I am about to join the USMC, and I was just wondering about a few things about life after the military. What kind of certificates and ratings do you recieve in the basic training at Pensacola (Commercial, Private, Multi Engine)? Plus, if you fly a F/A 18 in the military and gain all of your flight hours in that machine, is it possible to transfer from the military life straight into flying the big widebody jets for commercial uses after the military? And if you have any stories about how you continued your own flying career and what you did after the military, I would love to hear about it. Thanks guys.
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Transitioning to a Flying "Life" After the Military
- Thread starter gregg4523
- Start date
WishICouldFly
UO Future Pork Chop
I've been told that 747s don't handle like FA-18s.
Haha...but I know for a fact that airlines love pilots with military experience.
Haha...but I know for a fact that airlines love pilots with military experience.
RedDog
New Member
I would do a lot of research on the qualifications for flight school if I were you. I have not heard of anyone getting accepted into flight school with a degree from an on-line university. I am not knocking this educational approach, however, because I am currently pursuing one myself. What I am saying is that it is my understanding that the degree has to meet the standards of the accredation board. Check into this before you get your hopes up and find a big extinguisher at the end.....
Here is the accreditation info provided by the University of Phoenix. The statement of accreditation made no distinction between the home and online campuses. Looks shady to me.
http://www.e-college-education.net/uop_accreditation.php
http://www.e-college-education.net/uop_accreditation.php
I don't really see a big difference. Hell, there are classes where I might as well have been taking them online. Show up three times just for exams, the rest was just reading a book.
I don't know about the online U. of Phoenix. It seems pretty legit to me. It's not exactly the Sally Struthers school. Almost all schools offer online courses, it's just that U of Phoenix offers the whole degree online. There are some pretty shady, bare ass brick and mortar schools here in ATL that I would never send my kids to, but I know guys that have commissioned out of them. If your OSO is worth anything, he'll know best.
What I do know is that once you get your wings, it's good for a commercial rating fir the FAA. I suppose you're responsible for your ATP, but then you're getting into all kinds of other type ratings and all that. Somebody like A4sForever will be able to give you a much better picture than my sorry unwashed self, though. By the way, I don't want to be another guy pissing on your dreams, but get educated on how the SNA pipeline and airframe selection works before you get your hopes up TOO high on flying F-18s like your profile says.
What I do know is that once you get your wings, it's good for a commercial rating fir the FAA. I suppose you're responsible for your ATP, but then you're getting into all kinds of other type ratings and all that. Somebody like A4sForever will be able to give you a much better picture than my sorry unwashed self, though. By the way, I don't want to be another guy pissing on your dreams, but get educated on how the SNA pipeline and airframe selection works before you get your hopes up TOO high on flying F-18s like your profile says.
phrogpilot73
Well-Known Member
Couldn't have said it better myself. To answer the OP's questions:
1. The quickest way to never see wings and never fly the F/A-18 is to make it clear (as your post seems to do) that you're only in the military as a stepping stone to the airlines. If you want to fly for the airlines, don't join the military - go to one of the myriad of flight schools, then the regionals, then the airlines.
2. Have goals, but understand that (as has been discussed numerous times before) you are an officer first, pilot second. Leading Marines is what you should want to do, not just fly.
3. 60-70%-ish of all Marine pilots fly helicopters. Prepare yourself for that very real possibility.
4. In the latter stages of flight school, you have the opportunity to take the military competency exam. When you get winged, you will get a commercial license with appropriate endorsements (i.e. - I have SEL, Helicopter, and Instrument ratings for both).
5. After that, there's opportunities to MAYBE get add ons like ATP and what not, but not until you've done 4-5 years in the fleet, and at least 2 deployments. At this point, you'll be looking at almost 10 years in the military, and as soon as you get the extra training - you owe them more time.
6. Alot of the jobs that give you the add ons above are very competitive. Helo guys that are trying to get multi engine, etc... Remember - 60-70% of all Marine pilots are helo guys. So, if it's station flying C-12's or Pedro, or Flying OSO - a good portion of those billets are going to be helo guys. Some specifically require an MOS (Pedro requires 7562), and some require a transition (C-9s). I've known LtCol's with 16 years in, and 3000 hours that have been turned down for some of the "sweet gigs".
Not to piss in your Cheerios, but being a Marine is MUCH more than wearing blues, scoring with chicks, battling fire monsters, climbing sheer rock faces, and flying jets. You will get dirty, sweaty, smelly, and tired. You will say goodbye to your family and friends for months at a time. You will work long hours for shitty pay. You will be told to go to an out of the cockpit tour. You will get fucked over with a shitty billet. But you'll keep doing it because you get to serve with and lead some of the finest young men and women this country has to offer. Your message seemed to indicate that you're only concerned about what you get out of it. Please, don't join the Marines. Join the Air Force.
That's the reason I joined. That exact message could have been on my recruiter's office door, and I still would have done it. By the way, I think the pay and benefits ain't so bad.
phrogpilot73
Well-Known Member
I agree, but relatively speaking - for the amount of hours you put in, the pay ain't that high...
True. Plus, the pay for a military pilot, say at the 10-15 year mark is nowhere near the pay of a civilian airline pilot (lets say captain) at that mark. The benefits aren't bad nor is the retirement but it does take 20 years of service.
But how many airline captains are 31-36 years old? At least you know there will be a retirement. Not all airline pilots got their sweet retirement they were banking on and they had to fly a lot longer to get it (if it didn't disappear on them).
Thats life. Hopefully they at least (in today's world) have set up some 401k. That's the thing, the military retirement is decent but one has to do the 20. I'm doing it, never expected to do it, actually never wanted to do it. Shit happens and here I am, approaching 15 years, with just over 3 years left after this tour. For me, if things were like they are now at my 10 years mark, I would have been gone. Things weren't so I stayed. Maybe it works out financially for me. Afterall, an O-4 or O-5 retirement is worth over $3 million over 40 years, not including medical.
You're right on the money (no pun intended). Having a retirement and medical benefits as early as age 41 give you better options in pursuing another career and you still have time to start all over if you want to in a totally new venue.
phrogpilot73
Well-Known Member
I agree completely. I wasn't trying to start a shit storm, because as most of you know - I'd rather still be in the service. However, I had to make a choice and I made the right one. What I was getting at was the amount of hours you work, and the family sacrifices you make - makes the pay seem pretty shitty in comparison. ESPECIALLY for the young enlisted guys with families... The benefits are great, so is the retirement - but over here in civilian contractor land, if I put in the same amount of work/sacrificed as much, I'd get paid alot more.
As it stands, I'm making an amount comparable to my salary in the military, with similar benefits (minus the MWR stuff), only I work 9 hours a day with every other Friday off. If I have to work more than 9 hours, I'm comped and may only work a couple of hours. For example - tomorrow is my Friday off, and three of my meetings have been rescheduled for tomorrow. So, I'm leaving today at 1 p.m. and am going to telecommute for the meetings. That's what I'm getting at when I suggest that the pay isn't as good as it seems at times.
Again - my standard disclaimer is that if I could have stayed in and colocated with my wife, I'd still be in. I do miss it.