Naval Aviator vs Airline route

[Griz882]

I guarantee if the OP joins the Navy and he wings, his commitment will start before year 6.

...not that there isn’t a trade off to consider. Just don’t think we’re doing the OP any favors by exaggerating how long the grind could take starting from 0 on the civilian side.

Ahhhh…I get it. I misunderstood what you were saying.

Personally, I’d recommend he follow the Navy route for a host of reasons not remotely related to an airline job. I genuinely believe in all the intangibles like pride, duty, commitment and service (just to name a few) that the military offers….but others don’t.

 

[Meyerkord]

I think there are certain schools and associated jobs that allow you to do that. There is a young man from Richmond who has a social media run about his venture from 0 hours to LSAs, PPL, CPL, Multi/Inst, and then a job flying Caravans in Hawaii and on to a regional and is now flying for the SHOW with American. His timeline has been about six years from zero to hero.

Now, to be sure, his parents helped him along his journey with a lot of cash.

I follow him too. He actually just got picked up by United recently (was at Envoy before) and he makes pretty good videos about the career path and airline life in general.

 

[Griz882]

I follow him too. He actually just got picked up by United recently (was at Envoy before) and he makes pretty good videos about the career path and airline life in general.

That’s the kid. Interesting route with some amazing focus!

 

[taxi1]

I have 0 flight hours

You might find out that you're a shitty pilot. Really should get some flight time and see if you are aeronautically adaptable.

If you're not, you should go the civilian route to airline wide body captain.

 

[gparks1989]

Well the catch is, I’ve always wanted to be an airline pilot first and foremost, the Navy was just the route that I choose to achieve that. 13 years is a long time to not be fully committed to being an officer first, and a pilot second if the airlines is the end goal. I don’t want to get stuck for a decade and a half, wishing I had gone the civilian route, but I’m sure I could end up loving the Navy and never looking back.

What would you regret more not doing? I'm biased: I think anyone who turns down a chance to fly grey jets off the end of an aircraft carrier is bananas not to do it, no matter how much more seniority you get in the airlines. Having said that, my career worked out in my favor so not much reason to be bitter.

Flight school is long, but it's also a ton of fun. You'll meet great people and do cool things. I'd rather do that than sweat my ass off teaching in piper Arrows hoping that Skywest calls. At least you recognize that you're going into it with "the wrong mindset" (i.e. using it as a stepping stone, officer before pilot etc. etc.). I've been exposed to civilians who became pro pilots, even ending up in the majors. They've done interesting work, but never once was I envious of the path they chose.

If you end up going the civilian root, please for the love of god don't start sentences with "I thought about joining."

 

[Eulenspeigel]

That’s the kid. Interesting route with some amazing focus!

He definitely has an accelerated timeline due to his social media presence. He is a friend of a friend and not a good example of how fast you can go zero to hero at united.

 

[Griz882]

He definitely has an accelerated timeline due to his social media presence. He is a friend of a friend and not a good example of how fast you can go zero to hero at united.

Just out of curiosity…why not a good example? It strikes me he reconned that path before he ever set foot on it.

 

[Randy Daytona]

You might find out that you're a shitty pilot. Really should get some flight time and see if you are aeronautically adaptable.

If you're not, you should go the civilian route to airline wide body captain.

Some of the other guys who made it to The Show beginning with 0 hours.

 

[zippy]

He definitely has an accelerated timeline due to his social media presence. He is a friend of a friend and not a good example of how fast you can go zero to hero at united.

United hiring metrics have definitely changed so that young regional pilots, especially from companies wholly owned by competitors are not uncommon at all.

 

[MIDNJAC]

I've been exposed to civilians who became pro pilots, even ending up in the majors. They've done interesting work, but never once was I envious of the path they chose.

In my airline interview, we went around the room in a panel of applicants answering TMAAT questions. I was the only mil guy, let alone carrier aviator. I realized that our most basic stories, not even the extraordinary ones, are things those guys can't even comprehend. That isn't to say that many of them didn't fly hard, in really bad conditions, often single pilot IFR, low pay, crap hours, ice shedding off the wings because nobody cared if they lived, but it is all an airnav. Basic admin. You'll see an incredible world of aviation that almost none of the world (including pilots) will ever see. And you can tell an off the cuff story you thought was super lame in your first 121 interview, and people will look at you like you are a chuck Yeager alien, and then you will feel embarrassed that you told the story because it wasn't even a good one, and you aren't actually god's gift to aviation, and all you can actually think about is all the times you tagged the ace and finished your day in a rather mediocre way (but you won't tell the people interviewing you that of course)

 

[gparks1989]

In my airline interview, we went around the room in a panel of applicants answering TMAAT questions. I was the only mil guy, let alone carrier aviator. I realized that our most basic stories, not even the extraordinary ones, are things those guys can't even comprehend.

And that's why I think anyone would be crazy to turn down an opportunity, especially with an offer in hand, to go our route. I'm not an airline guy, so maybe those five extra years of seniority are far superior to what I've done over the past ten years. But I highly doubt that. Hell, the OP could go through most of flight school and DOR if they don't think it's been worth it.

 

[SynixMan]

I had a shitload of fun in the Navy, did some awesome flying I still think about, and also never thought I would want airlines, but here I am. The disassociated tour left a bad taste in my mouth, but I'm a better person in a lot of ways for growing up in the Navy. I also think I've got a bit more "flight maturity" than some of my classmates who did pure civilian flying, but that's super subjective.

I think we're a bit naive if we think the Zoomers don't see the see the civilian flying path laid out online (by often unrealistic influencers, but whatever) and wonder if the military route is worth it.

 

[zippy]

And that's why I think anyone would be crazy to turn down an opportunity, especially with an offer in hand, to go our route. I'm not an airline guy, so maybe those five extra years of seniority are far superior to what I've done over the past ten years. But I highly doubt that. Hell, the OP could go through most of flight school and DOR if they don't think it's been worth it.

I know a guy who left at the end of advanced in 86 as an NFO and went and got his ratings. Took him about 7 years to get to Delta via flying Cessnas, CFI then going to an AA Wholly owned regional and upgrading there.

 

[Mirage]

He will get to an airline before his 8 year commitment begins starting right now with 0 hours? I don’t buy it.

He says he is 19+ months from even starting primary. That means 31 months minimum until he starts his commitment, very likely more. He will be at a regional or Atlas/ATI/etc by then for sure if he tries hard at all... Assuming no big recession.

Meanwhile, I spent 12 years on AD to get to the same place. Wouldn't do it different, but that's because of a lot of motivations that the OP hasn't indicated that he shares.

 

[croakerfish]

What a ridiculous question from someone who has 0 fucking hours AND no commission. “Hey guys should I pay more money than it takes to go to medical school to join a sweatshop industry for years before I line up with a billion other minimum-required hour nobodies to interview for my first real job, or actually get paid to be the coolest guy in the room for the rest of my youth THEN cash out when I’m too old to care about that anymore?”

Who fucking cares about your seniority or whatever when you’re an old fat bastard airline pilot on his second divorce? The cushy lifestyle and big money they love to talk about won’t seem like such a big deal without the good memories of tougher, better times when all you did was fly fast, talk trash and eat ass (F2T2EA, look it up).