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Regional vs. instructing

Old 10-06-2006, 07:28 PM
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Default Regional vs. instructing

I have noticed that the longer a CFI instructs, the more picky he is about what airlines they would apply to. I still fairly new to instructing, but I am wondering if anyone has any input on instructing for another year and building hours vs. trying to get an airline job sooner than later. I am not talking about GoJets or Mesa, but perhaps Big Sky or another airline that will hire at 500-600 hours TT (I currently only have 40 Multi, bummer) that would be okay to work at for a few years or so. It seems like flying a turboprop would be better time spent than instructing out of a 152, and that could get the PIC turbine faster as well. I guess that I am not seeing why someone would opt to instruct for a long time instead of going to a regional. Perhaps to get on to a "better" airline like ExpressJet or SkyWest instead of BigSky?
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Old 10-06-2006, 07:34 PM
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Get 135 minimums then fly freight for a year or so. You will get turbine PIC at most carriers and your airline interviews will be much easier after you get some real world flying experience. You will have a great time as well. Don't rush to get into a regional, it isn't that great.
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Old 10-06-2006, 08:02 PM
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BTW Shaun Kudos to you for earning your job and not just paying people off like a GOD D@MNED Academy Puke.... Keep up the good work man....
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Old 10-06-2006, 08:38 PM
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Originally Posted by Shaun View Post
I have noticed that the longer a CFI instructs, the more picky he is about what airlines they would apply to. I still fairly new to instructing, but I am wondering if anyone has any input on instructing for another year and building hours vs. trying to get an airline job sooner than later. I am not talking about GoJets or Mesa, but perhaps Big Sky or another airline that will hire at 500-600 hours TT (I currently only have 40 Multi, bummer) that would be okay to work at for a few years or so. It seems like flying a turboprop would be better time spent than instructing out of a 152, and that could get the PIC turbine faster as well. I guess that I am not seeing why someone would opt to instruct for a long time instead of going to a regional. Perhaps to get on to a "better" airline like ExpressJet or SkyWest instead of BigSky?

If you've ruled out go-jets and mesa you're on the right track. The pain and hassle of ANY 121 training program is significant. I probably wouldn't do a big sky unless they have a base in your hometime. Wait until you can get into a decent regional with geography that is good for you.

A small turbo-prop only regional might be useful for quick PIC, but that PIC will only be useful if you have a good connection at a major that is hiring (or soon will be). SWA airlines will interview just about anyone with 1800-2000 121 PIC, but they interview many and hire few. If you go through all that and get burned out as a Big Sky captain in 3 years you'll end up applying to those same big regionals that you could have done as a 1200 hour CFI...
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Old 10-06-2006, 08:39 PM
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I think I'm going to go the route that crjav8er mentioned. A bunch of CFI's at my school got hired recently and I probably could have gone with them but decided against it for a couple reasons. First, I didn't want to work for the company they went to. Second, I'm really liking instucting and would make a career out of it if it paid better. Third, at 500 hours I feel that I have a lot to learn before blasting around in an RJ with 50 people's lives depending on me. I'd rather wait and have a chance at a better regional. First year pay sucks, I don't want to spend two years on it.

The FBO I used to work at handled a lot of 135 ops and the flying sort of appeals to me. It's tough, it's potentially dangerous, but it will make you a damn good pilot. I think I'll do that for a couple years and try to move to a fractional or something. Then again, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.
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Old 10-06-2006, 08:57 PM
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Originally Posted by rickair7777 View Post
If you go through all that and get burned out as a Big Sky captain in 3 years you'll end up applying to those same big regionals that you could have done as a 1200 hour CFI...
True, however, I will be able to apply to any regional and have a fair chance at getting hired. I will also have to work fewer years at the better regional before I go after a major job. After a few years as a CFI I will have total time, but my multi will still be lacking. Also, I will make more as a regional pilot than as a CFI. If I have enough time for a 135 operation, I would rather go into a regional. It seems like an unnecisary step to me.

I guess I am trying to look long term. What route will get me to where I want to be the fastest. Maybe that is the wrong way to look at it? It seems that I could go to a lesser regional, then go to a better regional for a while after that to build the time for a major, and it would be better than instructing for another few years (while paying for more multi time, very few multi students around here) and then just barely having mins for the better regionals.

Anyone who went into a regional with low time and would have instructed longer if they were able to do it again?
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Old 10-06-2006, 08:59 PM
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Originally Posted by Space Monkey View Post
BTW Shaun Kudos to you for earning your job and not just paying people off like a GOD D@MNED Academy Puke.... Keep up the good work man....
Thanks, Space Monkey
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Old 10-06-2006, 11:58 PM
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Originally Posted by Shaun View Post
I have noticed that the longer a CFI instructs, the more picky he is about what airlines they would apply to. I still fairly new to instructing, but I am wondering if anyone has any input on instructing for another year and building hours vs. trying to get an airline job sooner than later. I am not talking about GoJets or Mesa, but perhaps Big Sky or another airline that will hire at 500-600 hours TT (I currently only have 40 Multi, bummer) that would be okay to work at for a few years or so. It seems like flying a turboprop would be better time spent than instructing out of a 152, and that could get the PIC turbine faster as well. I guess that I am not seeing why someone would opt to instruct for a long time instead of going to a regional. Perhaps to get on to a "better" airline like ExpressJet or SkyWest instead of BigSky?
I've known such instructors too - they meet or exceed mins for many regionals, but choose to hold out. Somebody explained to me one reason for this is because let's say you have 700 TT, get an interview with XYZ Regional, get hired by XYZ, and then class gets canceled/you get furloughed/etc etc. Then you're stuck in a bad place.. you already quit your CFI job, and don't quite have enough hours to be competitive to a whole lot of other jobs out there. So some people would rather wait until they have a good amount of hours under their belt, say 1500. A security thing, I guess.

And another small reason would be the pay.. I guess it depends on where you teach, but if you work at some large aviation universities (or even some busy FBOs), you actually take a pay cut the first year or two of getting onto a regional.
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Old 10-07-2006, 12:43 AM
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Originally Posted by crjav8er View Post
Get 135 minimums then fly freight for a year or so. You will get turbine PIC at most carriers and your airline interviews will be much easier after you get some real world flying experience. You will have a great time as well. Don't rush to get into a regional, it isn't that great.
I second that.

I have gone the non-regional route. I have not qualified for food stamps since I left flight instruction

But, as an outsider, the only thing I have regreted is not making as many quality contacts (it seems) as those who went the regional route, but I was always a bit hard headed and wanted to earn the job on my qualificatiion vice who I know.

Good luck and keep your chin up. Honest work will win (sorry for the protestant work ethic thing).

j
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Old 10-07-2006, 03:13 AM
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Having interviewed with Big Sky myself, I'd say go work for them if you can. They've got a lot of great flying going on out there, and it seems like a fun bunch of people. Additionally, they plan on doubling their operation within the next year, so there's some room for growth there.
As far as burning bridges by quitting your CFI job to go fly for a regional, this doesn't always have to be the case. If you explain the situation to your employer, there's a good chance they'd be more than happy to hire you back on if the airline pilot thing doesn't work out - especially if you did good work.
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