Originally Posted by
BoFlyer25
-If I do decide to go get a CFI/II are accelerated courses any good?
Accelerated courses work fine, and there's benefit to doing it with a group as opposed to one-on-one. It's really more about the school and instructor quality, need to do your homework before committing to any program.
Originally Posted by
BoFlyer25
I am not sure if it would look better vs getting some random part time gig somewhere and while I do have some networking ongoing I want things to look as good as possible especially if Legacy's are a possibility I'd like to push for a better regional carrier or cargo carrier. I absolutely do not want to put myself in a position for any type of violation. If I do get a CFI/II I would most likely only be able to use it in a part time situation early mornings/nights/weekends and maybe at some point when/if I am ever slow break off and head to the airport to do some training for someone. I do love the idea of it and have been doing a lot of safety piloting for a friend trying to get his instrument rating. I find myself trying to instill the good habits my CFI put in me..... I guess some professional work in the field is better than none?
Some is better than none, but again, I think you could get hired just fine at any regional with PPL time. Might be worth mentioning at an interview that you wanted to work as a CFI but had other obligations. Just having a CFI rating is helpful, even if you don't actually teach.
Originally Posted by
BoFlyer25
-I started with a paper log book. I've seen a few people mention switching over to digital. I am about 5 pages from finishing said logbook so it seems the time to switch if it is critical to moving forward.
Probably smart to switch early, otherwise you'll just have more data entry to do later. Keep the paper book for signature, endorsements. Regionals may want to see your GA training history in ink (majors probably won't bother).
Originally Posted by
BoFlyer25
As far as the SODA/my eye condition I believe it is fairly stable at where it is. They caught it late (maybe Kindergarten) and I was patched for years until they said it was pretty much as good as it was going to get. My question is though: What does the stability of the bad eye have to do with ease of getting said SODA? I was under the impression from some of the other posts I have read here/reddit/abroad that once you are approved for the SODA they will never test that eye again. Am I correct in this? I'm local to the Atlanta area and have a pretty good AME right near KATL that I have been using who should be fairly well versed in the 1C medicals as I believe he does many for Delta. I will give him a call.
My understanding... the SODA will be for a specified vision defect, ie 20/20 L eye, 20/30 R eye. Once you have the SODA, you'll have to pass the eye test for each medical renewal, but only to the lesser standard for which the SODA was issued, ie 20/30 for the right eye in my example. If your vision is not stable, you might be able to get a special issuance which expires sooner than a normal medical to ensure that they check your status more frequently. If you're serious about this, just get professional advice, either from a 1C AME with a good reputation or from a consultant like AMAS.
Since this was a childhood issue, I'm sure it's perfectly stable and you can get a SODA no problem.
Originally Posted by
BoFlyer25
-I assume when you speak about peak retirements in 2027 I need to probably be interviewing no later than say 2025 for a regional?
Two issues with retirements...
1. It's easier to get a job while the retirements are moving. Less significant for regionals, but majors will get very picky, very quickly during "normal" times (based on history). Back in the day it was common that out of ten perfectly viable regional CA's with similar records only 3-6 would make it to majors. Right now it's probably 100% with a clean record. Actually... for second tier (AS, B6, NK, F9, etc) the DUI will probably HELP you because they know you're slightly less likely to get called by the top tier. I think you will get called by top tier regardless. So Ideally you'd like to get hired at a major before things slow down too much.
Also, about regionals... assume that a "career" at a regional is not going to be a reliable plan B. They'll either shrink, liquidate, or the QOL will be so bad that you won't want any part of it. Don't get comfortable or delay career progression while at a regional, not even for a minute. Many of my generation can attest to that.
2. Seniority progression. If you get hired later in the wave you'll miss out on rapid seniority progression. That's critical... you schedule, vacation, pay, type of aircraft, upgrade all depend on seniority. These are unprecedented times, don't waste the exceptionally rare opportunity to grab a LOT of seniority very quickly. If you get to mid-seniority narrowbody CA in five years, that's a very comfortable place to hang out for decades to come after things slow down.
Regional seniority doesn't matter because that does not count for majors.