What will my life be like?

[Rhade]

Hello all,

I have been waiting in the wings this past year waiting for my TS to go through before my unit wanted to set me up with OTS and UPT dates.  It sounds like it went through and they want to start setting up my dates.  I'm a little nervous as this is potentially a major turning point in my life.  I know the next 1.5-2 years of training will be hard, but my question is what will life be like once I get back?  I am an engineer in my civilian life and I want to keep doing that.  There are lots of boards talking about airline pilot lifestyle in the guard, but how about a more traditional civilian job?  What kind of flying commitments will I have every month?  Does your military commitment adversly affect your personal career?  How do you manage two jobs and a family?

Info on me, I'm going to be flying C-130s and I live about 3 hours from my unit.   I want to make sure this is the right call.  I'm taking a major pay cut and I'm going to be spending alot of time away from my family.  I'm getting cold feet and just wanted to know how other guys have been swinging it, and get your input.

[RTB]

31 minutes ago, Rhade said:

Hello all,

I have been waiting in the wings this past year waiting for my TS to go through before my unit wanted to set me up with OTS and UPT dates.  It sounds like it went through and they want to start setting up my dates.  I'm a little nervous as this is potentially a major turning point in my life.  I know the next 1.5-2 years of training will be hard, but my question is what will life be like once I get back?  I am an engineer in my civilian life and I want to keep doing that.  There are lots of boards talking about airline pilot lifestyle in the guard, but how about a more traditional civilian job?  What kind of flying commitments will I have every month?  Does your military commitment adversly affect your personal career?  How do you manage two jobs and a family?

Info on me, I'm going to be flying C-130s and I live about 3 hours from my unit.   I want to make sure this is the right call.  I'm taking a major pay cut and I'm going to be spending alot of time away from my family.  I'm getting cold feet and just wanted to know how other guys have been swinging it, and get your input.

Becoming a military pilot is a serious commitment of time and energy for sure but it can be incredibly rewarding.  It's not a job to go into casually though.  If you're getting cold feet, you really need to assess if this is something you're driven to do.  And your family needs to be on board too or you'll have a very tough time.  

I wouldn't trade my time flying in the Air Force for anything, it was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream, but that's not to say everything was sunshine and rainbows.  It will undoubtedly be better as a Guard or Reserve part timer than an Active Duty guy, but there will still be things that suck at times.  Can't speak to the ops tempo of your chosen unit, but as a part timer, you should have a fair amount of control of that eventually.  As to the flying requirements, someone with part time C-130 experience will need to chime in.

As for the balancing of your current career and part time AF flying, literally thousands of guys before you have been able to manage both their traditional civilian job and their part time flying commitment.  Not everyone goes into the airlines and they make it work just fine.  That said, as I'm sure you're aware, you will be on full time orders for a while as you get through OTS, UPT, FTU and then some seasoning so you'll be away from your current job for a couple years potentially.  Your civilian company is required to keep you on, but that doesn't mean they'll be happy about it so only you can know what those tea leaves are telling you.  Some companies have been fantastic to their military employees, others have been horrible and many are somewhere in between.

Bottom line is, you've been given an incredible opportunity to become a military pilot in a part time capacity.  That's about as good as it gets in my opinion, but only if you're motivated to do it.

Good luck with the decision!

(Full disclosure:  I was full time AD my whole career, but spent many years working alongside part timers with varying civilian careers so while i didn't live the part time life, I worked with and knew many who did.)

[tk1313]

1 hour ago, Rhade said:

Hello all,

I have been waiting in the wings this past year waiting for my TS to go through before my unit wanted to set me up with OTS and UPT dates.  It sounds like it went through and they want to start setting up my dates.  I'm a little nervous as this is potentially a major turning point in my life.  I know the next 1.5-2 years of training will be hard, but my question is what will life be like once I get back?  I am an engineer in my civilian life and I want to keep doing that.  There are lots of boards talking about airline pilot lifestyle in the guard, but how about a more traditional civilian job?  What kind of flying commitments will I have every month?  Does your military commitment adversly affect your personal career?  How do you manage two jobs and a family?

Info on me, I'm going to be flying C-130s and I live about 3 hours from my unit.   I want to make sure this is the right call.  I'm taking a major pay cut and I'm going to be spending alot of time away from my family.  I'm getting cold feet and just wanted to know how other guys have been swinging it, and get your input.

