KC-135 Pilot

Metrea; Temecula (CA); Remote; USD 126,000 - 203,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental & vision

Retirement plan

Enhanced Parental Leave

Wellhub gym

Job summary

Metrea seeks experienced flight crew to support aerial refueling and mission-capable operations. The role involves leading crews, performing rigorous procedures, and ensuring safety and regulatory compliance across pre-flight to post-flight stages.

Ideal candidates hold a Bachelor’s degree and substantial KC-135 flight time, with the ability to deploy on short notice to CONUS and international locations. A US citizen with relevant clearance is required for the position.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 400 hours of flight time in KC-135 / C-135FR aircraft.
• 1000 total flight hours.
• US Air Force Instrument/Qualification or equivalent preferred.
• Ability and availability to fly onboard KC/C-135FR aircraft in India.

Responsibilities

• Command flight crew and respond to emergency and non-emergency scenarios.
• Perform pre-flight, in-flight, and post-flight inspections and documentation.
• Maintain SA and use CRM throughout all flight phases.
• Adhere to FAA regulations, FOPs, GOPs, and safety notices.
• Maintain currencies, qualifications, and advanced systems knowledge for KC/C-135 fleet.

Skills

Flight operations

Crew resource management

FAA regulations

Situational awareness

English language

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

iPad EFB

Job description

Company Overview

Metrea delivers effects-as-a-service to national security partners across five domains and more than a dozen mission areas. These include airborne ISR, electronic warfare, secure communications, aerial refueling, special air missions, aerial firefighting, and advanced simulation. We own the whole stack: designing, building, and operating turnkey capabilities that give our partners decisive, asymmetric advantage against rapidly evolving threats.

Group Overview

Metrea delivers effects-as-a-service to national security partners across five domains and more than a dozen mission areas. These include airborne ISR, electronic warfare, secure communications, aerial refueling, special air missions, aerial firefighting, and advanced simulation. We own the whole stack: designing, building, and operating turnkey capabilities that give our partners decisive, asymmetric advantage against rapidly evolving threats. Our operating model is built around three interlocking pillars. The Support Groups provide a global shared-service – spanning people, finance, platform, operations, legal, and engagement. This frees up our Core Groups, who develop and own mission capabilities end-to-end, to focus entirely on delivery. The Market Groups apply a regional lens, ensuring that our agile and adaptable capabilities remain aligned to the wicked problems that matter most to our partners across the Americas, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific. At the heart of our model is a simple but powerful idea: be a true partner with skin in the game. Our partners need effects, not just equipment. By owning the full stack – from the lab to the field – we are able to drive a continuous cycle of innovation that keeps our partners ahead. It's a fast-moving, intellectually demanding environment where talented people are given real responsibility, work on problems that matter, and contribute to an enterprise that is growing quickly and deliberately. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with facilities across the United States, the United Kingdom, as well as Continental Europe and Asia-Pacific.

Air Mobility Group (AIRMOB)

AIRMOB is responsible for developing and delivering Metrea’s aerial refueling (AAR) capabilities, ensuring the readiness and operational effectiveness of the tanker fleet. AIRMOB oversees fleet management, maintenance, and airworthiness, working to sustain and enhance refueling operations. It manages the integration of new processes and technologies, ensuring that tanker aircraft remain mission-ready through effective logistics, maintenance oversight, and regulatory compliance. By coordinating across various teams, AIRMOB ensures the fleet meets both current and future operational needs, supporting a range of specialized air mobility missions.

Contract Highlights

• Flexible short- and long-term deployments supporting U.S. and allied forces are available and extended rotations of 45–90 days, delivering critical refueling support in a high-demand regional environments in India.
• Competitive daily rates and mission incentives.
• All travel, lodging, and mission logistics covered.
• Flexible scheduling and rotation options.
• Work alongside elite crews in high-impact missions that shape global readiness.

What You'll Do

• Command flight crew while responding to a variety of emergency and non-emergency scenarios.
• Conduct procedurally correct and expeditious pre-flight, in-flight, and post-flight inspections, checklists, and documentation.
• Maintain Situational Awareness (SA) and use Crew Resource Management (CRM) throughout all phases of flight.
• Adhere to company Flight Operation Procedures (FOPs), Ground Operation Procedures (GOPs), FAA regulations, and Safety Notices.
• Maintain all currencies, qualifications, and advanced systems knowledge related to the KC/C-135 tanker fleet.
• All other duties assigned.

What You Bring

Education

• Bachelor’s degree required

Experience

• 400 hours of flight time in KC-135 / C-135FR Aircraft
• 1000 total hours
• Aircraft MPRS experience desired
• US Air Force Instrument/Qualification, KC/C-135 Aircraft Commander check-ride in the 12 months-cannot expire while deployed
• KC/C-135R IP/EP experience preferred
• Ability and availability to fly onboard KC/C-135FR aircraft in India

Skills

• Must have good command of the English language; oral and written.

Computer Skills

• Basic skills in Microsoft Office Suite Programs
• IOS operating systems to include Ipads/EFB

Certificates

• Minimum of FAA Flying Class 2 Physical
• FCC Radiotelegraph Operators Permit
• Current ATP or Restricted ATP preferred
• Current MEI preferred
• CFII certificate preferred
• B-707 Type rating
• Current US/French Passport-Passport must have 1 year of validity at start of contract
• Valid Driver’s License

Additional Eligibility Qualifications

• Willingness to deploy on short notice and adapt to varying mission lengths and locations.

Benefits

• Medical insurance options
• Dental and vision insurance
• Retirement plan eligibility
• Enhanced Parental Leave
• Subsided gym membership/plans through Wellhub

Work Authorization / Security Clearance

• The employee must be a US citizen.
• The employee must be able to hold and maintain a Secret (or higher) Clearance Level

AAP/EEO Statement

Metrea Strategic Mobility is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.

Position Type and Expected Hours of Work

Options

• Short-Term: CONUS and OCONUS rotations ranging from days to weeks.
• Long-Term: Extended deployments of 45–90 days in India, supporting high-tempo regional operations.
• There are flexible short- and long-term deployments supporting U.S. and allied forces available and extended rotations of 45–90 days or more.

Work Environment

Remote

Travel

100%

Base Pay Range

Pay Range: $126,000 USD - $203,000 USD

Our Firmware

At Metrea, our single core value is Rooted in Humility, and our four cornerstone attributes are Entrepreneurial, Systematic, Discerning, and Over-Deliver. These form what we call our Teammate Firmware. Just like technical firmware connects software and hardware, our Firmware is the constant interface between our mission and our people. It defines how we show up, how we work together, and how we solve complex problems. Our team Firmware creates a web-like, hyper-collaborative, dynamically hierarchical way of working that helps us adapt quickly, communicate openly, and distribute decision-making to where expertise actually lives. It enables groups to self-organize around hard problems, shift fluidly as priorities evolve, and operate with the trust, curiosity, and discipline required in a complex mission space. This foundation allows us to deliver elegant, effective solutions and uphold our purpose: protecting our precious inheritance.