Originally Posted by
Pilotage
I'm a retired AF pilot, 3500 hrs in 135s and T-1s. Been out of the cockpit for about 3 yrs. Am contemplating leaving the corporate world and returning to the cockpit. Im operating on the assumption at regionals are a must given my lack of currency. But I'll be honest, the pay and lifestyle (commuting) seem pretty rough. Looking to hear from anyone who has gone down this road.
Some observations from a longtime reader of this site...
I'm in the same boat. 49 year old retired military guy who has not flown in 3 years. Reading the extensive and wide ranging opinions on this site, I've come to the conclusion that the regional life will most certainly suck. However one must choose one that minimizes the suck to the greatest extent possible and then embrace the remaining suck until a legacy calls. Minimizing the suck is key and includes location (i.e. domicile/reducing or eliminating a commute), work rules, pay, and no training contract. For those of us in our position with the requisite turbine PIC time but no recency, flow is not as important as we are looking to move on way before flow becomes an option. In the end the choice of regional, save for a few bottom feeder companies, is a personal decision based upon your personal situation. That is the reason many people will resist giving out an opinion of which is the "best regional" until they know the specifics of your situation. Even then, different people tolerate different levels of suck. Like I said, except for a few bottom feeder companies, do your research and choose one that fits you best.