U.S. Air Force Faces an 1,800-Pilot Deficit as Commercial Airlines Offer $550,000 Salaries. The Pentagon Is Losing Its Most Expensive Strategic Investment … deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson … a pilot is ready to buy a home, the VA loan allows … lifetime earnings at the commercial airlines. Of course, commercial pilots … pilots transition directly into the airlines. The advantage is that most …