Originally Posted by
KINEAvTECH92
I'm 25, just entering flight school. Spent the last 4 years working on a kinesiology degree and realized I wanted to be a pilot. So my flight degree will add another 1.5 years from January 2018. My goal: Fly for the airlines, and live in Colorado. I'm already living in Colorado but I'd like to stay here if possible and Southwest is also an airline I'd like to fly for.
Some wants:
I know what I'm getting into but I don't want to be gone all the time. I know in the beginning at the regionals it's going to be tough for a bit but once I latch on to the majors things will get better. Are there any airlines out there that offer day trips? Or tend to have their pilots back at base more often? From what I've seen there are a ton of factors like senority, proximity to base, type of equipment etc. At the moment I think I'd like to stay with the 737, I've always loved that plane.
I've heard of some airlines offering options to block trips together? Or guys can just bid reserve?
You're coming into it with the right mindset and expectations it sounds like. It's gonna take a bit for you to get your 1500ish hours, get on with a regional, and then make it to a major.
The day trips typically go the most senior at each base, as they typically are the highest credit time per day, plus home every night.
A word to the wise: the 737 sucks.
Then again, I went to it after flying the 757/767. Tiny, loud cockpit. I guess I should be thankful for my time on the 737, as that is what drove me to switching to the 320, which has been just fantastic.