• Please take a moment and update your account profile. If you have an updated account profile with basic information on why you are on Air Warriors it will help other people respond to your posts. How do you update your profile you ask?

    Go here:

    Edit Account Details and Profile

Naval Aviator vs Airline route

Hokie2021

Well-Known Member
Long story short, I’m a month or so away from shipping to OCS with an SNA contract. Due to the 13 + month wait time for NIFE, and the subsequent 6-8 months on the other end before primary, I’m starting to get cold feet about an “8” year contract that is more like 13 years. Obviously with the pilot shortage, the airline route seems like a sweet gig right now, but the problem is I have 0 flight hours and am kind of scared of going 100k in debt. Any and all inputs or advice is greatly appreciated, thanks!
 

FormerRecruitingGuru

Making Recruiting Great Again
Long story short, I’m a month or so away from shipping to OCS with an SNA contract. Due to the 13 + month wait time for NIFE, and the subsequent 6-8 months on the other end before primary, I’m starting to get cold feet about an “8” year contract that is more like 13 years. Obviously with the pilot shortage, the airline route seems like a sweet gig right now, but the problem is I have 0 flight hours and am kind of scared of going 100k in debt. Any and all inputs or advice is greatly appreciated, thanks!

Think you kinda answered your own question there…
 

Hokie2021

Well-Known Member
Well the catch is, I’ve always wanted to be an airline pilot first and foremost, the Navy was just the route that I choose to achieve that. 13 years is a long time to not be fully committed to being an officer first, and a pilot second if the airlines is the end goal. I don’t want to get stuck for a decade and a half, wishing I had gone the civilian route, but I’m sure I could end up loving the Navy and never looking back.
 

Griz882

Frightening children with the Griz-O-Copter!
pilot
Contributor
Well the catch is, I’ve always wanted to be an airline pilot first and foremost, the Navy was just the route that I choose to achieve that. 13 years is a long time to not be fully committed to being an officer first, and a pilot second if the airlines is the end goal. I don’t want to get stuck for a decade and a half, wishing I had gone the civilian route, but I’m sure I could end up loving the Navy and never looking back.
Borrow the training cash as an education loan and go play airline pilot. You’ll make enough to pay that loan back in three or four months!

Kidding aside, you seem kind of cold on the Navy route and what if…gasp…you get helicopters?
 

umijs

Member
Have you thought about flying for the Army National Guard? I hear its common for national guard guys to fly part time for the army and part time for the airlines. Plus you can be a warrant officer and not have to worry about Officer duties.
 

jointhelocalizer

Well-Known Member
pilot
Long story short, I’m a month or so away from shipping to OCS with an SNA contract. Due to the 13 + month wait time for NIFE, and the subsequent 6-8 months on the other end before primary, I’m starting to get cold feet about an “8” year contract that is more like 13 years. Obviously with the pilot shortage, the airline route seems like a sweet gig right now, but the problem is I have 0 flight hours and am kind of scared of going 100k in debt. Any and all inputs or advice is greatly appreciated, thanks!
I'm a bit like you. I always wanted to be an airline pilot too. I just went to USNA instead of OCS. Here are some thinking points:

1. You have a finite time to fly for the military. You have until 65 (at least right now) to fly for the airlines. You only have until your early thirties to fly for the Navy.
2. The military is a stable career from an economic standpoint. National defense is always needed. A lot of people cut travel out of their lives when the economy takes a downturn.
3. You are paid from Day 1 for training and all of your training is funded. All of your training is turbine as well in the military. On the civilian side, you have to fund your training until you get your commercial/CFI.
4. You get to serve your country doing real-world missions that make an impact on the world. Pretty cool to do as a young adult.
5. You can peace out after your commitment, hit the Reserves, and have dual income with two flying jobs.

I haven't given up the airline dream yet, but I am really enjoying military aviation. The missions, the places, the aircraft, and most importantly, the people/camaraderie make this one of the coolest jobs in the world.
 

ChuckMK23

FERS and TSP contributor!
pilot
Long story short, I’m a month or so away from shipping to OCS with an SNA contract. Due to the 13 + month wait time for NIFE, and the subsequent 6-8 months on the other end before primary, I’m starting to get cold feet about an “8” year contract that is more like 13 years. Obviously with the pilot shortage, the airline route seems like a sweet gig right now, but the problem is I have 0 flight hours and am kind of scared of going 100k in debt. Any and all inputs or advice is greatly appreciated, thanks!
You are on the right path. Stop second guessing. There is no better or more satisfying path than the one you are on.

