Leaving the Military

[Ian J]

Hey all... looking for opinions, comments, advice on my situation.

I'm considering leaving the Army this summer. To be more clear, I AM going to leave the Army either this summer or next... but I am seriously starting to think about doing it sooner rather than later.

I'm leaving the Army for many reasons that really aren't important here, but just so everyone knows, staying in is not on the table.

I want to continue being a pilot, despite the all the negatives (pay, QOL, uncertain future, etc.) associated with it.

So my first major decision: Well, it has everything to do with my wife. She has not been able to break into her career field (publishing/editing) since being with me because of the places we move. She'd really like to go to BOS or NYC due to the large amount of publishing houses in those cities. Naturally those are to very high cost of living areas, and restricting myself to one city to look for a flying job (and I know I could commute if I choose the airline route) wouldn't work very well. So either we agree we follow her dream and I do the best i can wherever we end up, or vice versa. I'm leaning towards her dreams because not being able to find a meaningful career has been killing her.

Next up, helicopters or airplanes. I'll list helo pros and cons since most around here are familiar with airplane pros and cons.

Helo Pros:
- Higher starting salary (45-50k)
- I have 4 times the helo hours I do airplanes, thus a quicker path to a job
Cons:
- Would have to start in the Gulf of Mexico, most likely in a pretty remote location - my wife and I wouldn't like that a bit- would have to do that for a year or two to build hours for a better job
- 7/7 or 14/14 schedules - whereas the 7 or 14 on would be away from home
- Salary tops out lower and slower than the airlines

And with airplanes, thanks to this site I'm pretty much up to speed on my options (I think)... and I'd essentially just have to flight instruct full time to gain experience

And lastly, getting out this summer or next. I'd like to get out this summer to finally get me and my wife into the next stage of our lives (sans Army), but if I stayed in that's just another 12 months of saving I could do to defray the large paycut I'll be taking.

And really, not looking for anyone to make a decision for me... I'm a big boy. It's a complicated issue my wife and I need to figure out. I know, and it sucks because of all the unknowns and variables out there. I'd just appreciate any opinions, suggestions or whatever from people who have been there, or people who are just outside the situation so I might be able to see viewpoints I might not have considered.

Thanks for the help!!

[surreal1221]

Follow your internal pressures man. Don't do it for other reasons.

[MFT1Air]

Short term sacrifice for long term gain. I spent 25 years in the Army trying for the warrant officer flight training. For a multitude of reasons, I wasn't successful, but it didn't preclude me from attaining my certificate.

Noteworthy for me are the compromises and sacrifices I made to wife and family to ensure "win-win" for my family. If your wife does her due diligence to find the appropriate location to maximize her career skills, together you both can achieve your career goals. Understanding, in my opinion, it's much easier to achieve yours in the aviation arena than hers in the avocation of her choice, there is still a win-win you're both capable of achieving. It shouldn't involve sacrifice but compromise.

Yes, there is life after the military. . .and life is good!

[RynoB]

Hey Chinook, I think that there is a fractional helicopter operator in the NYC area. I think they operate R44s. I don't know the name.

Best of luck to you.

[4jul1776]

CD,

Have you thought about doing a short tour with Blackwater? I know they arent operating the chinook, but those little bird pilots look like they are having a blast. They are offering contracts like crazy and paying A LOT for them. Unfortunately business is good over here and it is only getting better.

[UHBlackhawk]

Go to the following link: http://aptap.forumco.com/ (Army Pilot To Airline Pilot=APTAP). A bunch of us have made the same decision you are making. Some have gone the FW route, some the RW route. Some are airline pilots, some with fractionals, some with law enforcement, Blackwater, etc. I even know some dump truck drivers who made the change. Just be aware that it may be frowned upon if you try to take the plasma TV, the large cooler and the lawn chairs with you on trips.
Plenty of RW jobs in the tri-state area, and the salaries seem to be heading up. Personally, I would keep my options open. Get your FW ratings, and if you do not yet have your CFI/CFII-H, get those as well. There also are openings at times for dual rated pilots, and the pay is normally pretty good.
One advantage of the airline route is being able to commute to your job. It can be a pain, but you can live where you want (with in reason). I even know some pilots who commute to Chile and Germany. No thanks... 1.5 was long enough for me. Pluses and minuses to all of them.

[Ian J]

Hey thanks! I thought APTAP had shut down. Go figure. I Apprecaite the info.

And I appreciate the info from all you guys who responded. Much appreciated!

[ready2fly]

Best of luck Chinook! And not to sound cliche', but...THANK YOU for your service!!!

Keep us posted, bro!

Stan

[AP2B]

I've talked to a lot of ex military rotory wing pilots now flying for netjets or flight options. That was a few years ago. Maybe someone else could shed some light on that.

[juskl]

If you are thinking about the Law Enforcement Helo thing. Give Arizona DPS (highway patrol) a call and see if they are still in need of helo pilots. They hire helo pilots first and send them to the Police Academy. Then you fly.... No street time from last I heard. They do alot of medevac along with their other duties..... Don't have their number but you should be able to get it off the web. Also I think Baltimore County Maryland hires mostly pilots first whom they send to the academy to get them certified. They like military guys from what I was told.... Look up www.ALEA.org for more info.... Good luck.

[SibePilot311]

Chinook, go where your wife can have a career. Get her established and you can do any number of things. Eventually it seems like if you fly you are gone a fair amount anyway. Also, the lousy pay at least seems to follow the local area cost of living (call it "relatively lousy")....

[skydriverdc6]

Try AgRotors, they operate fire fighting equip all over the US

[Ian J]

Thanks for the input guys... here's an update on my situation and decisions made to date:

I've decided to go the fixed-wing route and I've decided I want to fly freight. Talking it over with Kris (my wife), she doesn't have a clue where she really wants to go and is willing to do whatever it takes for wherever we move.

It would be great to continue with helos, but I like the fixed-wing community better, and there seems to be more options available. Plus, spending a year or two in the gulf building up to 2000-2500 helo hours isn't really something I want to do.

I've applied to AirNet because I really like how the company culture sounds. Everyone there seems to love it. Plus, it's the kind of flying I love to do. The pay is good enough, and the 4/3 schedule is awesome. I don't have any aspirations to go to the majors (yet) so if the company is solid, I'd like to work my way up in the company for a few years. I really don't feel like doing a bunch of job-hopping. We'll see, though.