Selection Tuesday

[bluebarry]

Hi all,
Just wrapped up primary the other day and put in preferences this coming Tuesday. Been told I that I have the scores to put jets as my #1 preference. I'm currently vacillating between Maritime and Tailhook as my #1 for advanced. I'm looking for pros and cons from each (especially since jet guys are hard to come by in primary). Any help is appreciated.

 

[BigBadBoJenkins]

This is one of those moments that will determine the rest of your life. The pressure sucks, doesn't it? I will say that I went the tailhook route, and I haven't regretted it. You might end up living in a less than desirable place, but you will fly some pretty awesome aircraft.

 

[EODDave]

It's a tough choice. Same one I went through. Thought P3's would be a better lifestyle for the family. My wife said, "don't you dare make your choice thinking about what's right for the family and then come home miserable every night. I'd rather you be gone on a carrier doing what you love and when your home, your happy". Very unselfish of her. While the per diem would have been nice, I'm happy flying jets. I also think the difference in the bonus help to makes up for the loss in per diem.

When your old and gray, sitting in your rocking chair on your porch with your grandchildren, which one would you regret not doing?

 

[Swanee]

You won't regret the journey you're going to take no matter what the CO tells you on Tuesday. No matter what you fly you'll be living out the dreams of countless billions who could only look to the skies and wish to fly.


That being said, I loved strapping a single seat jet to my back and taking her to the skies. Knowing what I know now and how things would turn out I'd still make the same choice.

 

[croakerfish]

Don't listen to these guys. If you don't go rotary, you will live the rest of your life not knowing how much you should regret that decision.
Seriously though, I had over a dozen or so of my OCS/API/Primary group of buds go Tailhook and four of them ended up in Strike. The rest went E2/C2 or attrited and went Maritime anyway. So you might as well try for Tailhook if you're ok with that.

 

[wlawr005]

I faced the same problem during selection, then one person told me..."You only get one chance in your life to fly jets...you can always fly an airline when you're done if that's your desire."

Sold. No regrets.

And I'll throw this in the because a friend of mine asked me about these rumors a while back...

No...jets guys DO NOT have a harder time making it to the airlines. It may take a little more work to get your ATP though. Half of the instructors in Meridian are airline/reservist types.

You will not get nearly as many flight hours as a jet guy, but they will all be solo/PIC hours.

Travel, pay, and benefits are not as luxurious as your big wing brethren...there's trade offs for everything.

 

[Pap]

No...jets guys DO NOT have a harder time making it to the airlines....

I would say that TacAir pilots have it easier when it comes to airline hiring. The airlines care about PIC (Aircraft Commander) time. I know of numerous F-18 bubbas that have been hired with 1,500 hrs of total flight time, but with 1,300 of that being Multiengine Turbine PIC.

Your average P-3/E-2/C-130 bubba who has 1,500 hrs (<500 of which might be Multiengine PIC) is no where near being competative at a legacy airline. From what I have seen, they need around 2,500-3,000 hrs (of which 1,000-1,500 needs to be PIC) in order to be competitive, while a TacAir guy needs 1,500 (of which almost all is PIC).

 

[Uncle Fester]

Go CODs. Those guys have the best lifestyle in Naval Aviation, besides maybe the VRs. Fly around the Boat, day-only, and rarely do you have to sleep aboard. Live pretty nicely ashore, from what I've seen. Everyone's always happy to see you come aboard, too. It ain't glamorous, but then, glamour wears off about three weeks into cruise.

 

[BigBadBoJenkins]

Go CODs. Those guys have the best lifestyle in Naval Aviation, besides maybe the VRs. Fly around the Boat, day-only, and rarely do you have to sleep aboard. Live pretty nicely ashore, from what I've seen. Everyone's always happy to see you come aboard, too. It ain't glamorous, but then, glamour wears off about three weeks into cruise.

"Everybody wants to be a fighter pilot. Fighter pilots want to be COD pilots." - someone important

 

[smoke_screen]

I had jet scores too and went P-3 with no regrets at all, PM if you want details, but let me say that bar none you are entering the best 5 year period of your life, regardless, no doubt about it. It doesn't get better than being a squadron JO - period. So rest easy.