First, I 100% agree with RTB: The training is going to require you to continually convince yourself that you want to be a USAF pilot. If you're already questioning your desire to fly, please do some serious soul searching and decide if this is really what you want to be.

Did you already have a secret (clearance)?

I don't know how much you want to disclose, but your civilian job security depends on who you work for. If it's the government, and you've worked for them past your "probationary period" (should be between 1-3 years), I don't think they can get rid of you. If it's a major government contractor like Boeing, Lockheed, etc.... I believe they are more inclined to keep you too. I'm an engineer as well, working for the federal government, and my bosses are 100% supportive of my decision to move to the tip of the spear. It's a lifelong goal, period.

One of the guys that actually helped talk me into the Guard route is a former guard C-130 pilot. He had a civilian business job before going to UPT. Throughout his guard career, he said he had a couple of times where his bosses were upset due to the time he spent flying, so he got approval to do incentive rides for his boss(es)... Apparently, getting to watch a cubicle buddy fly military planes is pretty cool... So it calmed them down.

How do you manage two jobs and a family? Just do it. Stay positive. Tons of people have done it before you, tons will do it afterwards. "If it was easy, everyone would do it." Again, refer to RTB's post. You need to be sure this is what you want. I have no doubt in my mind. Like I said, it's been a goal of mine for as long as I can remember.

Hope any of this helped.
 

Edited May 3, 2017 by tk1313

[Kenny Powers]

I was a civilian engineer before I went to UPT, part time enlisted dude in the guard. I had a really good gig and really liked my engineering job. Now I fly fighters in the guard.

That being said, I have never thought "Man, I can't wait to go back to being an engineer!"

When I search civilian engineer jobs online out of curiosity, I read the job description and think "No way could I go back to that!" Nothing wrong with it and, I used to enjoy it, but flying airplanes for the military is just way more fun (regardless of what you fly).




Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

[matmacwc]

Yeah, I got my degree in EE, f that.

 

 

[Polar Bear]

I was a civilian engineer before I went to UPT, part time enlisted dude in the guard. I had a really good gig and really liked my engineering job. Now I fly fighters in the guard.

That being said, I have never thought "Man, I can't wait to go back to being an engineer!"

When I search civilian engineer jobs online out of curiosity, I read the job description and think "No way could I go back to that!" Nothing wrong with it and, I used to enjoy it, but flying airplanes for the military is just way more fun (regardless of what you fly).




Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

Going to the airlines or staying full time guard?

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

[matmacwc]

8 hours ago, Rhade said:

Hello all,

  I know the next 1.5-2 years of training will be hard, but my question is what will life be like once I get back?  I am an engineer in my civilian life and I want to keep doing that.  There are lots of boards talking about airline pilot lifestyle in the guard, but how about a more traditional civilian job?  

Your life will be sad, you will cry into your wine cooler while watching old episodes of Sex in the City with your boyfriend, living as the small spoon every night.  You will not be respected due to your engineering job and all of the drama in the workplace from that job, your life will suck.  The Prius in your driveway or the sustainable non-GMO, conflict free, gluten free, free range organic dinners you eat every night will not bring you joy.  

For fuck sake......buck up and enjoy the journey, your in for a hell of a fun ride.  Enjoy it, and never look back, you will see and do things you never thought possible.

[Guardian]

Vagisil helps with the unwanted not so fresh feeling too.


Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network Forums

[Bauwse]

8 minutes ago, matmacwc said:

living as the small spoon every night

Us little spoon people resent that! No shame. 

[matmacwc]

Fucking youngins, no ability to take criticism or jokes.  I don't care what you do, just laugh.

[Rhade]

Lol wow thanks in varying degrees to everyone for the answers.  Here is another question, I noticed another opening for a position with another unit that I would rather fly for.  Is it too late for me to apply to the other unit?  I have not yet gone to OTS or UPT or anything. 

[RTB]

48 minutes ago, Rhade said:

Lol wow thanks in varying degrees to everyone for the answers.  Here is another question, I noticed another opening for a position with another unit that I would rather fly for.  Is it too late for me to apply to the other unit?  I have not yet gone to OTS or UPT or anything. 

Take the bird in the hand now!  You can always transfer units after you get your wings.  Starting over and re-applying could be a very tough road.

