire fighter guys put prefer heavies such as the P3, others said they like to see CFI - single pilot 135 stuff.

There is so much variance in hiring, with respect to who prefers what, that there just isn't a point in trying to steer your career one way or another simply to try and stack your resume for later in life.

That all assumes, of course, that you have any choice at all in selecting what kind of aircraft you fly for the military -- which the vast, vast, VAST majority of people don't.

 

[matthew]

Totally depends on the operator. Some think the military time is the seal of heaven, some (unfairly, in my opinion) avoid military guys like the plague because they're liable to write up things that don't work and spend 8 hours planning a 30 minute flight.

Whatever the case, I agree with the poster who suggested that it's not worth worrying about at this stage. If you want to fly for the military, think of it as a career, not a stepping stone.

lol... Lot of true stuff in these 2 paragraphs right here.

 

[crazyjaydawg]

I personally would take military time over anything else any day of the week.

But like what has been said before it's different everywhere.