# In recent years, are former U.S. military pilots able to join the major airlines directly? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 26, 2019, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-recent-years-are-former-u-s-military-pilots-able-to-join-the-major-airlines-directly/828443 "2019-01-26T14:15:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2019, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-recent-years-are-former-u-s-military-pilots-able-to-join-the-major-airlines-directly/828443/21 "2019-01-29T02:09:22Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Boeing projects a need for [nearly 800,000 airline pilots in the two decades ahead](http://investors.boeing.com/investors/investor-news/press-release-details/2018/Boeing-Forecasts-Unprecedented-20-Year-Pilot-Demand-as-Operators-Face-Pilot-Supply-Challenges/default.aspx) (not sure if this means \*\*\*additional \*\*\*new pilots, or merely that the total pilot workforce across the planet will need to be around this figure - and that there will be some gap in the workforce - sure would appreciate clarification about it.) Although I’ve read that some pilot unions challenge the notion that this shortage is that dire. It’s additional pilots. [http://www.boeing.com/commercial/market/pilot-technician-outlook/2018-pilot-outlook/#/quick-facts](http://www.boeing.com/commercial/market/pilot-technician-outlook/2018-pilot-outlook/#/quick-facts) ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-recent-years-are-former-u-s-military-pilots-able-to-join-the-major-airlines-directly/828443/22 "2019-02-02T20:53:51Z")
And yet you hear about young pilots struggling for crappy wages at Podunk Airlines and being eligible for food stamps. Very strange. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2019, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-recent-years-are-former-u-s-military-pilots-able-to-join-the-major-airlines-directly/828443/23 "2019-02-03T04:18:32Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > And yet you hear about young pilots struggling for crappy wages at Podunk Airlines and being eligible for food stamps. Very strange. Regionals are crappy, major airlines are nice. Like working at McDonald’s vs. Michelin 5-star. (Or so goes the stereotype) ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2019, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-recent-years-are-former-u-s-military-pilots-able-to-join-the-major-airlines-directly/828443/24 "2019-02-03T16:51:34Z")
The regionals are having to pay a living wage nowadays, too. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2019, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-recent-years-are-former-u-s-military-pilots-able-to-join-the-major-airlines-directly/828443/25 "2019-02-03T17:12:35Z")
\*Deleted (redundant). \* ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2019, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-recent-years-are-former-u-s-military-pilots-able-to-join-the-major-airlines-directly/828443/26 "2019-03-28T07:35:59Z")
> [@Melbourne](#): > > Or he may be qualified to fly both 747-400 and 787-9 and be rostered to both. They stopped flying 767’s years ago, but obviously when they first got delivery, they would have been using all 747 qualified pilots. For unrelated reasons I was looking at Ethiopian Airlines today :(. They are advertising vacancies for command captains: 757 + 767 767 + 777 777 + 787 ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2019, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-recent-years-are-former-u-s-military-pilots-able-to-join-the-major-airlines-directly/828443/27 "2019-03-28T15:04:52Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > And yet you hear about young pilots struggling for crappy wages at Podunk Airlines and being eligible for food stamps. Very strange. > [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > The regionals are having to pay a living wage nowadays, too. I read that too in the article linked to upthread about recruiting helicopter pilots. Apparently this change happened too late for my uncle, whose life-long dream was always to fly for a major carrier. He tried going the military route, but was rejected for not having perfect eyesight. He then got a private-pilot’s license on his own, followed by an instructor certificate. He built up hours working as an instructor. He then got into a training program that led to a job flying a passenger turboprop for a regional carrier. After accumulating enough hours, he hoped to then transition into the majors flying jets. Unfortunately, the regional carrier placed him in Florida instead where he lived with his family in Houston. (His wife was the main breadwinner with an senior engineering job in Houston, and was unable or unwilling to relocate.) The pay was less than $20K/year. While this was all about 20-25 years ago, it was still crap pay and didn’t even cover the cost of his apartment in Florida. He kept things going like this for about two years, but it eventually became unsustainable for the family, so he quit and went back to Houston. I think he had hopes of picking up a pilot job out of Houston, but it apparently never panned out. He’s in his late 50’s now, so is almost certainly too old to try again. He does at least own his own plane now. He took me and my son flying in it last week. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2019, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-recent-years-are-former-u-s-military-pilots-able-to-join-the-major-airlines-directly/828443/28 "2019-03-28T15:20:58Z")
