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Marine Helo pilot to commercial pilot?

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EA-6B1

EA-6B1

PLC Jrs 1st Inc. Kilo-3
Question for you Helo pilots out there. Are any of you guys interested in going into the Commercial airliner industry? I've heard of Helo pilots taking pilot jobs right out of the military. I think it might have been Frumby (?) that posted how Marine Helo pilots usually take their last 2 years of their service and begin flying bigger aircraft in the fleet similar to those in today's airline industry, so they can be ready to take pilot jobs. Anyone thinking of doing this, or have done this? That's my ultimate goal (as if be a Marine Officer and pilot isn't enough). I want to be a commercial pilot. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks. Semper Fi

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.
-Col.3:23-
 
I've wanted to be in the Marines for as long as I can remember. I have a long line of family that has served, so I know what committment is.

I posted the question about helo pilots, not because rotary wings have the shortest time committment, because I wanted to know if you could still even get a job having been a helo pilot. Trust me, I'll fly whatever the Corps wants me to. I was just curious because the answer is quite obvious for fixed-wing aviators.
Thanks. Semper Fi

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.
-Col.3:23-
 
i was just joshin with you. i will fly whatever they want me to as well. i dont know if you can convert from helos to fixed wing when you are in the Corps for sometime. i know that every now and then they send someone from helos to jets of fixed wing just to see how the transition is for records purposes. i read this in a book called BOGEYS and BANDITS or Air warriors. one of them. i am sure that a lot of people in the Marines would like to transition and it might take a lot of requests and you probably have to have an impecable record of flying and being an officer.
 
http://www.aptap.org/main.html

interesting web site that shows how army helo pilots became airline pilots..doesnt seem to difficult (if the industry actually starts hiring) of course you will not be hired by a major when u get out but within a few years you may find yourself at least an FO at a major..I had the same thoughts as you did..But then I thought about it more, who cares if i ever become a commercial airline pilot, i just want the chance to be a Marine..but at the same time its nice to know you will have options if you decide to get out

I'd Rather Be A Lion For One Day, Than Be A Sheep For A Thousand Years

It Is Our Duty To Protect The Best Nation In The World
 
Farkle84, you get my PM?

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.
-Col.3:23-
 
Just letting you know that Frumby is/was an attack pilot (jets). But I think anything is possibly with enough determination and time.

Eliminate distractions, focus on your goals and visualize what you hope to accomplish.
 
Yes, you can make the jump from helos to the airlines - I am flying a Dornier 328 Regional Jet for Delta Connection now. The pay sux and the job is mind numbing in its boredom - despite this being a glass cockpit jet that climbs at well over 5000 ft per minute fully loaded with passengers.
Here are your steps: when you get winged, MAKE SURE that you get your FAA licenses by taking the test that is offered after every winging class (Don't worry, nobody has failed it in 17 years) Helo bubbas will get rotary wing commercial, rotary wing instrument, airplane instrument, and single engine land airplane commercial (if you go to Vance you will get a multi-engine land airplane with a centerline thrust restriction).
After your initial fleet tour, try for a billet flying C-12's (King Air's) at station - or if you are a 46 Bubba then you can also get Search and Rescue (SAR) at Beaufort or Iwakuni and fly both the Phrog and C-12. (note: by the time y'all get there, the C-12's might be phased out and you could be flying Gulfstreams). If you can not get that, go to flight school and become an instructor. First choice is any Air Force unit so you can fly the T-37 (multi-engine jet), second choice is Corpus or PCola to fly the T-34C (single-engine turboprop) and third choice is the TH-57 (lots of hours but many companies do not count helo time at all, i.e., Southwest, Fedex, American Eagle, Mesa, etc.) There are a few transitions to the fixed wing community (one of my buds got the C-130 transition, another got the C-9 transition and I also know a few who got Harrier conversions) but all of these are few and far between - do not count on getting on of them - you will have about the same chance as winning the lottery.
Finally, the airline job market is horrible now and for the forseeable future. Mainline jobs are drying up and everything unfortunately is going to the regionals where pay tops out in the low $100's. Who knows when - and if - the majors will start to hire again.
Almost forgot: the 2 best spots to find more info are www.aptap.org and www.flightinfo.com
Good Luck.
 
