18X RPA Pilot Interview

[airsomers]

Hey Gents,

I know the RPA pilot is a frowned upon position in the Air Force BUT, I have a board this weekend for ANG. Anyone have any gouge on expected Q&A to help prepare for interview?

Also (and separately) - any major general cons to consider (unrelated to career field) when deciding whether or not to leave ANG for IMA?

Thanks!

[HU&W]

Have you read this thread yet?  It's the best gouge out there to prepare for any ANG interview, regardless of MDS.   http://www.flyingsquadron.com/forums/topic/10562-standard-interview-questions/

Also, what do you mean by "leaving ANG for IMA?"  Are you trying to get a guard job that you plan to leave shortly after?  

 

[airsomers]

I'm already in the Guard - our mission is dissolving. One opportunity is to cross train into 18x (so thank you for the link) - another opportunity is to cross over into IMA Reserves program for my current AFSC 14N1. Trying to weigh all options.

[BFM this]

Haven't been an intel type, so take this fwiw: go 18X, unless you have some other opportunity to be a pilot in the works.  With 18x, I doubt you'll ever worry about where the next paycheck will come from, in your lifetime.  Plenty of opportunity in the world for intel types, but I think advantage goes to RPA.

[M2]

Depending on what your long term goals are, the 14N career field could offer more opportunity than 18X in my opinion...but read this and decide for yourself...

http://www.airforcetimes.com/story/military/2015/04/21/drone-pilot-compensation/25837209/

[nsplayr]

Aside from M2's point, the basic math in that article is all messed up.  From the article:

"Right now, for example, an 18X pilot assigned to Creech Air Force Base, Nevada, who is approaching the end of a six year-commitment is typically a captain with seven years of service, who is making about $103,000 per year in base pay, BAH and monthly flight pay, according to the Air Force. Meanwhile, a major with 11 years of service, who is trained to fly manned aircraft but currently flying drones, is making about $107,000 per year at Creech, with BAH amounts averaged."

Assuming BAH/BAS/ACIP are the same, which they likely would be, the difference in basic pay alone for an O3 6+ and an O4 10+ is $14K per year.  Let alone that the major with 11 years who is an 11U vs an 18X is about the get the regular pilot ACP bonus if he/she stays in, which paradoxically still is higher than the RPA bonus available to end-of-commitment 18X RPA pilots.

Who at airforcetimes crunched those numbers?

Edited November 16, 2015 by nsplayr
Can't get things to quote with HTML anymore...