Aviation Continuation Pay (ACP - The Bonus)

[BFM this]

19 hours ago, Jaded said:

True, but it's kind of a moot point if they give up the bonus because they're getting hired at a major.

Then all of that stuff you posted earlier is n/a.  Hourly rate...yum.

[the g-man]

Then all of that stuff you posted earlier is n/a.  Hourly rate...yum.

Not exactly you would still be taking a huge cut for the year if you have to give up that bonus because hourly at Regional is still low, and the pay while in training is lower.

[BFM this]

You are right.  There is a choice involved.

A) you're a mil dude, so maybe you have to do a t&g at a regional, then off to a major.  3-6 months, if you took their bonus, they want it back.  Hourly rate at year-1 for you.

B) You think the regionals have awesome bonuses, and you're hell bent on keeping the money.  You have to stay typically between 13 months and 3 years, because fuck seniority at a major.

The BL is that yes, the regionals are flashing better money than historical averages, but just like the AF's bonuses, they are retention bonuses.  Don't want to be retained?  Then you don't get to keep the $.  It's good for the .civ guys just reaching their R-ATP mins who are going to be there for 3-5yrs, but .mil guys should be prepared for some honest accounting if that's the route they end up on temporarily.  It's not free money with no strings attached.

Edited November 30, 2017 by BFM this
the point to all of this...

[Jaded]

I don't get your point of view. Either you get hired at a major in a year, which is a win, or you get a signing bonus which makes your pay roughly equivalent to an Air Force captain. Both are pretty good results.

[the g-man]

I don't get your point of view. Either you get hired at a major in a year, which is a win, or you get a signing bonus which makes your pay roughly equivalent to an Air Force captain. Both are pretty good results.

I think the original point was:
How do you receive your ATP?

Regional will pay for it, but is that worth the time you’ll waste there to get your number at a major?

[Chida]

We are now over 2 months into the new FY and still no comms about this.

Any DSG or TR see the increase in flight pay on their LES, yet?

[ImNotARobot]

We are now over 2 months into the new FY and still no comms about this.
Any DSG or TR see the increase in flight pay on their LES, yet?

Negative from this TR

[Termy]

There’s gotta be a finance officer at Afrc and ngb headquarters right? Is this really an unsolvable issue? Id have to guess it is a three minute coding issue in mypay or whatever archaic system they use. 

[SocialD]

10 hours ago, Chida said:

We are now over 2 months into the new FY and still no comms about this.

Any DSG or TR see the increase in flight pay on their LES, yet?

No raise for this DSG.  I talked to one of our sharp finance NCOs, who I've trusted since my SrA days, and she said a fix is being worked and is well above her pay grade.  She mentioned that AGRs and Active duty guys are good, but anyone on short term (ADOS type) orders and DSGs have not been fixed yet.  She's updated weekly on the progress and hopes that it will automatically back pay us, if not they'll have to do it manually...  

[BONE WSO]

I got a separate LES for the additional flight pay increase for a two week period a few days ago. The weird thing is that it was for Oct 16-31. Still haven't been paid for the beginning of the month and the old rate was still in my Dec check. I am on AD school orders.

Edited December 4, 2017 by BONE WSO

[HookEmAll]

I’m on orders and have just started getting random LESs for $80 or $160, all of which goes to taxes for some reason, starting in mid-November. Haven’t heard of any DSGs getting the fix yet. 

[Kenny Powers]

I got a separate LES for the additional flight pay increase for a two week period a few days ago. The weird thing is that it was for Oct 16-31.

I saw some extra cash on an LES too for the same time period but it seemed it was logged as something else. We've been directed to just standby as our finance is working it.

[Splash95]

@HookEmAll Similar situation; DSG on orders (deployed) and have been getting all kinds of random, token LES amounts in the past month. Word on the street is they are starting/attempting to fix the glitch for us.

[Chida]

Just got my final LES for CY17 and still have old flight pay rates.

[otsap]

Looks like 2018 NDAA was signed 12 Dec, with sections 611-616 relevant to bonus, fly pay, etc.  It appears Congress pushed the "standby" button for another year, though section 616 asks for a pilot retention report, fwiw.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/2810/text#toc-HC7F1BB1E614941BFAC355EAF593EDEC7

 

[pilotguy]

Prob been asked before but can you get the bonus tax free somehow? Do the same combat zone rules apply?

[Smokin]

Counts as normal pay, so no.  You only get tax free up to the maximum enlisted rate, which is fairly close to that of a major making flight pay before the bonus.  Since combat zone exemption is pretty much already max'd out as a major, the bonus goes above that amount and is taxed.  Obviously your tax bracket may be lower for the bonus, so you do save tax money in the long run, but not tax free.

[Fuzz]

Anyone else notice the new 2018 pay tables published by DFAS? Bigger raise than the August announcement and theres no longer a seperate pay table for the enlisted flyers. I asked my finance about the changes and they less helpful than if I hadnt even bothered to ask them the question. 

[SocialD]

Last I talked to finance, the AD and AGR guys were already updated and getting the new flight pays.  If you're a technician or DSG...well, it might be a while.  Apparently, they wrote the code for flight pay with punch cards and everything has to be completely redone.  I was promised we'd be back payed to the FY...so checks in the mail.  

[ViperStud]

So are they screwing all the DSGs and TRs by forcing a situation where they’ll need to update W-2s after the fact?  Will the pay be fixed and updated W-2s sent out in a timely enough manner to file?  I had this happen for a pay screw—up by finance and had to refile my return two years after the fact. Way to go, govt. 

[Jaded]

DFAS has a budget of $1.4 billion. Billion with a B. It's really a staggering level of incompetence. 

[sixpack]

Wait, so now the flight pay bump from 6 to 14 years aviation service moved to 10 years aviation service?  And it's been effective since last April?  Looks like i'll be getting some back pay coming.

 

[Hotel]

I am seeing the same thing on this chart - looks legit $1k at 10 years...I had not heard anything about this and my finance office is still working on the fix for the original $750 and $1k change from October.

[Breckey]

13 hours ago, Fuzz said:

Anyone else notice the new 2018 pay tables published by DFAS? Bigger raise than the August announcement and theres no longer a seperate pay table for the enlisted flyers. I asked my finance about the changes and they less helpful than if I hadnt even bothered to ask them the question. 

The enlisted rates are still $150-$400. It's defined in DoD 7000.14-R Table 22-8.

[Guest]

14 hours ago, Fuzz said:

Anyone else notice the new 2018 pay tables published by DFAS? Bigger raise than the August announcement and theres no longer a seperate pay table for the enlisted flyers. I asked my finance about the changes and they less helpful than if I hadnt even bothered to ask them the question. 

https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1290397/air-force-announces-initiatives-to-lessen-pilot-shortage/

AF had pegged the $1000 figure at 12 years.. I doubt they could have boned up the roll out that much.

 

It would be a nice back pay bump of a few hundreds