Thanks 46Driver. Awesome information for me. I'll keep researching the aircraft that you've listed above. Semeper Fi.
-P.S.- You said pay tops out at the low 100's (meaning thousands?). If so, I wouldn't mind making that. What's life like as a regional pilot? Flight Hours? Time away from home? Etc.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.
-Col.3:23-
 
Being a regional pilot isn't too bad. Travel benefits are pretty good (I flew to both Australia and Europe first class in the last 6 months for almost free). Lots of time away from home - unless you are on military orders as a reservist (it REALLY pays to be in a unit in the town you live in!) Pay? Best way to describe is whatever your hourly rate is (say $34 per hour) multiplied by 85 hours a month multiplied by 12 months a year. Thus hourly rate x 1000 = yearly salary. Lots of time away from home - especially if you commute to your airline hub (which I do)
Lots of Marines transfer around the 10year mark due to quality of life. Coast Guard has some sweet duty stations (you will understand that better after being stationed at LeJeune...) and the Air Force offers $25k bonus per year. Also, there are some real fun jobs on the outside: #1 seems to be Customs flying both H-60's and Gulfstreams (wish I had taken that job myself...)
Anyway, the Corps is what you make of it - and I had a great time while I was in. Have fun at OCS and study hard in PCola (and if you have never flown before, GO GET SOME FLIGHT TIME!)
Speaking of that: to all of the Marine SNA's, try getting TAD orders to a Marine Reserve unit - either between TBS and Flight School and/or between Primary and Advanced. The reserves (where everyone is a Major or LtCol) love having 2nd Lt's around and you can get some stick time in Cobra's, Sh!tter's, Phrog's, etc.
 
Lots of Marines transfer around the 10year mark due to quality of life.
Click to expand...
What do you mean by this statement?

How do you figure out where you are going to live as a civilian aviator. Like you said that you commute to your hub. Are you assigned to a certain hub? Do you have a flight schedule that is consistent and close to the same every time, or it completely different every time you take off.

Just want to know the answers to these, so I might know what it's like. Thanks so much. Semper Fi.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.
-Col.3:23-
 
You are assigned to a certain hub. However, you may change to a different hub after a given time (usually when you switch aircraft) or a hub may close and you will be displaced. For example, my company started with 1 hub (Washington DC) and then opened a 2nd in Chicago (both fly the Canadair Regional Jet for United Express). We then in quick succession got a contract with Delta opening a hub in New York, then Boston, then Cincinatti - and then just closed the New York hub. These bases fly the Dornier Regional Jet. If you switch jets (due to location, upgrade availability from F.O. to Captain, or want to make more money (the CRJ pays about $10 more per hour) you end up switching bases. Thus with all of this moving around, it makes more sense to live at your military reserve base because you will probably make a substantial portion of your income there - and you will likely stay in that unit until you retire.
Your airline schedule changes monthly. You bid for a certain schedule (say for 2,3,or 4 day long trips) and repeat this for the entire month. Next month you have to rebid for a schedule. Since the selection is based on seniority - and the routes flown by the airline change monthly, there is no guarantee you will get the same monthly schedule.
The 10 year mark is the point where most are making the decision: stay in the Corps or do something else. Some do the airlines (and join a hometown reserve unit regardless of service), some go Customs or FBI, some do an interservice transfer, some go to graduate school. The reasons are varied, but most often its for a change of scenery or to get setup for your career. If your goal is to fly for a major airline, then you need fixed wing time which means a transfer to the Air Force or getting out and going to the regional airlines. The FBI and Customs have a mandated requirement that you have to be hired before you turn 37 years old and since they are not always hiring, one has to get in while they can. Finally, if you are going to grad school, you need to get in, get your master degree, and then get started with a company while you are in your 30's. So basically, you start making decisions when you are in you early to mid 30's (around the 10 year mark in the Corps.)
Even though you eventually move on, if you did 2 years or 20, its still "Once a Marine, Always a Marine" Semper Fi.
 
Helo pilots have a tough road to hoe going to the airlines. It takes a long time, with no guarantees of going to the majors anytime soon. There are some reservists attached to my unit who are building time in RJs, and they often make more money in the reserves.

Although the blue-collar flying we do is great, earning potential on the outside in limited. Airlines require FW time. USMC F/W jobs for helo bubbas are typically not career enhancing (SAR, C9, etc), so if you don't get out, you're up a creek. Customs pays very well. Coast Guard requires a pay cut to LTJG--not bad, except that one's almost a major by the time one's eligible. EMS tops at about $60K--better money in the Corps. Petroleum--pay REALLY sucks.

All that said, wouldn't trade it for anything. 100 KIAS at 50' is better than 500 KIAS at 30,000' anyday!

Phrogs phorever
 
Forgot to mention, there are a few corporate positions out there that require dual rated pilots. One of my buds is pulling in $100k a year for IBM flying both S-76's helos and Gulfstream jets.

PhrogDriver is absolutely correct - I make twice as much flying reserves as I do with the airlines (that should probably start to balance out once I upgrade to RJ captain in 2 years). PhrogDriver, how do you like the new South Field syllabus?
 
Thanks 46Driver and phrogdriver. 46Driver, what did you do as far as joining the corps and then being discharged? I mean, did you go to college then the get commissioned and fly helos in the corps, got out of the corps and got on with a regional airline while you were still in the reserves? If you stay in the reserves, is pay for an 0-4 or whatever your rank maybe good? Thanks.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.
-Col.3:23-
 
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