USN Rotary to Airline Transition?

[ChuckM]

Wonder if this cancellation of benefits is backlash for what happened with the massive aviation charges a few years ago. GI Bill paying out $500,000 is probably not what the authors had in mind.

U.S. taxpayers stuck with the tab as helicopter flight schools exploit GI Bill loophole

For two years of training to become a pilot, the government often pays more than $250,000, over twice the amount non-veterans pay at many schools, The Times has found from interviews, government documents, price lists and flight school contracts.

At one flight company — Utah-based Upper Limit Aviation — records show 12 veterans whose training had cost the government more than $500,000 each.

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-me-adv-gibill-20150315-story.html

That definitely is why the VA now hates flight training in general. Thier BS meter is much more sensitive after the above story came out. Especially if the benefit isn't funneled through a higher ed / 4 year aviation program. They straight up punish the 141 cash value schools.

 

[jtmedli]

Yep. Most decidedly a rotary gold-winger Has the pre requisites to satisfy the VAs requirement. But I'd be amazed if you can't get damn near everything done for that ~23K that Envoy is ponying up. Especially now that there is no expectation that you use the GI bill to add your ME rating, Envoy is actually forced to pony up all of what they advertise.

I will say the money would go farther if you weren't paying CA price tags for TX training... so many things to nitpick, but on the whole it's an amazing deal.

Yeah Ive been thinking about taking some leave and doing the whole thing back at home in SC. Should come out quite a bit cheaper that way. Not really planning on an airline gig just yet but it's probably a worthwhile ticket to punch.

 

[Purdue]

Any word or further explanation about GI Bill no longer working for some quals? Can anyone elaborate?

This is straight from the Envoy/Coast Money-man who's dealing with the fallout from the GI Bill:

The VA is messing directly with all Army pilots. The VA is saying you have to take a Commercial single engine course before you are allowed to take a multi course. This wastes the GI Bill on a course they don’t need and leaves the veteran unable to fund the multi with benefits until the change of the new year as the CSEL course uses up the benefits for the year. This is not a FAA or Envoy requirement, we can not wrap our minds around this!

Additionally they are stating that anyone that has a temporary FAA pilot certificate is not qualified for a VA course. This also leaves a huge delay for the veteran, the FAA currently is taking 4-12 weeks to issue the actual plastic pilot certificate to replace the temporary.

Sounds like Navy guys should be good as long as you already have your single-engine commercial from the MilComp exam... AND if you have a plastic-license in hand. I don't know why the VA isn't accepting paper-temp licenses that are issued after literally every checkride/upgrade you take...

 

[fc2spyguy]

This is straight from the Envoy/Coast Money-man who's dealing with the fallout from the GI Bill:


Sounds like Navy guys should be good as long as you already have your single-engine commercial from the MilComp exam... AND if you have a plastic-license in hand. I don't know why the VA isn't accepting paper-temp licenses that are issued after literally every checkride/upgrade you take...

Well, that now looks like one of the best $150 I've ever spent.

 

[ChuckMK23]

So how old is too old to join a Regional? Assuming I could get to my 250 hours total F/W - and I know I can easily pass a First Class Medical - any comments? (I'm 52)

Figure mandatory retirement at 65, that give me over 12 years of employment

 

[zippy]

So how old is too old to join a Regional? Assuming I could get to my 250 hours total F/W - and I know I can easily pass a First Class Medical - any comments? (I'm 52)

Figure mandatory retirement at 65, that give me over 12 years of employment

There are dudes in their 50's joining the regionals all the time. Pick one that will offer you the best quality of life in case you decide you don't want to flow to mainline (if available) or don't end up at a getting picked up at a ( different) major.

 

[mad dog]

...Figure mandatory retirement at 65, that [would] give me over 12 years of employment.

I've heard scuttlebutt (at Delta) that it could very well get bumped up to 67 or 67.5...just scuttlebutt at this point.

 

[Purdue]

So how old is too old to join a Regional? Assuming I could get to my 250 hours total F/W - and I know I can easily pass a First Class Medical - any comments? (I'm 52)

Figure mandatory retirement at 65, that give me over 12 years of employment

There's a guy in the RTP at San Marcos who was 59. He dropped out because his Oil Platform job un-furloughed him... but he was legitimately not going to be a line pilot at Envoy until he was toward the end of being 60... They still hired him and were paying his way, even though they only had maybe 4 or 5 years of employment to get from him.

 

[FrankTheTank]

I've heard scuttlebutt (at Delta) that it could very well get bumped up to 67 or 67.5...just scuttlebutt at this point.

Shut your mouth!

 

[HAL Pilot]

The newest bid at Delta has an Atlanta MD88 Captain that was a January 2017 new hire.

Don't think I'd bid this. To stay a Captain, he is going to be on reserve for the next 10-15 years. He'll never see a line.

 

[HAL Pilot]

I've heard scuttlebutt (at Delta) that it could very well get bumped up to 67 or 67.5...just scuttlebutt at this point.

That rumor started the day after age 65 became law. It's wishful thinking from those that have no life.

 

[Treetop Flyer]

That rumor started the day after age 65 became law. It's wishful thinking from those that have no life.

HAL, in your experience how many stay all the way to 65 versus retiring earlier either by choice or for medical reasons?

 

[HAL Pilot]

At Hawaiian, about 60% to 65.

I wanted to retire at 62 but since my daughter now wants to go to dental school and won't be done until I'm 61, I'll unfortunately probably be one of them.

 

[mad dog]

The newest bid at Delta has an Atlanta MD88 Captain that was a January 2017 new hire...

Dang!

Gee whiz...I'm the assistant to the plug [17 of 18] of the FOs on the MD88 in Cincinnati...on reserve, of course...and I'm a March 2001 new hire. I must be doing something wrong...or maybe it's all the non-tabulated demerits and un-worked EMI [see signature] that transferred to Delta from AOCS.

 

[Treetop Flyer]

Dang!

Gee whiz...I'm the assistant to the plug [17 of 18] of the FOs on the MD88 in Cincinnati...on reserve, of course...and I'm a March 2001 new hire. I must be doing something wrong.

Move to Atlanta?