USAF loosing pilots - Curt Lewis

Air Force hopes to head off the poaching of its pilots

The Air Force is struggling to keep its pilots, who can often find better wages in the private sector. But the retention issue is more complex for the Air National Guard, Maj. Gen. Brian Neal told the House defense appropriations subcommittee on March 22.

"The Air Force either has a pilot or it doesn't," said Neal, acting director of the Air Guard. The active-duty component "does not have an airline pilot, it has a military pilot. We have [both] military pilots and airline pilots."

On the active side, the Air Force needs to re-evaluate how best to retain its pilots in the face of increasingly stiff competition for the most qualified people. That struggle has prompted the service to offer retention bonuses ranging from $75,000 to $225,000 for a five or nine-year commitment.

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But a commercial pilot doesn't have to deal with four- or six-month deployments overseas, which can be enticing, particularly for service members with families. Major airlines such as Delta or Southwest are willing to pay handsomely for a pilot with more than 1,500 flying hours and 10 or more years of flying experience. After a few years in the commercial aviation industry, pilots can make more than $190,000 a year, plus 401(k) contributions.

Knowing their pilots have two jobs, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve officials are struggling to come up with the best retention strategy, but their focus is more on the "who," rather than the 'how," Neal said.

"Our biggest concern is not retaining pilots, it's retaining the full-time pilots," he said. "You can compare the pay stubs. The airlines are making billions of dollars. We don't pay enough."

Neal is particularly concerned about two categories of Air National Guard pilots who might be lured away by the commercial airlines' higher salaries: technicians and guardsmen serving in an Active Guard Reserve status.

Technicians are Air National Guard employees who are paid as civilian government employees. They must concurrently hold a position as a traditional guardsman in the Air National Guard.

Some guardsmen can serve full time with their units in an Active Guard Reserve status. They are separate from active-duty airmen.

Both categories of pilots have the potential to earn more money with the commercial airlines, creating a retention issue for the Air National Guard.

Neal said the reserve components are working with the airlines to create a program that allows Air Force pilots to swap their short-term flights in the Guard for more long-term commitments. Or, they can work a smoother schedule in which the airlines get a heads up when their Guard and reserve pilots are to be be mobilized for active duty.

But the Air Force must act soon. Major airlines plan to hire about 20,000 pilots over the next 10 years, according to recent reports.

"I am optimistic we will be able to recruit and retain traditional, drill-status guardsmen pilots,," Neal said.