Army vs Air Force flying

[Hueypilot]

The problem is that, in my 7 years in the Air Force, I haven't been spending the time that I'm not flying with my spouse and kids... I've been spending that time learning all the extra, unnecessary, regs that the Air Force piles on, doing asinine, redundant, redundant PME, getting the masters that I don't need, and building Power Points for the DO so he doesn't look bad in front of the MXG/CC. That's right... the MXG/CC is the one we're worried about angering these days.

Personally, the WO career track and the way that the Army flies look very appealing to me right now. I'd love to be able to focus on the mission and my aviation skills rather than getting chewed out because the other captain in my shop forgot to include the group commander's ride along in this week's slideshow. Honestly, even the Army commissioned officer job seems better because then you can actually focus on leadership and management. I've only been to two operational squadrons, but it's been my experience that you are either a good leader/manager -OR- tactician/aviator. Rarely have I seen someone (especially someone with a family) do both well.

FWIW, that type of bullshit isn't the sole realm of the USAF. I ran into all types of crazy queep in the Army as well. One thing AF types don't have to worry about is Army-centric training. I found myself doing lots of infantry-type stuff when I wasn't flying. Hopefully they still don't issue and use shelter-halves anymore...sleeping in those in the field sucked.

[Lawman]

Stay flying is a pretty broad term. Technically you could stay in Aviation units of your type your entire career permitting you to maintain a FAC status where you stay on the schedule just at reduced hours compared to a line company pilot. Or you could be the guy that is always drawing the shitty straw and doing staff jobs that keep you out.

Luck and timing, YMMV

Agreed

I can only inagine the screaming that would ensue the first time somebody handed an Alice pack for the 18th Airborne annual ruck requirement to one of these "grass is greener AF guys."

Whatever job you have something will suck and we as humans will bitch about it. If there was an MOS whose job was to receive handys all day while shooting guns and drinking beer that guy would bitch he had to load his own magazines.

Edited March 7, 2014 by Lawman

[alwyn2d]

FWIW, few AF pilots realize the making of a career as an Army aviation Warrant Officer in this peace time environment on ACTIVE DUTY. For the last several years, the promotion rates have been hovering around 60% for CW3 and CW4s. If passed over twice, out you go before the 18 year point, sound familiar. The Army promotion board explains in great detail your flying only skills will not get you promoted. You need PME, additional duties that may not be aviation related and a 4 year degree in being competitive, sound familiar again. Plus you get to do all the exciting Army stuff like mandatory PT daily perhaps when not flying, over looking crew rest and the lack of per diem in the rotary wing world for the most part.

But most of you only trained AF pilots would complain a helleva lot less if you experienced the Army way of life as an aviator. Sometimes you don't know how good you got it until it's gone. If unsatisfied in the AF as pilot, serve your time professionally, leave and have great success in the private/gov't sector. You all knew about the AF BS even before you joined. You thought that would be a very small price to pay in going through flight school. Did you actually think the BS would change once serving.

The Master Degree requirement became the norm after the Vietnam conflict and that's over 40 years ago.

Edited March 7, 2014 by alwyn2d

[Samsquanch]

Decided to resurrect this topic as my first post.

The reason I decided to add my 2 cents is I feel that since this post started the Army and I can only assume the Air Force as well, has taken a drastic nose dive. Despite decent promotion rates, people are exiting AD at pretty decent rates and Army HRC is stopping people from even a 30 day early release form AD.

I'm currently a CW3 on Active Duty UH60 Instructor, been flying since 2006. The climate in the Army is just about to the point that unless they offered me a significant amount of money to stay I'm going to leave in a little more than a year. For me, the job is great, I average at the moment, 300 ish hours a year and my command relatively leaves me alone. I say relatively because as you know, being a pilot in the Army involves a whole lot of ground Bullshit i.e. ranges, PT, ruck marches, ridiculous SHARP classes ect..

For me, I have done everything the Army has offered me and I'm bored and looking for a more challenging and rewarding career. If I wanted to take the easy road, I would stay in as a senior aviator and find a cush job until 20. That to me seems like a wasted opportunity to do something better or at least, new.

I am aggressively pursuing the ANG as an HH60 pilot or if I can a Fighter, shot in the dark, but i'll try. My perception, and this is strictly from working with the A-10 and HH60 guys. Is that the AF is 100% more professional and dedicated to their mission of providing air support, whereas the Army has it's focus on so many things, SHARP, Ranges, random BS, Uniforms, then lastly, our mission.

Totally agree with most of you, the GRASS is ALWAYS GREENER but, sometimes you get tired of stagnating in the same place. I would still choose the Army and have no regrets, it's just time to move on to something bigger and hopefully, brighter.