USCG Experimental Test Pilot?

[bmather9]

I'm currently an Army H-60 pilot with the National Guard, and work on the civilian side as an Experimental Flight Test Engineer for a biz jet manufacturer. My long-term goal is to be an experimental test pilot, but from my current position in the National Guard, I don't see a way to get there. I don't believe the National Guard sends people to test pilot school.

Additionally, 12 month deployments with the Army don't go so easily with a family, so I'm interested in the DCA program to continue my aviation career. Is there any path in USCG aviation that could lead me to test pilot school or otherwise becoming an experimental test pilot?

 

[xj220]

I believe USNTPS has taken USCG pilots but I think it's on a very rare basis. Your best bet would be to go active duty Army and apply via that way (you would go to USNTPS) or go Navy helos and apply that way. I'm not saying it's impossible, but it's a long pathway to get there. Luckily, with your experience it should help out a lot.

 

[Pags]

Convince your employer to send you to NTPS?
http://www.ntps.edu/

 

[bmather9]

I believe USNTPS has taken USCG pilots but I think it's on a very rare basis. Your best bet would be to go active duty Army and apply via that way (you would go to USNTPS) or go Navy helos and apply that way. I'm not saying it's impossible, but it's a long pathway to get there. Luckily, with your experience it should help out a lot.

I realize that going Active Army may be my best bet, but it's not likely to work out for my family (12 month deployments etc.). I'm also looking into going Navy, but that seems less likely than getting into the DCA program.

I saw that there were 1 or 2 USCG aviators who went to USNTPS years ago, but never found anything more recent. Is there any more recent intel on this?

I've worked flight test in the USAF, and most of the pilots I work with now are TPS graduates, so I have a really good idea about the difficulty and pathway to get there; I also think my experience will help me a great deal. Unfortunately, my USAF pilot dream was robbed from me (https://www.airwarriors.com/communi...nter-service-transfer-for-color-vision.34429/). So now I'm looking for non-standard routes to get me there.

Convince your employer to send you to NTPS?
http://www.ntps.edu/

I'm already planning to pitch something similar, but maybe something more like getting into the pilot seat on non-experimental stuff, with the plan to get me trained, and eventually join in on the experimental side. Unfortunately this seems even less likely than transferring to Navy or USCG. NTPS would be great, but I highly doubt they'll foot the bill to send me. As an engineer everyone pretty much gains experience on-the-job, and my company only hires experimental pilots who were TPS graduates.

 

[xj220]

We didn't have an USCG guys in my class and I don't remember seeing any in the couple of classes before me or ones afterwards if that gives you an idea. Selection (to USNTPS) is based on what the communities need and there's such a small CG contingent (I don't know what's going on at HX if anyone can chime in) that slots are going to be few and far in between.

 

[bmather9]

A source at TPS told me there have been 3 USCG aviators that went through the course in the past 8 years. Obviously not good odds, but much much better than zero.

So I'm just looking for options still, but was hoping the DCA program would be a viable way for me to keep flying. I believe I meet all of the requirements, except for one:

• Have served on active-duty as a pilot in the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps or Air National Guard, for a minimum of two years, but not to exceed 10 years.

In the National Guard, we fly the same minimum hours as active duty, but since they require 2 years 'active duty as a pilot' it seems that I won't be eligible. I have 3 years active duty in the USAF as a flight test engineer, and by the time I'd apply I'd have 1 year 'active duty as a pilot' in the Army, but it sounds like that won't cut it.

If anyone has info on this requirement I'd like to hear about it; it seems that Army Reserve and National Guard pilots will generally be out of the running unless they've been through 2 x 1 year deployments, or were previously an on active duty pilot before transitioning to the National Guard/Reserves.