Thanks for the info. I was told to look into this because Im young, the reserves provide a backup plan, extra retirement, and more money than I would make just being a regional pilot. Im hesitant because 2 yrs is a long time away from my job even though i would keep getting seniority and flight benefits. I just settled in ATL and Im back in my comfort zone after leaving Dallas. Going military and learning to fly the Air Force way would be a big change. Would joining the reserves for a non flying position be a better option? Im thinking I would be away from my job for a much shorter period of time.
Here's how it worked out for me:
June 2003 - unit hiring board
Nov 2003 - enlisted in the AF
May-Aug 2004 - Officer Training School, Maxwell AFB AL
Sep 2004 - Medical Flight Screening, Brooks TX
Oct 2004 - Oct 2005 - Undergraduate Pilot Training, Laughlin AFB, TX
Nov 2005 - Combat Survival School, Fairchild AFB, WA
Nov 2005 - Feb 2006 - MDS Pilot Initial Qualification, Altus AFB, OK
Feb 2006 - Dec 2006 - Seasoning Training (Prog Tour)
Most likely you'll be away from your civilian job for more than two years, probably more like three. We had one girl in my UPT class who was at Comair, and she had a big leg up on most of us, especially at first. But she was also sharp and willing to adapt--there are folks with ATPs and 1000s of hours who sometimes wash out of UPT because they're too set in their ways and can't adapt to military flying. Flying in the reserves is extremely rewarding and I wouldn't give it up for nearly anything. It gives me the opportunity to make a difference in the world and do something worthwhile other than improve the bottom line of greedy corporations and shareholders. Now I'm flying both civilian freight and military; if I had a family to take care of I don't think I'd be able to do both since I'm lucky to be home more than five days out of each month.
Having recently gone back into civilian flying, it's only getting tougher to keep up with all the currency items I have to do in the reserves (i.e. overseas sorties, HRC/Intel/Tactics briefs, refresher sims, etc), they just keep adding stuff to the training tables. It's been about 4 months since I've taken a few days to just go do what I want to do--having two jobs is certainly very taxing on your time. You hear people complaining all the time, so unless you appreciate your role in public SERVICE and see the big picture and how important what you do is, you'll find yourself among those who are just there to collect an extra paycheck and aren't satisfied otherwise.
Good luck in whatever you decide to do. The single most important thing for getting into a reserve unit (besides having a degree, not being a total ######bag, etc) is networking. Get to know the people who will make the hiring decision and show your face and interest around the unit.
