ANG Pilot lifestyle/Quality of Life

[Guardian]

Find a non tfi guard unit. Chance's are Life is good there. Tfi guard is usually made of guys that just swapped from active to guard because they didn't want to move and don't really understand what the guard should be because of it because they haven't experienced it for themselves.


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[Polar Bear]

How is life as an AGR in the Guard?

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[herkbum]

  On 4/14/2017 at 1:25 AM, caseylf said:

How is life as an AGR in the Guard?

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For which airframe?


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[FUSEPLUG]

  On 4/14/2017 at 1:25 AM, caseylf said:

How is life as an AGR in the Guard?
 

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Oh! You mean one of those gigs where you get full AD pay to work on your airline apps/interview prep all day?

[SocialD]

  On 3/3/2017 at 4:28 AM, nsplayr said:

I was hired to become an MQ-9 pilot last August...

- Flying min: 5 sorties a month plus drill minimum for DSGs

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Congrats on making the switch and getting out of the AD.  So is that 7 days a month?  WAY too much if you're a true part timer.    

  On 4/4/2017 at 1:28 PM, Edw26 said:

2) For those who have a civilian flying career, most specifically airlines, do you fly your normal civilian schedule then use your time off to fly for your unit? I know service is service, but it seems like that would be an easy way to burnout and would also place a burden on the family. Do most people drop some of the civilian flying to do mil flying, and then still have some days off?

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Depends on the time of year.  In the winter months, I can easily get 18-19 days/month off...so I'll just work on off days.  Summers in the airline are much busier so I tend to pre-post mil leave.  For reference, I live in base for both gigs.

  On 4/4/2017 at 1:44 PM, nunya said:

I tried 4 day blocks once a month and it didn't work.

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They only give us enough pay cards (AFTP/UTA) to do 4 days a month.  My AT days are used on one of the many TDYs (WAY too many) we do in the year.  If they want more than that, they need to cough up more pay cards.  If drill has a no fly day, I generally don't show up...if I do, it's become exponentially harder to get my 6 sorties in the remaining 3 days.  Some months I get my sorties, some months I don't...it's a fine line but it's worked so far.  I'm just sick of them adding more and more bullshit requirements and expecting us to get it all done in the same amount of time.  The 10 pound sock only holds 10 pounds of shit, no matter how hard you try...

I'm starting to understand what the old timers meant when they said, you'll know when it's time to get out...

  On 4/13/2017 at 12:02 AM, matmacwc said:

Life in my ANG unit is pretty darn good, YMMV.

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Safe to say, your base is not the norm for Guard flying squadrons.

Edited April 23, 2017 by SocialD

[herkbum]

5 sorties/month can easily be flown in 2-3 days, considering 2/day is the norm.


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[Edw26]

What's the latest on Reserve KC-10s? How many days a month is expected out of a traditional reservist? How often deployed and tdy? 

[Polar Bear]

Bumming getting easy with all the airlines hiring?

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[Stoker]

  On 4/30/2017 at 4:18 AM, Edw26 said:

What's the latest on Reserve KC-10s? How many days a month is expected out of a traditional reservist? How often deployed and tdy? 

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You're interviewing with the 78th, right? I got picked up by them last December. They said expect one eight-week deployment every eighteen months or so, with TDYs being more common.

[Edw26]

  On 5/7/2017 at 12:37 AM, sforron said:

You're interviewing with the 78th, right? I got picked up by them last December. They said expect one eight-week deployment every eighteen months or so, with TDYs being more common.

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Thanks. Sent you a PM

[Heavywanabe]

Whats life like as a traditional reservist on the 135's? How much flying and days at the unit are required/expected for a young Lt every month? How many tdy's and the average length of those? The unit i got hired with is "slated" to get the KC-46's as soon as Boeing starts to spit them out, will that have any effect the amount of flying or tdy's for the unit? 

Also my civ job gives differential pay, for guys with a 9-5 job whats your experience with this? 

[Polar Bear]

  On 4/15/2017 at 1:06 AM, herkbum said:

For which airframe?


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Fighters.

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[EvilEagle]

  On 5/18/2017 at 1:23 AM, caseylf said:

Fighters.

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As the saying goes, it depends. 

 

In my ANG unit life is also pretty awesome.  I've only been in the ANG for 6 years so take that for what it's worth - I've done 5 as AGR with a single year as a DSG while I was flying for Delta.  Our AGR workload is very dependent on unit manning.  When we were thick with people it was about the same as AD (before AD lost they da#n mind...), once our manning went down the tubes (due to crappy leadership that has since been shown the door thankfully) the AGRs were working all the freakin time and it reminded me of AD (after they lost they da#n mind). 

 

I haven't experienced the "sit around and work on your airline apps all day" side of the ANG regardless of manning.  I've never seen that in a fighter squadron.  We do talk about airline crap in the bar or as an aside, but AGR is a full-time gig flying fighters - 2FL, 4FL, IPUG, academics, alert, deployments, TDYs - all the same stuff as AD (plus alert depending on airframe) without the threat of a 365. 

[Unit#8192]

  On 5/12/2017 at 1:49 PM, Heavywanabe said:

Whats life like as a traditional reservist on the 135's? How much flying and days at the unit are required/expected for a young Lt every month? How many tdy's and the average length of those? The unit i got hired with is "slated" to get the KC-46's as soon as Boeing starts to spit them out, will that have any effect the amount of flying or tdy's for the unit? 

Also my civ job gives differential pay, for guys with a 9-5 job whats your experience with this? 

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Anyone with the 434th ARW out of Grissom that cares to elaborate on this? Or any other reserve 135 driver that wants to share?

[Cork]

  On 12/21/2018 at 12:26 AM, Unit#8192 said:

Anyone with the 434th ARW out of Grissom that cares to elaborate on this? Or any other reserve 135 driver that wants to share?

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2nd this. 

 

(Anyone from the Niagara falls unit around?)