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Old 10-02-2016 | 09:21 AM
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Originally Posted by cbrpilot
Thanks. I've been reading through gouges and have a good list going on what to focus on now. I don't have the turbine pilot flying manual though. I'll probably over study, but I'd prefer that to not enough.



Appreciate the heads up, but I'm pretty familiar with the lifestyle of a new regional pilot lol. Still have several friends that stuck with it and are much better off now than their meager beginnings. I'm lucky enough to have a wife who makes enough to support me not making any income at all...I won't be eating any ramen. Any other advice?
Hey man, welcome back! I have a similar backstory, left aviation around that time not by choice, and did something else for a few years, hopping in and out of flying. I lost all currency at one point, and did exactly what you're talking about -- hopped in a glass cockpit airplane. I can't recommend that enough, as learning the G1000 with an FD/AP setup was highly-useful in managing the systems of a 121 jet. As for the interview, learn Jepps like the back of your hand, and from there read the aviationinterviews website gouges. Some airlines will want jet knowledge (Skywest, so I've heard), others won't go beyond Jepps and a few basic 121 alternate/legality questions (Envoy), and some will want to know about your Cessna or "most recent multi" systems (several airlines). As for the HR stuff, be the normal guy/gal you seem to be and you'll do just fine.

As far as your "getting back into it" training, a lot of that will be for your 121 training more than the interview; most have done away with sim evals, and even so they are often fairly straightforward events. The training, though, has a starting point that some without recent proficiency find to be a stretch. Of course try to re-perfect a solid glass-cockpit scan with and without a flight director. And if your budget allows, fly till you feel totally comfortable with the ins and outs of a technically-advanced glass cockpit setup (not sure if PW Caravans had G1000s or some other type of tech?). Sure, it doesn't directly transfer, but you'd be amazed at how much easier life is for the guys who've used FLCH and VS modes, or VNAV/GP G1000/FMS modes, compared to those who had to learn those basics AND try to fly a jet. Again, maybe you're good to go on that, but just wanted to stress that point. The only folks we lost during our training were those who had only flown steam gauges and/or hadn't flown with technology in quite some time. The actual flying didn't weed anyone out, as they'll likely work with you as needed to a reasonable extent. But it was the guys who couldn't wrap their heads around the FD/AP modes and the FMS (the latter of which in many ways has similar logic to piston G1000/Avidyne set-ups; not nearly as user friendly, but the logic will be remotely familiar).

One last suggestion that helped me a bit, try flying "faster than normal" approaches as much as the Cessna allows. While I couldn't mirror a jet, it did help tracking LOCs and GSs at 120 versus the normal Cessna approach speeds when it came to hand-flying the sim. Just something that helped me a bit after being spoiled with countless 90 knot approaches as a CFII, YMMV. Your Caravan time may make this unnecessary.

The money doesn't have to lead to poverty nowadays, some people are a bit dramatic (yes, it used to be pretty bad, and still isn't what we'd like it to be, no argument here). No need to go to Mesa. I came from a higher-paying non-aviation gig, and I haven't suffered a horrible financial setback. I'm sure you're well aware that pay is going up, and many regionals are hiring. You'll do great.
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