Leaderboard

Yeah, but you can't control a UAV from just anywhere... oh wait, yeah you can. Nevermind.

Uhh... nice outfit to wear to a kids show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzFVLCbhoB4 lol @ the boy at the 2:13 mark after getting a bit of a glance

Make your Squadron PTL eligible to give PFTs again instead of having it be someone from a different unit.

I think right now, most folks would call it a success if even one thing improves. We're so used to/tired of the expectation that all change will somehow end up bending us over, that most would be happy with even the slightest glimmer of positive hope. Get rid of blues Monday = new hero! Bring back morale patches = new hero! Mask the AAD = new hero! It's not like he actually has to win the war and end unnecessary deployments or stop non-vol'ing pilots to UAVs forever or fix the F22 or anything else of any consequence to win the "hearts and minds" Just make a change that isn't for the worse.

I know a guy who lived this scenario. He earned an MBA, got hired on with a good company with good pay and was promptly handed a big project. He sucked and couldn't hack it and was canned pretty much before he had completely moved into his office. He ended up moving back to his hometown and is not able to use his MBA. Last I heard he picked up a job he didn't want just to put food on the table and it doesn't even pay that well. He got himself into a huge mess.

Rainman, your professional success was very influential in my search for a career outside of airline flying. I was looking for a job similar to how you describe yours. So, with my USAFA diploma, MBA (sorry, U of AZ is the best program I do while teaching at the FTU), MA in International Relations (albeit, an online degree from Norwich), and ATP, I spent a year applying online, attending job fairs, and talking to recruiters for jobs that sound either similar to yours or entail a leadership development program (re: GE's JOLP). Short of earning an MBA at HBS or Wharton, attending WIC and retiring as an O-6, I think I've prepared well for leaving Active Duty. So, here's what I found: 1. Degrees mean nothing without experience. "You have an MBA? That's nice, but have you ever interned, done finance, used this-or-that analysis tool, or worked at a for-profit business?" I challenge anyone to "translate" those OPR bullets and proj-o experiences into something legitimately relevant to what you'll be expected to do in a $100-$120K entry position. Woe to the guy that "translates" well but can't actually do the job. 2. You are expected to work 60 hours a week (unless you work government contracts) . You are employed to make money for the shareholders. You will commute. You will take work home with you. You will travel (something I want to do). You will be away from your family (something I don't want to do). You will "PCS" (something I'm tired of doing). 3. Guard/Reserve flying is really not practical/compatible with anything besides airline pilot. Companies are very military friendly. Some companies, like Raytheon, even continue to pay your salary while you're deployed! But they also expect you to be at work. While I know a few that manage non-flying careers with Guard flying, it's tough. Either work or flying (or both) will suffer. Accenture and a few other DC-area firms seem cool with letting you off from work to fly, but I think a lot of that is having an understanding/cool boss. 4. The non-flying careers that are realistically attainable don't pass the "make me want to get out of bed" test. I would love to be a lawyer. However, at 35 with a young family, I'm not going to stop earning a livable income for three years in order to attend law school, then try to find a six-figure job where I'm not working 60 hours a week. However, after retiring from the ANG/AFRC, a part-time law program is compatible with an airline career. 5. All good jobs require networking. If networking isn't possible, then you need luck. There are thousands of equally qualified people all competing for the good jobs. IMO, "fighter pilot" is a conversation piece, not a golden ticket to six-figure employment. 6. Don't spin your wheels during the job hunt-find traction. Just as successful companies do, align your talents, skills, and core competencies with corporate objectives. Professional flying is, IMO, the "best fit" of my skills and business objectives of a corporation. 7. Luck and timing are everything. Being at the "right" career fair, sitting next to the "right" connection on an 2-hour flight, etc... is all luck. On the airline side of that coin, I know that the post-9/11 furloughs killed a lot of airline careers. Hopefully this predicted hiring wave will yield better luck. I'm surprised by all the airline skeptics. There are career opportunities for Air Force pilots besides airline flying, but I think some of the accounts given on this board are very unique. The reality is, to earn a comparable living outside of flying you have to learn a new skill, take an entry-level job (pay cut), or be prepared to work very hard doing something more related to your current additional duty than flying airplanes. Rainman, please tell us what you actually do for a living and how you got there.

For those in the process of trying to get a UPT slot, don't forget these words. It's been said on here before, and it's always worth repeating: no one cares about your career and your goals more than you. Especially not people whose sole purpose it is to find a reason NOT to send you to pilot training. Decide how much you want to be a part of military aviation and act accordingly.

What a stupid ######ing system.

CLAIM: Which bear is best? FACT: Black bears.

James May did it, and he's not even an American.