Soldier to Civilian

[Eric Horvath]

I am going to be ending my contract as a 15P (Aviation Operations Specialist) in a few years and coming back to being a civilian again! I was wondering if anyone else on here is Prior Service in the Army? How was the transition from working in military aviation to civilian aviation?

 

[Nick2024]

Depends on if you go contracting or not. Contracting for me has been just like being in the service just you wear civ clothes, most if not all are prior service guys who think they all were CSM's and have crashed in a helicopter or was shot down. The pay is good if your on the national wage determination scale. Temple , Tx is. They will try to force you to work Overtime at the last minute but remember your a civ, tell them to fly a kite if you wish not to work and spend time with your family,


Civilian side: I worked for a regional carrier based out of Austin, Tx. Worked the night shift since that was the only shift they have there. Pay was low but workable, The group of guys were great to work with, Very easy going in accomidating things for you to have off for something and not make you feel guilty for taking a day off.



Nick

 

[Bromar 72]

I have almost 23 yrs in Army. 12 AD the rest reserve except for 3 deployments the last 9 yrs. Most of that time I was a ground pounder so I dont have the 15 series experience to go off of. I got started in aviation about 5 yrs ago after my second trip overseas. I enjoyed it so much I made a 2nd career out of it. I now fly full time with a company doing Aerial survey/mapping. I love what I do!!! Pay is not as good as military pay but the QOL cant be beat. I work 8 on and 6 off full time year round and it is a salary position so I get paid whether I fly or not. I get to see all kinds of places and if the weather is not good, we sight see the city we are in. We fly with two pilot crews for safety reasons. We also fly the lastest and newest equipment around. Most of our fleet is 2004 or newer. I sometimes cant believe I get paid to do what I do.

With that being said, it was not easy getting to this point. It took alot of time, money and dedication to get to this point. Like I stated earlier, been flying 5 yrs, started flying professionally for 1 yr now. I used the GI Bill to help pay for my ratings and time building.

If you are wanting to fly, I can definately tell you that you CAN do it and its possible to achieve that goal but it will take alot of time and dedication to get to that point. There are lots of other careers out there that arent flying jobs but support. Airline Dispatcher comes to mind. Just keep in mind that what you did in the Army is great experience. However, be flexible and learn to adapt to civilian life. The civilian world doesnt operate like the military. It will take a bit of time to readjust from leaving the military. What works in the Army will most likely not work in the civilian world and vice versa. Im sure you have heard that before. Hope this helps. Feel free to PM me anytime if you have questions.

Good luck !

I am going to be ending my contract as a 15P (Aviation Operations Specialist) in a few years and coming back to being a civilian again! I was wondering if anyone else on here is Prior Service in the Army? How was the transition from working in military aviation to civilian aviation?

 

[Nick2024]

I have almost 23 yrs in Army. 12 AD the rest reserve except for 3 deployments the last 9 yrs. Most of that time I was a ground pounder so I dont have the 15 series experience to go off of. I got started in aviation about 5 yrs ago after my second trip overseas. I enjoyed it so much I made a 2nd career out of it. I now fly full time with a company doing Aerial survey/mapping. I love what I do!!! Pay is not as good as military pay but the QOL cant be beat. I work 8 on and 6 off full time year round and it is a salary position so I get paid whether I fly or not. I get to see all kinds of places and if the weather is not good, we sight see the city we are in. We fly with two pilot crews for safety reasons. We also fly the lastest and newest equipment around. Most of our fleet is 2004 or newer. I sometimes cant believe I get paid to do what I do.

With that being said, it was not easy getting to this point. It took alot of time, money and dedication to get to this point. Like I stated earlier, been flying 5 yrs, started flying professionally for 1 yr now. I used the GI Bill to help pay for my ratings and time building.

If you are wanting to fly, I can definately tell you that you CAN do it and its possible to achieve that goal but it will take alot of time and dedication to get to that point. There are lots of other careers out there that arent flying jobs but support. Airline Dispatcher comes to mind. Just keep in mind that what you did in the Army is great experience. However, be flexible and learn to adapt to civilian life. The civilian world doesnt operate like the military. It will take a bit of time to readjust from leaving the military. What works in the Army will most likely not work in the civilian world and vice versa. Im sure you have heard that before. Hope this helps. Feel free to PM me anytime if you have questions.

Good luck !

You fly for air associates?

 

[Bromar 72]

You fly for air associates?

Yes.

 

[40joel]

If you want to get your ratings, your post 9/11 GI bill will pay for it at certain flight schools. That's the route I went