Marine Helo pilot to commercial pilot?

[46Driver]

I was in the PLC program - 10 weeks of OCS back in 1988, finished my last year of college and was then commissioned. Our commitments back then were much shorter (3 1/2 years after wings if I remember correctly). Kept having fun and extended my contract 4 times (twice for 2 more Med floats, once for a deployment to Norway, and finally for orders to PCola). When you get out you make a crucial decision based upon the way the system works. If you simply resign, you get very little in the way of benefits ("we extend to you a laurel and hearty handshake.."). If you can manage to get passed over for promotion to major, you get a $50k+ severance check and many more benefits. Furthermore, you then join the reserves where you do your best to avoid rank for the simple reason that there are plenty of flying billets for O-3's and O-4's but very, very few flying billets for O-5's. Thus the longer you drag things out as an O-3 and O-4, the more flying you get to do.
Reserve pay is divided into 2 basic types: the first are your weekend drills and Additional flight training periods (AFTP's). There are a total of 48 drills and 72 AFTP's, generally done 2 per day. As an O-4 at 14, one day of 2 drills is just over $400 in contrast to a day of active duty (your other type of pay) which is about $250. However, you can get up to about 179 days of active duty, and these also pile up as retirement points. The Navy and Air Force Reserves have far more money then the Marine Reserves and thus you are able to get many more days of active duty in Navy and Air Force Reserve units. (For example, over 1/3 of the 70+ Navy Reserve instructors in PCola are Marines who did an interservice reserve transfer.)
Most guys get out, go get set up in a reserve unit, and then join the airlines. Then you can (by law) take off up to 5 years for military duty while your airline seniority builds. Hope this helps - I am off to Boston now for my airline job.
Good Luck.

 

[EA-6B1]

Thanks 46Driver. Check your PM. Semper Fi.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.
-Col.3:23-

 

[Frumby]

First off, let me say that I am usually not one to address anything about commericial airlines on this web site. For three years I have advised here at AW strictly for military wannabes. Sometimes the topics go into commercial aviation and that is a natural progression but am I in no way an advocate of the Commercial Airlines. In no way shape or form could I ever have imagined while I was in college that I would even be a pilot. I wanted to be a Marine. An aviator was the bonus. Over the years, my values changed with family and I determined it was time to seek a more stable lifestyle. (Obviously, a decision made before (9/11). I made the decision to go into the Marine Corps and I made the decision to get out. I was not forced in any way nor was I forced out. Point is, you can't plan your life. You can try and you can dream but take it one step at a time. You can never predict. Concentrate on earning your commission and then your wings. Afterwards, we will discuss the airlines. Besides, most of the advice we give about the commericial world will have changed in 6 months but Marine Corps will remain somewhat of a constant. My apologies for the soapbox.
To the other Marine aviators on board this site, Welcome. Your experience will be highly sought after. Semper Fi!

P.S. PhrogDriver, try 500 kts at 100'. (WTI Minimum Altitude Capable or MAC run) That's pretty damn exciting!

Attack Pilot
Major USMCR

 

[farkle84]

ooooooraaaaahhhh frumby

 

[EA-6B1]

Thanks for the smack in the face frumby. Seriously. Semper Fi

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.
-Col.3:23-

 

[Frumby]

Not a smack, just trying to square away your gig line. All respects, Frumby

Attack Pilot
Major USMCR

 

[EA-6B1]

I just read you're other post about your father being a rescue pilot. Thats awesome! Semper Fi

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.
-Col.3:23-

 

[phrogdriver]

Frumby--Must be those Cold War tactics you old guys still like to reminisce about! Last 2 contingencies I flew with (Allied Force-Joint Guardian and Op End Freedom) the only F/W guys allowed below 15,000' were A-10s doing FAC(A) and Sandy duty! Now THAT'S a stiff-wing I'd like to drive! Oh, and C-130s on short final to Camp Rhino.

Phrogs phorever

 

[Frumby]

Yea, I'll admit, low levels are slowly fading away. If they didn't hang up so many Gondolas, we could probably fly lower more often. Frumby

Attack Pilot
Major USMCR

 

[46Driver]

To reiterate what Frumby said: OCS, then TBS, then Flight School, then do your time on the line. The most important things are your Eagle, Globe, and Anchor, next are your Wings of Gold - these are what will give you the greatest satisfaction. You can start worrying about the airlines in 10 years.....

 

[ChuckMK23]

The other option is to fly commercial helos - it's the one segment of aviation that is growing fairly well right now. I flew an EMS BK-117 for two years - single pilot, day/night, in some of the most demanding conditions I ever experienced. The flying was awesome - but the pay is not a big draw unfotuentlly - you start at around $40K and top out only at $60k after 10-20 years of flying with a contractor (PHI, CJ, Air Methods, Omni, etc.)

Feel free to drop me a line or ask here if you want to know more about that lifestyle...

 

[ChuckMK23]

Oh and for you guys who are IP's in the HT's - don't forget to get your ATP - TW-5 at the time I was there allowed civillian FAA examiners to fly in the left seat. The checkride was a no brainer as was the written!

 

[Physicx]

Chuck why did you quit flying EMS?I know the pay isn't great but it would be such a blast.

 

[skidkid]

Ok here is my reasoning not to go to the airlines. So you follow the career path as a rotor guys you spend a tour flying low, at night scaring yourself and loving every minute then you get C-12s Vance whatever and get out. you work as 46driver said in mind numbing boredom for ****ty pay and oh by the way you are a co-pilot to some guy who's only aviation experience is straight and level from city A to city B, a noble proffession but nothing compared ot your backround but he is your boss.
you put in your time and maybe the heavies are hiring and you get picked up but you are gone all the time and still not making very good pay.
you finally get some seniority and are now making about 100,000 a year maybe more but oh by the way your contemporaries that stayed in the Marine Corps are making as much maybe more and really arent away from the family any more than a junior airline pilot when you total it all up and their retirement is guarnateed and they wont get furloughed. And if they are very lucky they are still shooting bad guys and to confirm what General Mattis said it is fun and sure beats the hell out of NY to Boston.

Something to think about

 

[ChuckMK23]

EMS was indeed a blast - and I rethink that decision at the time - but at the time I was getting dovorced, thought I should get a "real" job - and sure it pays more but I really miss the intesity of flying EMS.

On the whole EMS flying is a great job - maybe you won't be rich - but it's fun and the people are awesome. I'm amazed at the growth in the industry - every hospital wants a helicopter program lately (status) and they seem to want twin engine IFR ships that are no more than a couple of years old. We had a great BK-117 B2 that only had a few hundred hours on it and was clean as a whistle - with great avionics to boot.

Oh and single pilot is the way to go - one set of controls.