So how would it work if say… a Navy pilot who flew P-8 Poseidons, which are essentially modified 737-800ERX airliners, decided to work for a major airline? Would he have the type certification for a 737 as a matter of course, or would it be just really easy retraining? ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2019, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-recent-years-are-former-u-s-military-pilots-able-to-join-the-major-airlines-directly/828443/29 "2019-03-28T15:35:53Z")
Back around 2000 the guy who lived next door to me was a pilot for a very small regional airline (that eventually lost its license from Transport Canada). They had the pilots working minimum wage for a few months loading and unloading cargo to remote communities up north before they were allowed in the cockpit; because barely qualified pilots who wanted an entry-level job worked cheaper and harder and complained less than minimum wage grunts. He lasted about a year in that job before he had enough to move on to a bigger airline with better wages. I wonder why an airline perpetually full of newbie pilots lost their license? (Apparently they cheated on maintenance costs too). But I guess the point is that no bigger airliner full of paying passengers is going up without one of either pilot or co-pilot having some experience on the aircraft. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2019, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-recent-years-are-former-u-s-military-pilots-able-to-join-the-major-airlines-directly/828443/30 "2019-03-28T17:09:18Z")
> [@Melbourne](#): > > For unrelated reasons I was looking at Ethiopian Airlines today :(. > > They are advertising vacancies for command captains: > 757 + 767 > 767 + 777 > 777 + 787 757/767 and 777/787 have common type ratings, 767/777 is a bit unusual though. It’s up to the airline whether to make use of common type ratings like this. My employer does not have 787 pilots fly 777s and vice versa. Qantas don’t have any aircraft with a common type rating and from a quick look through their employment contract, pilots are assigned to one type only, I.e, A380, B747, B787, or A330. Their shorthaul pilots are on a separate contract and only have one type, the B737. > [@robby](#): > > Apparently this change happened too late for my uncle, whose life-long dream was always to fly for a major carrier. it takes a big commitment to get through the low pay years. It’s much easier if you can do it while you’re single and/or have minimal commitments outside of flying. Otherwise you need a fully committed partner who ideally has an easily transportable profession. > [@md2000](#): > > Back around 2000 the guy who lived next door to me was a pilot for a very small regional airline (that eventually lost its license from Transport Canada). They had the pilots working minimum wage for a few months loading and unloading cargo to remote communities up north before they were allowed in the cockpit … > > But I guess the point is that no bigger airliner full of paying passengers is going up without one of either pilot or co-pilot having some experience on the aircraft. That sounds like Buffalo Airways of Ice Pilots fame. Our company requirement is a minimum of 100 hours of line flying prior to a final “route check”. Following the check a further 75 hours is required before you can fly with someone who has not completed the 75 hours themselves. The combined minimum total flight crew experience on the type is therefore 275 hours. > [@bump](#): > > So how would it work if say… a Navy pilot who flew P-8 Poseidons, which are essentially modified 737-800ERX airliners, decided to work for a major airline? > > Would he have the type certification for a 737 as a matter of course, or would it be just really easy retraining? The following FAA document discusses type rating requirements for B737 pilots. [http://fsims.faa.gov/wdocs/fsb/b737\_rev\_15.pdf](http://fsims.faa.gov/wdocs/fsb/b737_rev_15.pdf) > [@](#): > > 7.1 Type Rating. The Boeing 737 type rating designation is B-737. The Navy P-8 and the Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) were not evaluated by the FSB and no type rating determination was made. As it stands, a P-8 pilot does not have a B737 type rating and would have to do a full course. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-recent-years-are-former-u-s-military-pilots-able-to-join-the-major-airlines-directly/828443.md?page=1)