ANG seasoning to major airlines transition.

[SuperFreaky]

Would you guys be willing to give out some gouge on the quickest way to the major airlines after finishing up guard seasoning orders. ~700 TT. Fighters. Thanks!

Please include variables like what’s the best regional airlines to fly for is and how long do guys expect to fly for them until being hired at a major. 
 

Edited January 26, 2020 by Nike

[mp5g]

Dude, I may be out of my lane here, but if you got a fighter job with the sole goal of going to the airlines, I think your priorities may be a little skewed. I’ve seen dudes finish seasoning and then go straight DSG, and they have not amounted to much in the jet. 1.5 years of seasoning do not a fighter pilot make. You have to get the experience to truly develop your skills. 
 

Rant aside, combat deployments help out tremendously but I think the regionals would also be a viable option. Others may have more info on that particular route as that was not my path. 
 

Nevertheless, good luck in whatever route you choose. It’s a good time to get in if you can. 

[brabus]

2 hours ago, mp5g said:

I’ve seen dudes finish seasoning and then go straight DSG, and they have not amounted to much in the jet.

Shack. You (OP), will be a limfac to your sq, likely a long term one, if you punch to DSG 2 years after FTU. As a fighter pilot, you owe it to the team and yourself to gain more experience before going part time...I assume you don’t want to be the below average dude in the sq that’s on “secret probation, LOX, etc.” that makes dudes sigh when they see you’re in the formation.  The right amount of full time years depends on the individual’s natural ability, work ethic, deployment/flag level TDY opportunities, etc. As a general ROT, I recommend you get through 4FLUG before seeking out the airlines. All that said, I get orders/tech job are not a guarantee after seasoning, but you should do your damndest to make those happen.

I know it’s hard seeing a bunch of the older dudes going to the airlines and talking about how great it is, but my rec is be patient, put some hard effort into the next 5 years as a fighter pilot, and then I bet you have enough hours to get directly hired to a major, all while skipping the regionals.

Final caveat: if you truly are SOL on a full time job post-seasoning (including stringing orders, temp tech, etc. together), then going to a regional that has a flow agreement with a major seems like the best option. Flows are ~50% of AALs hires, as an example.

[VigilanteNav]

11 hours ago, SuperFreaky said:

Would you guys be willing to give out some gouge on the quickest way to the major airlines after finishing up guard seasoning orders. ~700 TT. Fighters. Thanks!

Please include variables like what’s the best regional airlines to fly for is and how long do guys expect to fly for them until being hired at a major. 
 

No first hand experience but I have a buddy who just got picked up by Jet Blue and I know many pilots in the Guard and Reserves who fly for regionals and majors.  Buddy at Jet Blue was a C-17 pilot with probably 2 to 3k hours but hadn't flown in the last 3-4 years of his AD time (he retired as an O-6 with 20+ years).  He got hired by Air Wisconsin pretty easily and freely admitted to them that he was just going to stay with them until he got enough recent flying hours to get hired by a Major.  I think he flew for them for six months before moving on to Jet Blue.  So, basically the regionals are so desperate that they will hire guys as short term seat fillers.  Plus, you can start with a regional and then go on mil leave when you get orders with your unit and you wouldn't have to feel bad about that since the regional needs you more than you need them.   In your case, I'm not sure you have enough total hours to get a look from the Majors yet.  But, I'd imagine you'd fill up your log book pretty quick with a regional.   I have nothing to add on the other comments that tell you to fly more with your fighter unit.  I'm a mobility bubba so flying part time with your unit and full time with a regional or Major is ops normal in that world.      

[brabus]

1 hour ago, VigilanteNav said:

But, I'd imagine you'd fill up your log book pretty quick with a regional

Not with PIC time (at least for a while until CA upgrade). He’s turbine PIC 100% of the time in fighters, and most (all?) majors apply some amount of correction factor to mil time (but none for civ time).  He should be at 1500 TT/800+ turbine PIC in 5 years if all he does is fly full time fighters. With the way retirements/hiring is going, he’ll likely be pretty damn competitive at that point. 

[SocialD]

I guess I'll be the naysayer here.  The ANG hired you to be a part-timer, if they wanted you to stay longer, they would provide more orders for seasoning.  Hell before we had an alert mission (read: tons of orders), they shipped guys out the door after seasoning and said good luck!  When we interview, we are very clear about being a part timer and want to know what your plans are for full time employment after seasoning.

By utilizing all your AT/AFTPs/UTA days in between the two sets of seasoning orders, we generally have our dudes through the 4-flug by the end of their seasoning.  If you have that done, I'd say jump to a regional to start racking up total time and work toward getting hired by the Legacies.  If your unit has the orders, you'll likely be able to drop orders half the month or every other month no problem.  This way you will build up TT faster and still stay actively engaged in the squadron.  Get your line number at a Legacy asap!  Then, once you're at a Legacy, or maybe after you get 1500TT at the regional, drop orders and go to the IPUG.  You'll be just fine.  

WRT to which regional.  If able, I'd go to the regional that allows you to be home based at both jobs.  If not, I'd live near the guard and go to the regional that provides the shortest/easiest commute.  

Edited January 26, 2020 by SocialD