Originally Posted by ShortBus_Driver
This depends on several factors. First, what equipment you are on. The Beech 1900D upgrade does not require the ICAO mins as you do not fly international. The ICAO mins will also likely be waived for much of the Dash-8 domestic flying. Even so, if you fly regularly you will meet all ICAO mins after 3 years with Mesa (assuming you graduate from MAPD with bare minimum time). And the upgrade to CA on the ERJ is currently less than 2 years, and the CRJ about 3 years. So even if you have to wait to meet ICAO mins, you still are looking at going from private pilot to the left seat of a regional jet in 4.5 years total. If you go with the CFI route you are going to spend 3.5 years+ before you can apply to a regional. As pointed out, however, the CFI route does certainly give you some invaluable additional experience flying which is always a good thing.
I spent 2 years as a CFI, as did my contemporaries (with degrees) and things were slow then. Today you can get a call with 1000/100, so that's less than 2 years.
Originally Posted by ShortBus_Driver
I certainly can't comment here on what other airline pilots think. Perhaps this is true. However, I would think that this is a rather narrow view held by a select few. I will say that I personally know and/or know of MAPD grads that have gone to United, NW, SW, JetBlue, Fed Ex, UPS, US Airways, Continental and Alaska. As a matter of fact, I know of at least 7 MAPD students who were sent to the program by their father's who were Captains at United, Continental, SW and Alaska - all of whom thought MAPD was the best option for their child to enter the airline aviation business.
I would think once you build up the time to meet a major airline's hiring requirements, whether you were MAPD or not is going to be of little significance. Your personality, competence, and connections are going to be what gets you the job.
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I am neither an opponent or proponent of MAPD, I am simply relaying information that some readers of this forum have no means of acquiring on their own...they don't spend much time in airbus or boeing jumpseats. I would not refuse to hire an MAPD grad, many are my friends...but all other factors being equal I would probably hire someone who has the added depth of the CFI background over someone who doesn't. And there are guys who harbor serious resentment over the state of the industry and their careers, and the PFT issue just makes a convenient outlet...they are out there.
Now obviously if dad's a senior captain, or you hold an affirmative action golden ticket... then all you need are the mins. I am addressing the circumstances of the average pilot.