Expert: James Bell - 4/27/2009

Question
Hello,
I had a few questions about becoming a Flight Engineer in the Guard or
Reserves.  Are there any skills they expect you to have already when applying
for this position?  Are there certain aircraft that have higher requirements?  I
would love to work on a C-5 or KC-10 but would be willing work on another
aircraft.  I am an FAA rated pilot:commercial/multi/instrument, but I do not
have a lot of flight time.  I would love to join the Guard or Reserve as a pilot
but am still working on my degree and approaching the cut off age.  Would
there be an opportunity to move from flight engineer to pilot once I'd
obtained my degree, even if I was older than the age requirement, based on
my prior service as an engineer?  Any information you might be able to give
me would be greatly appreciated.  

Thanks,
Sharon

Answer
Sharon -

Based on what you have told me, your options may be limited.  Yes, you could join and finish your degree so you could apply for a pilot's position, but I think the FE field would be out of reach for the immediate future.  The flight engineer career field is primarily available to those cross training from a "feeder" career field.  The regulation covering all the various enlisted jobs specifies which jobs those are.  It also goes on to say anyone holding a valid FAA Flight Engineer rating is also eligible for consideration.  Since you are a rated pilot, unfortunately, that doesn't help you out in the FE field.

Depending on how old you are, your officer candidate options may be extremely limited because time is short.  It all depends on what your end goal is: pilot or engineer.  If you can get your degree in time and meet the physical requirements to become a commissioned officer AND pilot, I would suggest that route.  The two are exclusive of each other.  Applying for a commission is stand-alone, and none of your previous service weighs in if you are over the age limit.

If the window of opportunity to become an officer closes, then you might want to look at the FE field as a career.  You could join as an aircraft mechanic, crew chief, or system's specialist (all of which are some of the "feeder" fields I mentioned before), do your three to four years as such, then request to retrain into the FE field.  I know there is a lot of "IF's" and variables, but you would need to talk to a recruiter to see what options are available to you.  The requirements do change from time to time and I can't keep up with all of them.

As far as skills you need to be strong in, mathematics is key for an engineers, as well as the ability to run charts and graphs to calculate aircraft performance.  The FE is also the primary crewmember who runs all emergency checklists when the aircraft is moving, so a strong personality (not timid) is also required.

I am not aware of one aircraft being singled out over another, but the single-engineer aircraft (C-130, KC-10) tend to be more demanding because you don't have the second engineer on board to assist you when problems arise.

I hope this gives you some guidance.  If there is anything else I can help you with, don't hesitate to write back.

Sincerely,
James Bell