Which branch/airframe flies the most?

[Gliderpilot321]

I was wondering what branch of the military flies the most, that is hours per year? Would bumming in the air national guard get you more flight time in a year than active duty if you played your cards right? Also what airframe flies the most hours per year (i.e. Helicopters, fighters, cargo, bombers, etc.)? I am just trying to gauge the lifestyles of the pilots flying in each branch and airframe in regards to how much they actually fly an aircraft rather a desk.

 

[Rugby_Guy]

If all you want to do is fly, you’re best bet is to stay civilian and work towards regionals. Next would probably be Army Warrant Officers who fly.

 

[RadicalDude]

I was wondering what branch of the military flies the most, that is hours per year? Would bumming in the air national guard get you more flight time in a year than active duty if you played your cards right? Also what airframe flies the most hours per year (i.e. Helicopters, fighters, cargo, bombers, etc.)? I am just trying to gauge the lifestyles of the pilots flying in each branch and airframe in regards to how much they actually fly an aircraft rather a desk.

Pure flying, I’d wager Air Force or ANG.

If you want to fly as much (PIC) as humanly possible in the Navy, you need to go tacair, get lucky on timing and airwing selection/deployment schedule, then do an FRS instructor tour, then finagle FTS orders. We have guys showing up to the FRS as instructors with anywhere from 650-1000 hrs, so it’s a total crapshoot. I’d imagine the VFC dudes fly quite a bit, as well, but they are not healthy on airplanes either.

We have a bunch of AF dudes on board... it sure seems like they fly more than we do, just in general.

 

[Flash]

I was wondering what branch of the military flies the most, that is hours per year?

Short answer, it depends. Long answer, it depends on a lot of factors; airframe, timing, budget and even where you are stationed.

Pure flying, I’d wager Air Force or ANG.

For some platforms maybe but for some, not so much. I got as many hours in my first tour as USAF guys in their equivalent platform took ~8-12 years to get, not even counting the difference between Navy vs USAF hours. In my Prowler squadron it took the USAF folks about 4-5 year squadron tours to get as many hours as they did in a 2.5 year tour in Prowlers. Other platforms, different stories.

 

[RadicalDude]

Short answer, it depends. Long answer, it depends on a lot of factors; airframe, timing, budget and even where you are stationed.



For some platforms maybe but for some, not so much. I got as many hours in my first tour as USAF guys in their equivalent platform took ~8-12 years to get, not even counting the difference between Navy vs USAF hours. In my Prowler squadron it took the USAF folks about 4-5 year squadron tours to get as many hours as they did in a 2.5 year tour in Prowlers. Other platforms, different stories.

Good info. I’m sure it’s super platform dependent.

 

[Swanee]

I was wondering what branch of the military flies the most, that is hours per year? Would bumming in the air national guard get you more flight time in a year than active duty if you played your cards right? Also what airframe flies the most hours per year (i.e. Helicopters, fighters, cargo, bombers, etc.)? I am just trying to gauge the lifestyles of the pilots flying in each branch and airframe in regards to how much they actually fly an aircraft rather a desk.

My brother is a USAF E-3 AWACS pilot who flies his ass off and is regularly nabbing 400 hours a year, all over the world, and loves it. If you want flight hours that's the place to go.

 

[robav8r]

My brother is a USAF E-3 AWACS pilot who flies his ass off and is regularly nabbing 400 hours a year, all over the world, and loves it. If you want flight hours that's the place to go.

That, and the fact that the AF doesn't have enough airframes for all the missions they're being asked to perform. Busy times for them . . .

 

[sevenhelmet]

I had to roll my eyes a little at this thread title. No amount of gouge will be reliable, simply because so much of what airframe and duty station you select is beyond your control.

My brother is a USAF E-3 AWACS pilot who flies his ass off and is regularly nabbing 400 hours a year, all over the world, and loves it. If you want flight hours that's the place to go.

Short of having an airline job, that's the best I've heard of in a while. I would imagine USAF tanker guys get a lot of hours too.

 

[Fins Out]

I hear Air Force RPA assignments get a lot of time in the seat. Tongue in cheek aside, you need to figure out what type of flying you want to do. Tacair (outside of combat ops) won't fly nearly as much as someone assigned to flying a C-17 or a big wing tanker. As mentioned above, needs of the service pretty much trumps everything. But there's very rarely a wrong answer in what you end up flying in the military if you have a good attitude and grow where you're planted.

 

[Swanee]

That, and the fact that the AF doesn't have enough airframes for all the missions they're being asked to perform. Busy times for them . . .

This is very true. He's really busy, but he loves it. It helps that they don't stay in shitty places when they're on the road or deployed, and they're considered low density/high demand so they get $$ for pretty much anything they need and/or want.

 

[MIDNJAC]

I had to roll my eyes a little at this thread title. No amount of gouge will be reliable, simply because so much of what airframe and duty station you select is beyond your control.

Very true, and not only that, but timing within one community matters too. What is normal for guys in my peer group is low compared to the CO/XO and senior crowd, and high compared to the guys just coming off their JO tours right now. That being said, you still get to go on deployment(s) and do cool stuff. My job satisfaction has never been derived from my logbook hours monthly total, though I think the current crop of shore tour JO's will need to work a little harder than you used to, in order to make 121 mins, if that is your thing.

 

[Hair Warrior]

Probably MQ-9 pilots in USAF

 

[Treetop Flyer]

Probably MQ-9 pilots in USAF

He said “most” not “not at all”

 

[HuggyU2]

"Who flies the most?"
You mentioned hours... is that how you want to quantify it?
Or do you want to quantify it by number of sorties flown each year?

 

[RedFive]

I had to roll my eyes a little at this thread title. No amount of gouge will be reliable, simply because so much of what airframe and duty station you select is beyond your control.

While I agree with you to a point, I would argue that flight time is a function of your fuel tank capacity. You want to fly a lot? Find the airplane with the biggest gas tank. Want to fly even more? Find one that does aerial refueling too! Of course the further you go down that side of the graph the more boring the flying becomes and the more netflix you're watching...