Originally Posted by
SkyHigh
Why not also wait till you have 2000 hours and a type rating as well?
Captains make the bigger bucks in part to the fact that they are also mentors and instructors of their FOs.
I am sure that it is much nicer to have fully trained and highly experienced FO's so they can fall asleep in the seat however times as they are assure that captains will have to work a little harder.
My advise is to go for it if there is a job being offered no matter how much time you have. Low timers might have to face a few frowns and short tempers from their captains but in short time they will be up to speed.
It is much better for the low timer than wasting time as a CFI to go strait to a regional if it is being offered, and a pain for the captain. In the end you will only be cheating yourself if you choose the long road.
SkyHigh
WOW> I actually find myself agreeing with SkyHigh.
I have debated this idea of Flight Instrcuring versus going to a Regional Airline. I love Flight Instructing. I love to teach. I dont do it to "build time" In fact I hate the trem "building time" I prefer to call it "building experience". But the more I talk to airline pilots or people going through Airline pilot training, I dont see wher eflight instructing will help prepare you for Airline systems, CPT, or GENOps training. Flight Instructing is an important job, but its a totally different job from being an FO ina part 121 environment. The rules are different. The equipment is very different. Sittin gin the right seat watching a student fly and correcting his errors on steep turns, turns around a point and S-turns is not going to help you learn to fly a CAT-II approach. Heck, I never heard the term RVR in my private, intrument or commercial training. ididnt start getting into that term until I was a CFI.
So, I am now of the opinion that if you have the requirememnnts to go to an airlne and thats what you want to do then do that. Everyone has to start somewhere. Wheather you have 1000 hours or 300 hours isnt the point. The 300 hour new pilot is just as gren to CRJ systems as is the guy who flew Cessna 172's for 1000 hours. Plus you guys make it sound like the 300 hour newbie is inthe cockpit by himself and is making all the decisions. There is an at leats 15oo hour Captain who has experience in that aircraft making the decisions. And thirdly. Why do you guys knock on 300 hour pilots flying as FO's on regional airlines but you respect the 250 hour 2nd Lieutenant flying T-38's all by himself?
Airline flying, Flight Instructing. they are different jobs requireing different skil knowledge