USN DH bonus

[Farva01]

http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/reference/messages/Documents/NAVADMINS/NAV2017/NAV17162.txt

Bonus message is out. Two interesting points:
1. 30k a year for VFA/VAQ pilots. Not at Air Force levels yet, but moving that direction.
2. Patch wearers (WTI and test) get an extra 2k a year. Nice attempt, but not enough to move the needle.

 

[MIDNJAC]

2. Patch wearers (WTI and test) get an extra 2k a year. Nice attempt, but not enough to move the needle.

Well said (Sir, congrats BTW). At least they have acknowledged a specific retention problem I guess.......

 

[xj220]

Interesting that they've bumped up the bonus slightly for patch wearers. I still am not taking the bonus (this message isn't applicable to me anyways).

 

[azguy]

Damn! $150k is a sweet bonus! It would be very interesting to see hard numbers in a year, that increasing the bonus by xx% led to increased retention of xx%... On the SWO side, the bonus tends to be a pretty minor consideration in the decision for most.

 

[sevenhelmet]

Interesting. That said, I don't see this moving the needle either. What surprises me is the mini-bump for WTI/SFTI and Test guys.

 

[Recovering LSO]

Damn! $150k is a sweet bonus!...

If you figure out what that 150k really looks like, in time and post-tax money it's not that sweet - not when guys have options. While the airlines are the major draw right now (for good reason), there's also A LOT of dudes leaving for law school, business school, even a few starting over in med school. I'll continue to believe that the bonus, at least at this rate, is not much more than free money for folks who knew they were sticking around anyway. There just aren't that many people who see this as THE reason to stay. Maybe if their finances are a mess and they need to pay down/off big-debt quickly, maybe. If it were to get bumped up in the neighborhood of 250k, that might be something that folks started looking at a bit differently - maybe.

 

[sevenhelmet]

I'll continue to believe that the bonus, at least at this rate, is not much more than free money for folks who knew they were sticking around anyway. There just aren't that many people who see this as THE reason to stay.

Agreed, with one caveat: It's not FREE money- it has a lot of taxes taken out. But it is money I wouldn't have otherwise have during my shore and DH tour.

 

[IKE]

It has a lot of taxes withheld at the time of disbursement (25%), but you should get a good bit refunded when you file. I own a home, and my effective tax rate was ~8% last year (including bonus, not including BAH).

That $2k bump for us nerds is 2 years too late for me.

 

[UInavy]

From 2006, but still a good statistical primer on the effects of both airline hiring rates and ACCP changes on retention rates: https://www.cna.org/CNA_files/PDF/d0014925.a2.pdf

Highlights:
"Furthermore, a $1,000-per-year increase in ACCP is associated with an increase in the retention rate of 0.6 percentage point."
and
"Specifically, a 1,000-person increase in total additional hires by major airlines would reduce jet and propeller pilot retention by 2 to 3 percentage points. "

 

[Treetop Flyer]

ACIP hasn't been updated since FY99 according to that. The inflation calculator I found on the internet says my $650 ACIP should be $954 if it kept up with inflation.

 

[HAL Pilot]

I need to work an average of 15.5 days a month instead of 15 to make an additional amount equal that bonus including the WTI bump at regular time. 2 1/2 to 3 premium time flights in a year would give me that amount extra too.

So obviously I once again say

 

[UInavy]

I need to work an average of 15.5 days a month instead of 15 to make an additional amount equal that bonus including the WTI bump at regular time. 2 1/2 to 3 premium time flights in a year would give me that amount extra too.

So obviously I once again say

Help me out with that math: An extra six days a year gets you 32K? You're making 5K per day, 75K per month (at the 15 days/month quoted) and 900K per year?

 

[sevenhelmet]

For $900K per year, I'd tear up my DH contract and fly airliners. I somehow doubt that the money is THAT good.

 

[xj220]

$900k a year? I highly doubt that but if that was the case I'd take a shit on my COs desk tomorrow and go straight to the airlines.

 

[Treetop Flyer]

Help me out with that math: An extra six days a year gets you 32K? You're making 5K per day, 75K per month (at the 15 days/month quoted) and 900K per year?

Pretty sure he's talking about the bonus for one year, 30k. Picking up a few extra trips or six as a captain is definitely believable for a fairly senior widebody captain.