USMC AVIATION

[HighFlyer55]

What are your chances of getting a fixed wing aircraft in the USMC? Is is true that it is more difficult to get a C-130 than a figher jet? WHat are the chances of being taken off flight status after your first billet to have a ground job for your second billet?? What if you dont want to leave flight status? Also how many hours a month can you expect to fly in USMC compared to the Navy and Air Force? If you want to eventually be a commercial pilot after the Marines will you have enough hours of flight time?

 

[46Driver]

To answer your questions. Getting fixed wing depends a lot on timing. If you graduate first in your primary class, then yes, you will get it. However after that, it is the needs of the Corps - and remember there are more helos than jets and every helo needs 2 pilots. C-130's are few in number so getting a slot is difficult. More than likely you will do a non-flying billet after your first tour (it is also better for promotion to have experience on the ground side) "What is you don't want to leave flight status?" Needs of the Corps come first so you might not have any choice in the matter... 250 - 300 hours a year sounds about right for a fleet squadron - depends on where you are in the deployment cycle and funding as well. Probably the same as in the Navy, I would think you would get more in the Air Force. If you goal is to be a commercial pilot, I would highly suggest going Air National Guard or Air Force Reserve.

 

[Adrenaline Rush]

just to reiterate, if your priority is flying, your in the wrong branch

"And on the 8th day the Marines took over the globe and have been runnin it ever since"

 

[HighFlyer55]

If you sign up to fly, why do they spend all of that money to train you and then take you off of flight status to make you do something that you dont want to do?

 

[jarhead]

"the needs of the Marine Corps" ... even when you are on flight status you will have a ground job, working 8-10 or 12 hours a day, and maybe flying just a couple times a week ... like 46Driver said, if all you want to do is fly, better look into the Air National Guard or Air Force Reserve. it's fine to join the Corps just to fly, but get ready to do a lot more paper-pushing than flying, i'm doing that now and i'm not even out of the FRS

semper fidelis

Originally posted by HighFlyer55
If you sign up to fly, why do they spend all of that money to train you and then take you off of flight status to make you do something that you dont want to do?

 

[HighFlyer55]

thanks for all of your help. I dont mind doing a ground job pushing paper as long as I can still fly.

 

[HighFlyer55]

JARHEAD what type of plane are you going to fly in the USMC??

 

[jarhead]

i'm already in the Corps & i'm already flying the Hornet

Originally posted by HighFlyer55
JARHEAD what type of plane are you going to fly in the USMC??

 

[HighFlyer55]

Jarhead thats awesome! Did you have any prior flight time before going to Flight school? Any advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated. I got accepted to PLC AIR and I am going to OCS this summer. THanks again for your help

 

[jarhead]

except the adventures i had in the back of 46's & 53's while with the grunts, i had 0 (zero) flight time when i started Primary.

Advice? make it through OCS, then TBS, then start worrying about flying.

semper fi

Originally posted by HighFlyer55
Did you have any prior flight time before going to Flight school? Any advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated. I got accepted to PLC AIR and I am going to OCS this summer. THanks again for your help

 

[FrogFly]

So very true...

 

[Q-ball]

Listen to Jarhead, even though he's a jet guy. Keep your head out of the clouds until you're done playing in the dirt.


Q

Marine Helo Pilot