No there really isn't. The Navy and Air Force are full of people who love flying. Even people who can fly but don't qualify to be fighter pilots. They work on planes, design them, or fly transport planes.
Usually the jobs outside the military pay better (cybersecurity, IT, etc.). Flying commercial isn't that much better because of the hours. Imagine having better hours in the military and a better retirement package after 20 years. That's why there's not enough pilots.
They are not going to let a random retail investor naked short an IPO on the IPO day. There's no way you will be able to exit your trade fast enough if it rockets up (in minutes). You actually need to tell the brokerage about your trading experience to be approved for riskier assets and trades.
If you are approved, you will probably need to wait beyond the IPO date. It's too volatile.