Originally Posted by
Hacker15e
There's a difference between currency and recency.
Currency means as far as the FAA is concerned, you have the correct training, landings, and instrument approaches required to exercise the privileges of a certificate or rating. This is what you get when taking a Flight Review or an Instrument Proficiency Check (which a type ride in a sim will give you)
Recency means that you've flown a particular number of hours in a particular timeframe. In this case, it means the 100 or 200 hours in the previous 12 months that the majors are looking for.
The majors are looking for both of these, not either of these.
While getting a type rating would get you "current", it would not get you "recency".
For folks who aren't going to have the year or two or three of lookback (active flying) when they leave the military, the regionals are a good way to get that recency while giving your application at the majors a bit of a shine, too.
Hacker hits the nail on the head; I was in on the UAL webinar as well and was excited to hear their requirements for recency. Currency will help you get hired at a regional but the reality is you could probably get hired without either. The thing currency will give you is confidence in training and some slight defense in an interview against the question, "when is the last time you flew?"
For what it is worth, you can reestablish FAA currency in one flight in a 172. The benefits far outweigh the $300 price tag. More importantly, it would be near insanity to attempt to fly yourself into recency for a desirable flying career, so that leaves the regional option.
Dubz