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Alternative Options For Flying
Hello everybody,
I’m trying to explore other opportunities to fly for the military. It has always been my goal to fly for the Air National Guard, but I haven’t been successful. I suspect my age(32) and me working as a security guard isn’t impressing anyone on a hiring board 😂.
I’m currently applying to a rated board for Active Air Force as a civilian, but I don’t see myself going active duty. Im pretty sure I bombed the commander’s interview, not in the good way lol. Im currently trying to pivot to the Army National Guard and apply to WOCS, but that might be a stretch as well. I might consider RPA as well, but its not something I can envision myself doing. Its just unfortunate that all the work I did to get here, was really for nothing.
If anybody can chime in and help, that would be great!
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2 Replies
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Hey Randy, I want to say don’t downplay yourself! I understand you want to be realistic but I’ve heard from many pilots that if they were realistic or listened to every person who told them no, they wouldn’t be where they are today.
Capitalize on what you can; you have a hard degree, so sell that. I’m sure you’ve heard plenty of times to get the best AF test scores and what not. I guess my advice is still have hope and at least get those 40ish hours to boost your PCSM and try to get that ppl as fast as possible. It’s expensive, but getting that will boost your confidence. I know it did for me.
I can’t offer much advice, so hopefully those with experience and positions in the military can. Hang in there!
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Randy,
I can appreciate the frustration with putting in lots of work and it hasn’t paid off so far. If this is truly your dream, then don’t give up. An age waiver is nothing more than a piece of paper, and if you are the right fit for a unit, the unit will go to bat for you and convince their upper levels of leadership that this age waiver is legitimate and worth their signature.
My advice to you would be to set realistic expectations and find the spots where you have the best odds. That means searching out units that have fewer applicants to their hiring boards. Focus on units who have a mission focused in border security, possibly helping with Customs and Border Protection, so you can play that experience up. Lastly, although expensive, I do think that having as much flying experience as possible as an older candidate will make you more intriguing to units. You want to stand out from the crowd, and alleviate any areas where a hiring panel can eliminate you from contention.
Hopefully this helps steer your search a little and you can gain some traction. Best of luck!
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