Expert: D. Norkus - 6/7/2008

Question
hi, im 16 and have been wondering how hard the aviation field is to get into for someone who has been the the airforce and has had experience  as a fighter pilot etc... in the air force, is it posible to get into the the aviation line of work (to be a pilot) for someone who has no college, but there pilots liecenses and experience as a pilot in the airforce?

Answer
Chance

There are no Air Force pilots without college degrees, so the situation you describe (an non-degreed Air Force pilot becoming an airline pilot) will not happen. AF pilot candidates must be officers, so they must first get their degree before they enter flight school. Here are some links you can read about the AF pilot selection process and progression-

http://www.wikihow.com/Become-an-Air-Force-Pilot
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/73018/how_to_become_a_fighter_pilot_in_...

As far as after their military commitment, there have been many Air Force pilots who have retired and gone on to become airline pilots. They are certainly well received applicants with their flying experience.

However, if you simply want to become airline pilot, do not look to join the military simply as a means to that end. Do it if you want to serve your country but don't think of it simply as a way to get "free flight training" so you can become an airline pilot.

In all reality, it's not truly "free" and the openings for military aviators are fewer and far more competitive than they have ever been. If you somehow manage to even get accepted into the service as a pilot candidate and make it through flight school, you will be committed for a decade or more. You could also get killed in the line of duty.

In years past, the major airlines drew almost exclusively from former military pilots. Former military pilots either dominated the hiring boards or they would recommend their friends who were getting out of the service and looking into airline careers. This big "squadron buddy" network was how the majority of pilots got hired.

That is not the case today. For several years now the airlines have been increasingly hiring pilots from a civilian background. According to statistics compiled from Air Inc (http://www.jet-jobs.com), about 65% of new hires are civilian. This is partly the result of a smaller pool of military pilots available to the airlines than in decades past (due to the gov't shrinking the slots) and the increase in the number of civilian trained pilots with previous jet and airline experience. Almost all the regionals now fly jets, many that go higher or are more advanced than mainline aircraft. Additionally, most pilots looking to move onto a major carrier from a regional will have not only FAA Part 121 (airline regulations) flying time, plus several times over the amount of flight experience as a military aviator because of their regional job.


To get more career information, I suggest these links:

Airline
http://www.pilotcareer.info
http://www.jetcareers.com
http://www.airlinepilotcentral.com

Military
http://forums.military.com

Hope this helps,
Dottie