Flight Pay question

[faipmafiaofficial]

Need a sanity check...

I flew active duty for 11+ years and accumulated 126 gate months.  PHA is still current.  Last fall I joined the ANG in a non-flying Wing Staff position. I don't intend on flying for the foreseeable future. HARM is refusing to turn flight pay back on claiming that since I'm in an API 6 billet on the UMD, I can't get flight pay unless I "I am in the process of acquiring an ACIQ slot."  I disagree and think flight pay eligibility depends solely on gate months when in a non-flying billet...

Who's right?

[Herkdrvr]

Based on your post, I'm fairly sure you're right.  It's exactly the reason why we encouraged senior CGOs/junior FGOs to hit their second gate (120) before staff.  They could then take a 3 year assignment, keep getting their pay, and return to flying later for their third gate.

They should have coded your entitlement code as continuous & your status code as inactive.

See AFMAN 11-402 para 3.9.

 

 

[faipmafiaofficial]

ya I've been in that reg.  not a good answer in there unfortunately.  I'm API 6, but dont plan on flying thats the big hangup

[baller06]

I don’t have the official answer but the way it was explained to me is that you need an AO (aeronautical order) in order to activate flight pay in the Guard or Reserves and then you can keep flight pay based on gate months. I left AD after 12.5 years and initially went to a flying squadron. They didn’t have a timeline for RQ and I found a non-flying job where I didn’t have to commute and left after a few months. Since I started in a flying billet when I transitioned from AD I had the AO as a reservist and now just have to keep my Fly PHA to get my flight pay.


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[mcbush]

Got the same surprise when I became a non-flying reservist. I don’t have a reference handy, but after a deep dive through the regs, I was eventually satisfied that they were correct. From what I remember, if you were still on AD you’d be entitled to it, but there’s something in there that works differently for ANG/AFRC. I think it’s probably the lack of AOs like baller said.

[Chicken]

How does Flight Pay work wrt being DNIF for over a year?  I was under the impression that if I met my gate months I was good for flight pay.  I've been DNIF for over a year and was just notified that I would lose my flight pay despite the fact I have more than 200 gate months.  Others have said I should not lose my flight pay as they have been DNIF for 1+ years and still receive flight pay.  I still have a valid PHA as well.  

[Guardian]

Do some simulators.

[CaptainMorgan]

How does Flight Pay work wrt being DNIF for over a year?  I was under the impression that if I met my gate months I was good for flight pay.  I've been DNIF for over a year and was just notified that I would lose my flight pay despite the fact I have more than 200 gate months.  Others have said I should not lose my flight pay as they have been DNIF for 1+ years and still receive flight pay.  I still have a valid PHA as well.  

Sims won’t help. Long term DNIF will cause loss of flight pay. I believe it’s either in 11-401 or 402. Your SARM or HARM can probably clarify for you.


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[KWings06j]

AFMAN 11-421. Para 6.2.6.

You lose flight pay on the 365th day you're DNIF. I've seen a unit get hammered during an IG inspection for having multiple people that were past that point and still receiving flight pay. Not sure if they made them all pay it back.

[BONE WSO]

When you switch AF components and move immediately into a non-flying job, you lose flight pay. This happened to me in 2021.

When I left AD in 2014, I transitioned to the ANG into an AOC job which is a rated billet, and I continued to receive flight pay. I then moved onto the staff at the Pentagon and continued to receive flight pay for years. In 2021, I transitioned into AFRC as an IMA in the same exact job on the Pentagon staff and they turned off my flight pay even though I had met my gate months and my flight physical was still good. 

AFMAN 11-402, section 6.3.3.8

6.3.3.8. Change to read: Returning to RegAF or ARC in a Non-rated Officer or Non-Career Enlisted Aviator Capacity. This provision applies to members returning from separation status and members transferring from the ARC to RegAF or vice versa. The servicing Host Aviation Resource Management will publish an aeronautical order to assign aviation service code “00” (Disqualified--Administrative Reasons) effective the day the member is assigned to active duty in the non-rated officer or non-career enlisted aviator enlisted aircrew member capacity. (T-2) A revalidation or requalification aeronautical order is not required and flight pay is not authorized. (T-1)

Edited June 14, 2023 by BONE WSO

[kayasawayn]

With 126 gate months, you should normally be eligible, but it seems like HARM is focusing on your current role and the lack of an ACIQ slot.
It might be a good idea to double-check AFMAN 11-402 para 3.9 or get another opinion to make sure everything’s right. Dealing with these rules can be frustrating, so maybe take a break and think about your next trip—those business class flights could be a good way to unwind.

Edited August 27 by kayasawayn

[HeyEng]

Is your job primarily Title 32 orders or Title 10? The Guard can be quite stingy when the State has to pay. Also the Guard sometimes forgets their own regs. I remember when I first went to the Guard they insisted they were not allowed to do digital signatures on any documents, only wet signatures. Since the Guard did have all their Regulations on the web it was an easy matter to do a search to find the equivalent regulations that matched the AFI for paperless signature requirements.