The History Of The Military PIT Pad

As you pack your bags and plan your itinerary for your TDY trip, there may be one other thing on your mind: where are you going to stay? This is easily the most important traveling decision you will make, and one that will impact the quality of your work, sleep, and the entire experience.

And, of course, when it comes to the military, things are never simple, and your schedule is never set in stone. So you have to make sure your housing options are flexible and ready for sudden changes in your plans. That’s when a military PIT pad is a great choice. But how did it become the best lodging option for traveling military personnel?

What Does “Military PIT Pad” Mean?

If this is your first time looking into booking a military pit pad or a crash pad, you may have some questions: What is a PIT pad? Where did this concept come from? And how did it become the primary option for traveling military personnel?
A crash pad, or a PIT pad, is temporary housing that has the feel, comforts, and privacy of a real home and the amenities of a hotel, all at no cost to you when you are on TDY. In the military, crash pads are often called “PIT pads”, with PIT standing for “pilot in training”. Here at Royal Retreats Crash Pads, we offer military PIT pads for airmen on TDY at Kirtland AFB and Fort Sam Houston & Lackland AFB.

The History Of The First Crash Pads

When we think of the words “crash pad”, some of us may imagine several people crammed into a room stacked with bunk beds, using it as a cheap overnight housing option. That is exactly what crash pads looked when they were first created by commercial airline pilots.

Commercial airline crew members were the first customers of the very first crash pads. Some airline crew members can make under $20,000 a year but are often based in expensive cities like New York. The nature of their work requires them to commute from their smaller home cities to big hub airports and forces them to use temporary housing every week. The airlines do not provide them with lodging for their commutes, so the pilots have resorted to sleeping in pilot crash pads, which can be found near major airports across the country. The crash pad offers pilots an opportunity to get some shut-eye on stacked bunk beds in crowded rooms, for a small fee.

These pilot crash pads could accommodate dozens of pilots at once, with triple-decker bunk beds crammed in small bedrooms. While they were cheap and convenient, it’s hard to imagine that you could get a decent night’s sleep, accompanied by dozens of your snoring colleagues in beds right next to you.

Military PIT Pads Today

The very first crash pads for airline pilots were designed to maximize the use of space to accommodate the most people for the smallest cost. But today, the crash pad has a new look and a completely elevated feel and level of service.

A modern military PIT pad will look and feel like your own private house, but still provide the commodities and level of service that you can find at a hotel – complete with a maid service, a washer & dryer, high-speed WiFi, a fully stocked kitchen, and crisp fresh sheets.

Military PIT pads are equipped to be a luxurious hotel-like temporary residence while remaining budget-friendly, or completely free for military personnel on TDY. Military personnel travelers have a unique set of needs, and the flexibility for a military PIT pad meets them. Plus, here at Royal Retreats Crash Pads, we speak the language of the military and make sure that your DTS receipts are approved, for a comfortable stay at no cost to you.

Learn why you should book a military crash pad when traveling to Albuquerque, NM, for your TDY.

We recommend that you consider staying at one of our military crash pads in Albuquerque, NM, or San Antonio, TX. For military personnel on TDY, staying at a crash pad or a military PIT pad is a great option. At Royal Retreats Crash Pads, we ensure that you have the same amenities and service that you would expect at a hotel, but with completely personalized and worry-free customer service that ensures that your housing plans work with your TDY dates. All at no cost to you! Contact us today to book your stay!

Contact us today to book your crash pad!