which is the best path to take?

Posted by _lawand_@reddit | aviation | View on Reddit | 5 comments

Trying to figure out the best path to become an airline pilot while also flying for the Air National Guard on the weekends.

I don’t have a bachelor’s yet

So I’m stuck between:

get a degree - try to get a pilot slot in the ANG - later fly for the airlines (perfect bc free flight school and timeline but extremely difficult to get a pilot slot so a gamble)
Going civilian flight school & get degree at the same time → reach airlines - then try to join the Guard later ( expensive as ill pay out of pocket, bad timing bc once I get to the airlines I would have to do more flight school for the guard, but best thing is I'll have certainty bc still get to the airlines incase I never get selected for guard )

Main goal = airlines, but I also want to fly for the Guard part-time.

What’s the smartest path to realistically achieve BOTH?

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I would like to remind you that joining the guard shouldn't be considered JUST a stepping stone to becoming an airline pilot. Being in any form for military service, especially aviation related, is it's own commitment with possibilities of deployment and life-style adjustments. If you want to join the service, its for the purpose of serving the country, not to use it as means to get hired by an airline, especially with the gamble being you may join and not get slotted to fly. If you are already in the service, you most likely already know that information.

The airlines are never a certainty. Just like flying in the service, being picked for an airline is a gamble, although less of a gamble than military service selection.

Now to answer your question, the most efficient way is to the join the service in hopes that you get picked up to fly, while accepting the reality you may deploy and delay your timeline to a career in the airlines if you are called to any military missions. Flight school would be paid for, with ratings and quality training. Then using that military time and experience makes you more competitive for the airlines.

Proceed with caution and an open mind my friend, best of luck on your journey.

-Sincerely, a guard pilot flying for the airlines.

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_lawand_@reddit (OP)

Thank you for your response and I would like to say that yes I’m definitely aware that it’s not a easy job to fly for the ANG and I may get deployed and I don’t mind that I’m willing to serve my country, now about the last part of your response you mentioned that I should take the path of trying to get picked up by the guard and not do civilian flight school, the only issue with that is that mind you it’s extremely competitive to get selected to fly for the guard, if I go all in on that and gamble everything on it, there’s a very real possibility that I may never get selected and waste the years trying to get into it and I’ll end up not being an airline pilot and not flying for the guard as well, that’s why this is such a difficult decision

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Spaghetti_Boi659@reddit

Trust me, I understand the guard is competitive. But if you claim to want to serve, then you should have no issue wanting to join with the possibility of not being able to fly. That's kind of my point. If you join the guard first, maybe you get to fly and get that coveted flight school spot which well help you get to the 121 world. If you join the guard first, and don't get selected to fly, you are still serving and now you will have to go to a civilian flight school. Joining the service after you potentially make it to an airline, which if you have 0 hours now will take you a few years, just assures you that your dream of maybe flying for the US Military will also be delayed for several years.

There is no "waste" in time trying to get a military flight school slot. You either get it and start flying, or you don't, serve in the military some other way, and simultaneously work your normal job and get your ratings. After all, that is the point of the national guard.