Originally Posted by
aviatorman2008
Alright, here's the background. I'm 28, married, a baby due any day now. I have about 750tt and 65 multi. I haven't flown in about a year and a half. I have been thinking about quitting my well paying job which I'm not happy with and can't see doing long term to get back in the aviation world. I love to fly and I miss it a great deal. I know I meet a lot of hiring minimums for the regionals in today's market but I lack currency.(most likely thinking Pinnacle or Mesaba because I live in MSP) What is the best way to get current and what kind of currency time will the regionals require to even interview me?? Should I just go get some single engine time? Or Multi? and what about instrument? Lastly, and I know this is a tough question. Is it all worth it?
My advice to you is that with the baby coming soon, you should think hard about quitting a well paying job. I have a friend whose wife just had a baby, and he switched from a well paying job to a regional job and he is having a hard time right now and regretting his decision.
You have to ask yourself, can you support your family on what you will make as a regional FO. Depends on where you wind up, you can plan on anywhere between $25,000 to $27,000 your first year, and this is if you get hired at one of the better ones.
Another thing you should think about is that in the airline world, you are not really hired until you finish your checkride and complete your IOE. I've seen a number of people not make it through either sim checkride or the IOE. Something to think about before quitting your well paying job. Also, if you have not been flying for over year and a half, you are going to need at least 30 days or more of regular flying to get back in shape.
I recommend that before you make such a radical decision, try CFIing part time to ease back into flying and keep your well paying job until you have enough money saved up to support your family for at least couple of years on regional FO salary. Right now with the merger frenzy going on between major airlines, and the skyrocketing fuel prices, things are very uncertain. Many airline analysts are predicting a major reduction of smaller RJs and demise of some regionals.