Originally Posted by
Skytrash99
I am thinking about leaving my regional airline and take a job overseas. For anybody who has experience in this, how difficult is it to get back to a mainline carrier after being out of the US for say 3 years...
It depends on the equipment you are flying. There is a great need for ATR pilots in and Q400 Captains in India, Japan and China. Some found the transition back to the US a difficult transition due to extremely low pay and poor QOL. That said, off to foreign lands of greater opportunities.
One choppy I know went to Qatar as a DEC on the Airbus. His totoal tine was about 10,000 PIC of which 4,000 plus in the ATR. He turned down a passes on a position with British Airways to maintain is command. He felt that command outweighed the need to return to the UK.
Then there is a the lad who returned to the US to join ATLAS. Family outweighed the need for command.
To answer your question it is possible with some carriers. You may have trouble getting on with some carriers if you remain otside the US beyond 5 years. Perhaps someone else can share their experiences with that issue.
Look at PPRUNE for more info.
All the best