USMCFLYR

Since you are dual rated, have you heard anything about the line pilots not keeping up multiple quals due to a reduction in flight hours across the board?
I don't know your organization well enough to know if the school house is an accurate place to be hearing such word, although it would seem that they might have planned less transition or upgrade training and therefore have some insight into the training needs/requirements.

USMCFLYR

DustoffVT

Yeah, it's happening. We de-designated guys last month. I have heard of similar stuff at other branches.

themagicman00

I don't understand, then why they make a point of recruiting dual-rated pilots? I read in a different forum (APTAP.org) that if your not dual qualified, they will immediately disqualify you from the hiring process.

USMCFLYR

Dustoff -

I talk to 'Rolex' the other day.
He is enjoying life
I hear you have a new boss coming on board. I know a little of him.
Let me know what you think once you get a feel.

Spent some time down and around a few of your posts this past week - McAllen, Del Rio, Corpus Christi. Spent so much time circling around KDRT that I thought some of your guys around there might ask us for some help

USMCFLYR

themagicman00

USMCFLYR
What are you flying now? I read over 400 posts last night, I thought you were going for the CBP AIA job? I'm at 39yrs old right now, my B-day will not be until January....do you think I'll have enough time to complete the process before my 40th b-day? I applied last week and I got a NOR of 98. I did 10 yrs in the Navy, have tons of friends flying in the Corps still, great devil dogs.

USMCFLYR

No - I never applied for the CBP job.
When I got out they hadn't gone to the new criteria yet and I was too old.
I have no idea if you are too old for the process. I do know that it can be a long road - both from the experience of fellow aviators and from talking with some of the CBP pilots whom I have met in the last several years.

There are current CBP pilots reading these threads though, so I'm sure some may chime in soon, but this is a long running and very informative thread with most of your answers buried in the pages.

USMCFLYR

themagicman00

What did you fly back in the day?

USMCFLYR

I started off in GA flying all of the regular light training aircraft (I especially enjoyed the Piper line myself), then to the military where I flew the assortment of training aircraft. All of my fleet/instructor time was in the Hornet. Then I flew for a Defense contractor called ATAC until my present job came available. I hope I am done job searching for quite some time!

I try to keep up with this thread because I was always interested in flying in this organization (and it's past character - Customs) even before I joined the military. Their Flight/Training HQs are here in OKC and I remember dropping by and talking to them back in the late 80s. Then I got to Corpus and they were flying the dome topped P-3s. I kept my eye on it throughout my career but then learned at the time that if I stayed to retirement that I would be too old to apply so I turned my attention elsewhere.

The guys who I know are doing it really enjoy the job and the mission. They feel like they have a mission (besides point A-B) and they enjoy some of the different type of flying that they get to do in the performance of their jobs. Remember - some of us never wanted to be airline pilots

USMCFLYR

exphrog

At the MCAS Yuma airshow, I got to talk to a couple of CBP pilots. Specifically, we talked about the age limits. They said that the "official" age limit was now 40, but that they'd recently accepted an ex-military guy at 46-47. The flip side was that the mandatory retirement age still hasn't been changed. Anyone here had experience with the age issue? I plan on getting out at age 41-42.

Triumph

At this point, there is no age restriction with regard to veterans. So a guy that is 40+ years old can get hired at CBP. The problem is that in order to get the 6C pension you have to do 20 years of 6C (not including any military buy-back that you may do). So a vet that gets in at 45 years old still has to theoretically do 20 years as a federal agent, which makes him 65 when he retires. This bridge has yet to be crossed as the vet waiver is a recent change. I think a change will come to this sooner than later. All of the other agencies such as FBI, DEA, etc, still have a mandatory retirement age of 57, and a max hiring age of 37... Understandably, I don't see the benefit in having a 60+ year old running around with a badge and gun...