Expert: James Bell - 11/9/2005

Question
Hello James,  My name is Carl Dawson - I've started the process to join the Airforce Reserve.  I was in the Army National Guard previously and worked as an Avionics technician.  I noticed you worked as a loadmaster and I was interested in what duties are associated with that position.  The recruiter told me they had a crew chief and a loadmaster position available on C-130s.  I would like to become part of a flight crew if I had my choice.  Did you enjoy being a loadmaster?  Do you know of benifits in one position over the other?  Any insight you can offer would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you, Carl  

Answer
Greetings Carl -

Pam is trying to contact you ... write me back if you want her to contact you.

I served in two crew positions: Loadmaster and Flight Engineer.  The loadmaster usually works the "back end" of the aircraft.  He is responsible for cargo and passengers, along with proper cargo loading, weight and balance of the aircraft.  All of these tasks are demanding, but highly rewarding.  At the end of the day, you can see what you have accomplished:  You have moved an aircraft, cargo and passengers from one location to another.

The other job I had is that of Flight Engineer.  Imagine Scotty on the Enterprise: He wasn't the pilot, but he was responsible for operating the craft.  The F.E. is responsible for the preflight and operation of all aircraft systems: fuel, electrics, hydraulic, pressurization, environmental, etc.  This is the job I left loadmastering for, and enjoyed it tremendously.  While the loadmaster job was more demanding physically, being an engineer was more demanding mentally.  There was a lot of systems knowledge you had to have.

Another thing to consider is that, as a loadmaster, you can get into that career field off the street, as an Airman Basic.  A flight engineer requires previous experience in aircraft maintenance or aircrew operations career fields.  Your avionics maintenance experience may qualify you for this job.  You will have to look into it.  AFI 36-2108, Enlisted Classification, says that to qualify to enter training in the 1A1x1 career field, you need a prior 5- or 7-level in the 2Ax, career field.  An avionics technician is the 2A000 AFSC, so you should qualify.

Both career fields are highly rewarding, it just depends on which suits your likes better.  The F.E. sits right behind the pilots, and is more involved with the flight process ... flying, navigation, communication, check lists, etc.  The loadmaster gets to have fun running airdrops of cargo, and that can be a blast.

There are so many other little things about each job, it's hard to put in one note.  I hope this answers some of your questions.  If you have anything you wish to specifically ask, don't hesitate to write back.

Sincerely,
James Bell