Well, at least there is one...
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Are There Any "Good Gigs" Left?
- Thread starter LPO Beck
- Start date
Well, at least there is one...
While this is absolutely true, the spirit of this thread is spot-on. I started a thread many years ago, asking for what jobs people had had, and what they thought of them. I was shocked at how little interest there was. I am continually amazed at the lack of transparency from BUPERS--I'm sure many aviators are, and yet, when we have such a great tool like these boards, we don't use them to build any kind of SA on what's out there, both on and off the beaten path. I'm just as interested in knowing about the good deals as I'm interested in knowing about those jobs/commands to stay away from.
LPO Beck
GONNA MAKE CHIEF
It seems like the "outside the box" good gigs come later in one's career. It's obviously very cut and dry selecting out of Primary/Advanced. It looks like tail hook platforms open up more doors later down the road perhaps. I've changed my mind a lot, but I keep coming back to the P-8. My reasons, while few, are per diem, new aiframe, duty stations, career beyond Navy (I'll admit it), and no boat. I feel I would enjoy the carrier experience, but at the same time I could easily get over it while having a nice shower, dinner, beer, computer, ESPN, bed, etc. Beyond that I realize I'm very naive. I'm unaware of things like deployment cycle, deployment locations, career advancement, and likely tours beyond the flying ones. I only see the cool stuff, but want to gain a better understanding of the big picture.
I've also read how good Reserve jobs can be, and have been interested in knowing more for some time. Even see a few hints in this thread... but I'd have to settle in for a good amount of research before I fire away on questions.
I've also read how good Reserve jobs can be, and have been interested in knowing more for some time. Even see a few hints in this thread... but I'd have to settle in for a good amount of research before I fire away on questions.
From what I've read here on the forum, as well as working with VP guys, it doesn't seem like your reasoning is that far off. Maybe a little more sand in your bed than there used to be, at least for a while longer, but I've never heard people talk bad about the quality of life. Now the community... That's a different story. It's also not unreasonable to be planning ahead, and the P-8 will definitely help with that.
Personally, I joined the Navy to go to sea, so I looked elsewhere like Tailhook and Rotary. To me, it seems like the most upwardly mobile career track is Tailhook. Lots of good deals throughout your career with the potential to stay in the cockpit easier than the other communities (if that's your thing). However, you will be at sea. A lot.
Even going to the Reserves, should you choose that, it seems like coming from or going to Tailhook has almost as many options as the VR guys (many of whom were TacAir guys).
That said, keep the Reserves in the back of your head, but don't pick something based on the potential later. You won't know how you'll feel in 10 years about the Navy, let alone whether you'd want to consider the Reserves. But there are certainly a lot of good deals there.
Personally, I joined the Navy to go to sea, so I looked elsewhere like Tailhook and Rotary. To me, it seems like the most upwardly mobile career track is Tailhook. Lots of good deals throughout your career with the potential to stay in the cockpit easier than the other communities (if that's your thing). However, you will be at sea. A lot.
Even going to the Reserves, should you choose that, it seems like coming from or going to Tailhook has almost as many options as the VR guys (many of whom were TacAir guys).
That said, keep the Reserves in the back of your head, but don't pick something based on the potential later. You won't know how you'll feel in 10 years about the Navy, let alone whether you'd want to consider the Reserves. But there are certainly a lot of good deals there.
I am now a 'traditional' reservist who normally does it part-time but just got off a really good deal I did for the past year and could have done longer if I wanted to. But those kinds of jobs are a bit hit and miss in the reserves and often very competitive. That is the present though, the reserves have changed drastically since 9/11 and will change again as the war in Afghanistan winds down coupled with the budget cuts. Ten years from now who the hell knows what the reserves will look like?
LPO Beck
GONNA MAKE CHIEF
I was doing a good bit of reading earlier today about FTS vs. SELRES. @Gatordev knows a lot about it. It seems like with the "threat" of the IA tours attached to FTS duty, it would be a better overall gig to do some flying as a SELRES and have another job (airline?) to keep you going. I was getting pretty deep into the threads. Then realized I've been an Ensign for 6 months and, while interesting, this information is useless to me.
Sometimes I think I should just do my 20 then buy a C182 on skis and camp the rest of my life.
Sometimes I think I should just do my 20 then buy a C182 on skis and camp the rest of my life.
FTS IAs (for officers) aren't anywhere near what they used to be. Most of the IA/GSAs have been sucked up by the SELRES, so the shoe is on the other hand. That said, my intel says that even those are starting to go away as we pull out of AFG. As Flash was saying, the Reserves will still be busy over the next few years, as the AC has come to rely on them, but things are changing as we wind down from war.
Like you said, though, this is pretty far out for you. You've got plenty of time to enjoy the highs of Naval Aviation, as well as get burned out on the lows. I'm sure we'll still be here to answer questions at that point, I just plan to be receiving a check every month for doing absolutely nothing.
Like you said, though, this is pretty far out for you. You've got plenty of time to enjoy the highs of Naval Aviation, as well as get burned out on the lows. I'm sure we'll still be here to answer questions at that point, I just plan to be receiving a check every month for doing absolutely nothing.
^^^ This.Sometimes I think I should just do my 20 then buy a C182 on skis and camp the rest of my life.
I guess if you sacrifice the 182 for the cubYou mean to tell me $47,000 can't buy me this?
[pic]
I'd be pretty surprised if they took COD guys and made them E-2 pilots later in their careers. Seems like that would be too many years of not being in any way integrated into an airwing, and of course the fact that they have never crossed the ramp at night before. No offense to my COD friends, and you guys have enough bennies in your lives that you probably don't care anyway, but I'd bet that would be a really steep learning curve that would not make anyone happy....especially the COD guys
Screw you! My 155 night traps would disagree... Ok, those were pre-COD traps. But the community still has folks who have flown night traps in a C-2 and several COD instructors at the FRS have dual qual'ed day/night in the E-2. Not an impossible feat that can't be learned after a few years in the COD world.
