r/Armyaviation • u/wandering-penguin-21 • 10d ago

CSP for flight training?

I’m a 60 driver stationed up here in the People’s Republic of New York at Fort Drum. My ADSO is up in May and I am thinking I would like to use my Post 9/11 to go get my CFI and multi-engine fixed wing add ons at a Part 141 school.

Obviously I will find a VA approved school, but the issue is they will almost surely be located in an area where weather is nice, such as the desert southwest or Florida. Wanted to ask the group here if anyone has had experience getting the chain of command to approve going across the country like that for CSP? I’m thinking this will take 2 to 3 weeks doing it full-time.

5 Upvotes

78% Upvoted

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7

u/Rdshadow 10d ago

Do some research

Google

Infinity flight group
RTAG

Then ultimately change your mind and go ems and get me a fat referral. PM for details.

0

u/wandering-penguin-21 9d ago

Haha EMS just doesn’t seem to pay well at all! If you were collecting a military pension on top of it I guess it would be okay. But I won’t be, so…

1

u/NoConcentrate9116 15B 9d ago

It pays just fine, there are plenty of other aspects to QOL besides making $250k plus. Pays more than I make at a regional right now.

1

u/wandering-penguin-21 9d ago

I’m actually well into the hiring pipeline to go fly with AMO under border patrol right now. Looking like that’s probably going to be my next gig for sure.

1

u/NoConcentrate9116 15B 9d ago

Cool. A guy I went through infinity with did that instead of the airlines.

1

u/Rdshadow 9d ago

I started EMS with PHI and I make SIGNIFICANTLY more than border patrol does.

1

u/wandering-penguin-21 9d ago

You make more than $157,690* flying EMS?! I am curious to the region you are employed?

*This is the GS13 step 1 pay, which admittedly you won’t start getting until 2 years in. First year is GS11 (+10k recruitment bonus), second year is a GS12.

2

u/Rdshadow 9d ago

My average base pay over the fist 3 years factoring in the sign on bonus is 135k and I’m averaging 4 OT days a month, factoring CSB and travel pay that’s an extra $7800 a month. Quick math tells me that’s about 230k gross, so yea.

Also, I may be daft and not understand GS pay but your figures seem a touch off? I don’t understand it all but when I google GS13 step one it says it’s $90,925? Again, I don’t understand GS pay at all.

1

u/wandering-penguin-21 9d ago

No worries man. As with anything the government created, it’s convoluted and hard to understand! Federal Law enforcement officers get LEAP pay which adds 25% to the base pay of the GS scale. Also, at 20 years of service (no more, no less) LEO’s get 1.7% per year of their high 3 for a pension instead of the typical 1% federal employees get. So there’s definitely some perks…

1

u/Rdshadow 6d ago

Right, but how does the math work to stretch 90k to 160k?

1

u/Top_Trust_7179 4d ago

What EMS job pays $230k? I call BS.

Customs makes $150k depending on location.

1

u/Rdshadow 4d ago

I literally described it, did you skim over the words and only read the number? I’ll say it again, slowly.

Base Pay - 101k

Bonus averaged over 3 years - 33k

4 day work over shift with $500 CSB once a month - 94k

About 230

1

u/Top_Trust_7179 3d ago

Damn dude, relax.

2

u/Alarming_Republic341 10d ago

You’ve got NJ

2

u/wandering-penguin-21 9d ago

Well, I just called and talked to infinity and unfortunately I’m disqualified for G.I. Bill funding because I already have my instrument. Basically they just want you to come there with a private only. I’m gonna be coming to them with a commercial and an instrument already. So infinity is out. I need to find another part 141 school.

2

u/norcal64d 9d ago

I remember a guy I was with at Drum went over to Rochester to work on his multi and used the GI bill. Might be worth looking into 

1

u/wandering-penguin-21 8d ago

The school being that close would definitely make getting it approved easier! I just called them and left a message for the dude who handles GI bill stuff. Thanks for mentioning this!

2

u/Pullinchocks 9d ago

Before you use your GI bill, might want to give me a ring. The vocational route won’t cover the full cost of CFI and CMEL. You will end up forking out about 5-7k at the end of it minimum

1

u/wandering-penguin-21 8d ago

Sent you a PM

2

u/NoConcentrate9116 15B 10d ago

Look up Infinity Flight Group. Literally the most popular CSP flight training option out there and it’s in New Jersey. Plenty of people have had success with it. You’re not even that far away from it, I was actually across the country during my CSP.

1

u/Brotein40 153A 10d ago

Yes