not like you make much money as a CFI, but save you pennies, apply with Mesa, and get your resume to your top three as soon as you finish your 121 training. If one of your top three hire you, quit Mesa, pay the training contract, and get out. ITS ALL ABOUT SENIORITY WITH THE AIRLINE YOUR REALLY WANT TO BE WITH! There's a reason that companies put that 1 year commitment on. Its usually the companies where lots of people leave within the first year. If you see the one year commitment, chances are you're not the first person to plan on leaving, and you won't be the last. In my ground school at Express Jet a year ago, there were two ex-Mesa guys in that class.

Here's a prime example of why companies put the one year commitment on. I came from Piedmont where I as on the line for about two months. My sim partner was from Eagle, where he was on line there for three months. One of the two guys from Mesa was only on the line 6 months before coming to Express Jet (who doesn't have a training contract... though the bump from 22 to 32 dollars an hour from first to second year pay IS your pay for training...) Out of the 15 people in my ground school at Express Jet, everyone of us is still at XJT. 16 months after my ground school started at Piedmont, there are only 3 people out of 12 left there. The companies where you will want to stay are the ones that won't make you pay to leave. (if that makes any sense) aka If there's a training contract, it means that people were jumping ship faster in the first year there than rats did off the Titanic.

So, here's my advice. Figure out your top three airlines you want to work for. Get your app in to those NOW! If you don't hear anything in two weeks, apply to Mesa (who also charges you to apply mind you). Once you complete your 121 training, get your apps bak out to your top three, and if they offer you an interview or a job, TAKE IT and get the seniority where you really want to be!

No matter what airline you go to, Mesa is the four letter word of our industry. (Of course, Go Jets is working hard to become the dirty word) But that is subject for a whole new thread!