[Rhade]

55 minutes ago, RTB said:

Take the bird in the hand now!  You can always transfer units after you get your wings.  Starting over and re-applying could be a very tough road.

The open unit is a fighter unit though.  I'd love the opportunity to "go fast" if it was available.  I mean if I go C-130s that door is closed to me right?

[RTB]

1 hour ago, Rhade said:

The open unit is a fighter unit though.  I'd love the opportunity to "go fast" if it was available.  I mean if I go C-130s that door is closed to me right?

Well that does change things a bit and presents an interesting situation.  Will your current unit let you defer OTS and UPT?  It sounds like the other unit doesn't even know who you are so would you just be throwing your name in the hat as an off the street hire?  Are they both Guard?  Both Reserve?  Same state?  There's a good chance that having been hired already by one unit would give you a big leg up with the other unit since you've already been vetted to some degree.  

If you can apply to the fighter unit without jeopardizing your C-130 slot, I'd definitely do it.  Go to the unit and talk to their hiring guy and lay out your situation and see what they say.  But again, it would suck to lose your current slot chasing a fighter slot and be left with nothing.

[Rhade]

18 minutes ago, RTB said:

Well that does change things a bit and presents an interesting situation.  Will your current unit let you defer OTS and UPT?  It sounds like the other unit doesn't even know who you are so would you just be throwing your name in the hat as an off the street hire?  Are they both Guard?  Both Reserve?  Same state?  There's a good chance that having been hired already by one unit would give you a big leg up with the other unit since you've already been vetted to some degree.  

If you can apply to the fighter unit without jeopardizing your C-130 slot, I'd definitely do it.  Go to the unit and talk to their hiring guy and lay out your situation and see what they say.  But again, it would suck to lose your current slot chasing a fighter slot and be left with nothing.

Yea I just got off the phone, they are interested in talking to me.  (He seemed impressed by my package just talking over the phone).  They are both guard units, same distance from me, different states.  But they aren't meeting until September and I turn 30 in march of next year.  So here is another great question.  How hard is it to get an age waiver, or given the fact that I have alot of things already done could I get my dates in under the wire if they like me?

Edited May 5, 2017 by Rhade
Added unit types

[nsplayr]

5 minutes ago, Rhade said:

He seemed impressed by my package just talking over the phone.

So this is an Eagle unit, copy.

[topdeadcenter]

36 minutes ago, nsplayr said:

So this is an Eagle unit, copy.

Lol

[RTB]

1 hour ago, Rhade said:

But they aren't meeting until September and I turn 30 in march of next year.  So here is another great question.  How hard is it to get an age waiver, or given the fact that I have alot of things already done could I get my dates in under the wire if they like me?

 I will refer you back to my "bird in the hand" comment.   No idea how easy age waivers are these days. But taking a sure thing and turning it into a "maybe, waiver required" situation is probably not a wise move. 

19 minutes ago, Marco said:

For every one of you there are whom can't make up your mind about what you want to fly or if you even do; there are 100 others behind you willing to cut off a nut or give up a kidney to be in your position in order to fly ANYTHING.  Don't cut off your nose to spite your face.  Take the slot you've been given, be humble & grateful, kick ass at UPT, be an asset to the defense of our Nation.

Yes, so true. 

[Rhade]

11 minutes ago, RTB said:

 I will refer you back to my "bird in the hand" comment.   No idea how easy age waivers are these days. But taking a sure thing and turning it into a "maybe, waiver required" situation is probably not a wise move. 

Yes, so true. 

Hey first off thanks for being so helpful answering my questions.  Second yes I know I have been given a golden opportunity, but if given the option there is another air frame I'd like to fly.  So if I'm interested it sounds like it can't hurt just to apply and see what comes of it.  So my second question is how far into the process can I go with my current unit before I'm committed?  Is it once I attend OTS? or until I attend UPT?

[RTB]

2 hours ago, Rhade said:

So my second question is how far into the process can I go with my current unit before I'm committed?  Is it once I attend OTS? or until I attend UPT?

No idea, will tap out here and let someone with more specific experience chime in...  

[matmacwc]

I've seen ANG dudes switch IN UPT, just hadn't started Phase III yet.

[Rhade]

1 minute ago, matmacwc said:

I've seen ANG dudes switch IN UPT, just hadn't started Phase III yet.

I'd heard similar stories.  Thanks bud.