Dragon7

PM sent. RJ or ISR are both paths to get where you want to go.

Hobbit64

Please look into aptap-dot-org

Lots of folks there who have walked this walk and would help you out.

Alaskanrenegade

Thank you for APTAP. I had forgotten about that site.

ApachePhil

I'm making an assumption...I assume you retire in the summer of 2017. If that is indeed the case, the legacy and major carriers are busy interviewing and hiring for classes in the next 2-4 months. If you are competitive, I doubt you will hear anything from them outside of 4-6 months.

I retired from the Army in June of 2015, and an availability date of 15APR15. Like you, I cast a wide net a year in advance. I didn't hear from a legacy carrier until FEB15.

Use the time between now and retirement to fly your tail off. Try to retire with 1500+ FW hours. Try to have 1000+ TPIC. Make sure your applications are perfect...no, really, I mean PERFECT. Go to the big career fairs (OBAP, WAI, PNW, etc.) to get face time. I can credit a job offer, and another interview invite because I went to PNW and WAI.

The dwell to be in class at a regional is 4-8 weeks from application...I'd focus on the legacy/major carriers until you are within that window, with no offers, before applying to the regional carriers. With your quals, you will get about any regional job you to which you apply.

Good luck and don't settle or sale yourself short early in your transition.

Alaskanrenegade

I appreciate the insight. I do retire summer 2017 with an expected hire date of 1 June with terminal leave. The issue I will have is obtaining any more FW time due to my current position as a RW IP. I have been shopping around for companies or pilots looking for a SIC so I can keep building my FW time. I even told them I would fly for free for the time. Not a peep.
I do need to look into the career fairs. I am throwing a wide net but I thought getting started early to show continuous updates on my applications would go farther. I know I am early, but wanted to make sure I was going in the right direction from those of you who have already been there.

Sliceback

FW CFI on the side. Any GI Bill flying courses you can take? Free FW hour building. CFI, CFII, MEL CFI?

Start the job fairs now. Lead turn the process. 'One job fair and hired' is not the norm unless your resume is very strong. The biggest is WAI in March. You'll be able to speak with every regional airline and would be a good launching pad for your June retirement. Don't be surprised it it takes 3,000 FW hrs, or more, to get traction with the majors.

Don't commute if you can find a regional you can drive to. It's much easier.

Otterbox

I don't think current helo time vs fixed wing time will be a deal breaker for you applying to ISR. I got hired on with 3+ years non flying.

Having C-12 experience will help.

Start shotgunning applications out to L-3, MAG and Dynamic Aviation. Someone should be interested. As long as you have a retirement date you can apply early- the process has been taking months lately at some companies.

BeatNavy

I got out of the army with zero mil fw time and a few hundred bug smasher. I went to said regional you won't consider and left within 18 months to JB. With a retirement and not needing medical insurance, Mesa wouldn't be that bad, especially with as much time as you already have. Your stay would be relatively short if you can network and aren't a prick. I hate on Mesa a lot, but in my short stint they never screwed with me, I drove to work, I had a good relationship with the chief pilot, etc. If you lived anywhere other than IAH I would advise against it. But XJT is a dying company. If you can get IAH based with SKW within a few months it Would be better but I don't keep up with what their base seniority is. Reserve at Mesa isn't that bad if you live in base, minus the part about airport reserve, which some people stretch and do from home if they are close.

I can tell you without a question the single worst thing about this job is commuting. I almost wish I was back driving to work at Mesa instead of commuting to NY. If you've never been in this industry you won't have an appreciation for it until you do it. Mesa is a scumbag operation, but I would rather drive to work there than commute to any other regional or LCC. As far as majors are concerned, they don't care where you work, just what your turbine/jet time is (and in some cases glass cockpit/FMS).

The $12k training contract at Mesa is BS, but is prorated monthly and the remaining balance is cut in half with 45 days notice. So realistically, with the current timelines from interviewing to starting at a major, by the time all was said and done, you'd maybe owe $3-4K, and they likely wouldn't go after you for it anyway. And that's assuming you got hired real quick by a major. My sim partner quit 3 days after IOE and never heard a peep. The only guy I know they went after emailed the CEO directly and told him the company sucked, quit shortly thereafter, and got sued. That's my no BS perspective of Mesa from a mil guy who used it for what it is. Don't get me wrong, I hope the place shuts down and it's the lowest paying airline out there. But for your situation it isn't bad.

PM me if you want more army perspective on the industry. I have several army friends in various regionals, Jetblue, and a couple legacies.

trip

Skywest is closing IAH domicile. UAL shifted all the flying over to Mesa.
The regional shell game.

Alaskanrenegade

Beat Navy,

Thank you for the inside scoop on Mesa. I really do appreciate the no-nonsense military perspective. I didn't consider Mesa was due primarily to the "phone interview" I received. The caller, a Mesa CA, was yawning throughout the entire duration of the phone call. I figured anyone who was so unprofessional as to represent their company in that manner didn't really care about their company.
But, as trip said, Skywest is now closing IAH and the future of XJT is in question. That only leaves Mesa for the non-commute to IAH. It would make some kind of sense to have a replacement for these regionals leaving IAH.
I have no problem being a FO. I have no problem with any of the regionals other than what I previously noted.
I have a upcoming interview with Omni, but am not sure about the ability to jump from rotor into a 767 without any formal jet training.
I do appreciate everyone's input!