Jumping on the bandwagon to 1500 hours via Part 61 or 141 self funded flight training is for the souls who honestly will have fewer options and a less satisfying life.

Alternatively, you could get your Private self funded and join any Air Guard flying unit and be assured of being sent to UPT after OTS.

You are on a golden path.
 

zippy

Freedom!
pilot
Contributor
Long story short, I’m a month or so away from shipping to OCS with an SNA contract. Due to the 13 + month wait time for NIFE, and the subsequent 6-8 months on the other end before primary, I’m starting to get cold feet about an “8” year contract that is more like 13 years. Obviously with the pilot shortage, the airline route seems like a sweet gig right now, but the problem is I have 0 flight hours and am kind of scared of going 100k in debt. Any and all inputs or advice is greatly appreciated, thanks!
Its more like 10-11, not 13. Starting at 0 hours now it’ll probably take you a good 6-8 years to get to a major airline going the pure civilian route with a bunch of debt and low pay checks along the way.

The airlines will be there when your time is up. You’ll still be young enough that you can retire as a widebody Captain from most of them.

My advice might be different if you had your ratings and a bunch of hours, but you don‘t. You’ve got an opportunity get them and to gain great experiences along the way while someone else foots the bill and pays you a fair sum of money. The best news is that these days there’s ample pathways to the airlines from every platform in the Navy so you can really fly what interests you and shoot for the orders you want knowing you can still get to the airlines from wherever you end up.

Take opportunity that you’ve been given.

- The guy who wanted zero to do with the airlines and is now at a legacy.
 

Mirage

Well-Known Member
pilot
You are on the right path. Stop second guessing. There is no better or more satisfying path than the one you are on.

Jumping on the bandwagon to 1500 hours via Part 61 or 141 self funded flight training is for the souls who honestly will have fewer options and a less satisfying life.

Alternatively, you could get your Private self funded and join any Air Guard flying unit and be assured of being sent to UPT after OTS.

You are on a golden path.
If you want to be an airline pilot, start your training and you'll be there long before your 8 year commitment even begins. You'll have a much longer airline career and have far better seniority (and better quality of life and money associated with that). If you're using the military as a way to get to the airlines, that's stupid. Don't join the military unless you'll be happy flying helos, doing staff work, getting minimal flight hours each month for most of your commitment, and being subjected to all sorts of stuff you'll likely resent. Flying is a small portion of what you'll spend your time doing overall, and it doesn't sound like you're committed to that.
 

MGoBrew11

Well-Known Member
pilot
If you want to be an airline pilot, start your training and you'll be there long before your 8 year commitment even begins. You'll have a much longer airline career and have far better seniority (and better quality of life and money associated with that). If you're using the military as a way to get to the airlines, that's stupid. Don't join the military unless you'll be happy flying helos, doing staff work, getting minimal flight hours each month for most of your commitment, and being subjected to all sorts of stuff you'll likely resent. Flying is a small portion of what you'll spend your time doing overall, and it doesn't sound like you're committed to that.
He will get to an airline before his 8 year commitment begins starting right now with 0 hours? I don’t buy it.
 

Griz882

Frightening children with the Griz-O-Copter!
pilot
Contributor
He will get to an airline before his 8 year commitment begins starting right now with 0 hours? I don’t buy it.
I think there are certain schools and associated jobs that allow you to do that. There is a young man from Richmond who has a social media run about his venture from 0 hours to LSAs, PPL, CPL, Multi/Inst, and then a job flying Caravans in Hawaii and on to a regional and is now flying for the SHOW with American. His timeline has been about six years from zero to hero.

Now, to be sure, his parents helped him along his journey with a lot of cash.
 

MGoBrew11

Well-Known Member
pilot
I think there are certain schools and associated jobs that allow you to do that. There is a young man from Richmond who has a social media run about his venture from 0 hours to LSAs, PPL, CPL, Multi/Inst, and then a job flying Caravans in Hawaii and on to a regional and is now flying for the SHOW with American. His timeline has been about six years from zero to hero.

Now, to be sure, his parents helped him along his journey with a lot of cash.
I guarantee if the OP joins the Navy and he wings, his commitment will start before year 6.

...not that there isn’t a trade off to consider. Just don’t think we’re doing the OP any favors by exaggerating how long the grind could take starting from 0 on the civilian side.
 
Top