Hey,

First, I want to thank anyone who takes the time to respond to my questions. I’m really having a hard time with making a potential decision on this stuff so I’m willing to take any advice I can get. I want to start off by saying that, as you can tell, this is my first post on the forums. I’ve come on every now and then to read some stuff but this is the first time I’ve decided to go make an account and ask a question. My question is very subjective but I’m willing to take any opinions I can get.

My main question, as you can tell by the title, is should I leave the airlines? Would you, if you were in my shoes, leave the airlines? I’ll explain a little background to you. I grew up in a non-pilot household but got interested in flying from a buddy’s dads plane. Worked on my private throughout high school and decided to go to ATP. Received my certificates and ratings and was fortunate to skip the flight instructing side and go into a 135 twin turboprop FO position in AK. Stayed there for a little over a year and then moved back to the Midwest where I got hired at another 135 operator as a captain. I got a type rating on a twin turboprop plane and flew that plane for over a year again. At over two years from completing ATP and a couple 135 jobs, I decided to go to the regionals with over 2500 TT and over 1000 twin turbine PIC. At my first 135 job, I also started working on my degree. This whole time, I had been prepping to go to the airlines and, eventually, to the majors.

I left the 135 side and went to an AA regional earlier this year, went through all of training and IOE, passed, and have been on the line for awhile. To be honest though, I hate the 121 type of flying. For people thinking it’s the work rules or pay/benefits of a regional, trust me, it’s not. I miss my last flying job of flying single pilot without an autopilot in a twin turboprop plane, loading and unloading the airplane (about 40% of the time by myself), moving belt loaders, tugs, cans, etc. in the rigid cold of winter and in the hotter than ass of summer. To me, the 121 flying is very monotonous, dull, and makes me hate flying, yet, everyone I’ve befriended in training loves it and thinks it’s the best thing. To anyone who works at a major and has worked at a regional, is there really any differences in the type of flying (meaning how the flying is conducted) between a major and a regional?

For awhile I’ve wanted to go back in the 135 side and fly props but, at the same time, I don’t want to. I’m only 21 years old and I feel leaving the airlines would be throwing away a lot of money and quality of life but, at the same time, I feel like staying is doing no justice as I hate my job and not for the reasons most people hate the regionals for. What would you do if you were in my shoes? Would you stay in the airline world even though you hate it or go do flying you actually love even though you know the money will never be anywhere near the major level?

Again, thank you for taking the time to answer my question.