Originally Posted by
Banditopilot
Hey gang. I am a current part 135 single pilot King air 200 Cap. Sic Citation 135. 2000 hours king Air pic or so.2600 tt.. 300 jet sic. ATP. Never busted a ride. Always wanted to fly airlines. I am 43.In shape and fun to be on trips with. Just a High school ed. Did some college wasn't for me. I am a very safe pilot that can think under pressure. Credit rating sucks but from old college loan.Fixin that. Talk to me. Looking to make a move.
Hi Bandito,
I figured I'd jump in here since all the replies you've received so far were the usual empty bandwidth.
First, why do you want to head to the airlines? Are you still gainfully employed with your current gig? Do you have a pretty good future there? What are your long term goals?
I have a similar background to you... I used to fly King Airs for a 135 op, and more recently was a part 91 citation co-captain with about 2100 hours. A few months ago I made the switch to a regional airline, as I was only flying about 200 hours/year and did not see a strong future at my corporate gig. I saw the regionals as a place to quickly get my TT up to the "magical" 3500 TT dictated by Wavern/Argus for a lot of the better 135 jet jobs, as well as some of the mid-size jet insurance requirements for part 91 operators.
Additionally, I felt now was my one chance to try the airlines before settling down in life (I'm currently 34, single, no kids). I've only been doing this for a short while, but so far it has been enjoyable. The first year pay is obviously terrible, but as long as you plan ahead financially it is certainly possible to still have fun without incurring debt. It's pretty nice not being tied to a phone on my hard days off, and I'm enjoying the variety of crews that I fly with.
I'm not really sure how far I'll pursue this airline thing, but it will always be a nice boost in my resume if I decide to head back to charter or corporate down the road later. Having exposure to multiple types of operations is always a good thing in my opinion!
One last comment... Since you don't have a college degree, you will most likely be unable to move onto the major airlines/cargo carriers. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as making a career at some of the better regionals is not uncommon. But if your goal is to be flying a Boeing 767 for Delta for example, you might need to reconsider. But you probably already know this.
Good luck with your decision, and please feel free to PM me if you have any questions! Also, keep in mind the most bitter airline pilots are the ones that have never had to slug it out in the crappy charter/corporate jobs. They're kinda clueless!