Chances of staying as a pilot?

[engeguy]

If someone who is AD where to complete flight school and become trained in their new air frame, what is the chance that they would stay in a flying job for the remainder of their career?

Does the AF often reassign pilots to non-flying jobs?
Or do pilots have high job security (I.e. they get to stay flying if they want to)?
 

[matmacwc]

1. It depends

2. Probably wrong forum

[Guardian]

Very ambiguous question. Need to be specific. There are people who are on this forum who have been on more than one platform. I’ve heard as many as 5-7 and are still in doing the job. So if you feel comfortable to get specific, we can answer specifics.

[FLEA]

I think what you're getting at is are we like the Army, where as a commissioned officer you will eventually grow into a desk. 

As others have said, it largely depends. Remember you're being hired as an officer first and a pilot second. Unfortunately for us the word officer is spelled with the word office. 

By and large, you can mostly stay in a cockpit until 20 years of service with the occasional exception of a 2-3 year staff tour somewhere in that career. Based completely off anecdotal personal experience most officers will do 1 staff tour to get to 20, a few will do 2, and a few will do 0. 

After 20 you are probably moving out of the squadron level and while you may fly on occasion you can expect to do mostly adminstrative type work. 

Also realise in most communities even as a pilot you will have an office job of some sort you will do in between missions. Sometimes your growth at admin skills will take precedence over your flying skills. For example, a group or wing exec won't have time to fly much. 

[brabus]

Nobody can predict the future - I was told in FTU to expect one assignment, maybe back to FTU IP, and after that I'd be screwed. We'll here I am having flown fighters for my entire career with no school or staff in sight (knock on wood). I am not at all special in this regard. So what any of us say now is a 100% guess on what it'll be in 5-20 years. 

[stract]

typically, you'll stay in a flying gig until you hit your gate months.  Then it's a crap shoot.

[ThreeHoler]

Stract—good but outdated information. They just “fixed the glitch” for gate months.

“3.9.3.4. Flight time logged IAW AFI 11-401 and MAJCOM supplement in a certified flight simulator counts for operational flying duty accumulator requirements, aviation incentive pay entitlement, and aeronautical ratings for rated officers. Exception: Flight surgeons must fly in an aircraft to log flight time for conditional aviation incentive pay entitlement and advanced aeronautical ratings. (T-1).”

Good news, everyone! You’ll be able to gain gate months on staff by going to the sim.


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[stract]

On 2/17/2019 at 11:38 AM, ThreeHoler said:

Stract—good but outdated information. They just “fixed the glitch” for gate months.

“3.9.3.4. Flight time logged IAW AFI 11-401 and MAJCOM supplement in a certified flight simulator counts for operational flying duty accumulator requirements, aviation incentive pay entitlement, and aeronautical ratings for rated officers. Exception: Flight surgeons must fly in an aircraft to log flight time for conditional aviation incentive pay entitlement and advanced aeronautical ratings. (T-1).”

Good news, everyone! You’ll be able to gain gate months on staff by going to the sim.


Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

what defines a "certified" sim?  Certified in the eyes of the FAA?  Level D only?  ? ? ? In my MDS, our sims were not Level D, not certified by the FAA, even though two of the three have motion.

[ThreeHoler]

MAJCOM certified


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[FLEA]

Great if your AETC you can get Microsoft Flight Sim certified in your VR headset!

Edited February 21, 2019 by FLEA

[LookieRookie]

10 hours ago, stract said:

what defines a "certified" sim?  Certified in the eyes of the FAA?  Level D only?  ? ? ? In my MDS, our sims were not Level D, not certified by the FAA, even though two of the three have motion.

I'd assume if it has a 781 and is logged into ARMS it counts.

[jrizzell]

Each lead MAJCOM will have a list of “certified” Simulators that meet the requirement to log an OFDA creditable flight.