Originally Posted by
Slice
1. FE time will be most likely worthless to your career progress since the seats are going away across the industry. Search the hiring mins at UPS, FDX, SWA, etc. It's pretty much useless without PIC/SIC time to boot.
2. In this climate, I'd hate to be a low time regional FO. Where are you going to go if furloughed? Best case another regional which isn't that great.
3. The guard is hardly part-time these days, especially the first several years after getting in. Search the board, there's a ton of info.
4. Pretty sure most UAV jobs require a security clearance. Odds of getting a contractor job without having operated them in the military are probably slim.
5. CFI will give you opportunities to learn, network, earn additional income on the side later in life, and a good plan B if you do get furloughed from an airline someday.
I'm with Slice on this one...
UAV's: You will probably need a clearance, which you won't have without prior military. Most importantly, UAV flying is NOT airplane flying...it will count for NOTHING at all as far as a career as a professional pilot is concerned. Do not pursue this unless you are willing to give up on the idea of flying real airplanes. On the flip side, the UAV business will grow rapidly...if you decide you want to go this route and can get in, you will probably always have a job.
Guard: Great flying experience, free training, better pay, plenty of opportunity to work as much as you can stand for the forseeable future. Great to have the resume and connections that go with it. Obviously you have to be properly motivated for military service, and willing to kill our enemies.
FE: Airplanes which use FE's are a dying breed long-term, so the FE time itself won't help your career. However...this decision all depends on your odds of moving into the right and possibly left seat of a wide-body doing international flying. If the company is stable and you can reasonably predict your seat progression, you might want to go this route. If you can get 1000 hours PIC in a widebody within 5-8 years, you would be far more competetive for good major airline jobs than a regional captain. Also if you're young enough, this might be a once-in-a-lifetime aviation opportunity just for the fun factor...
Regional vs. CFI: If you have less than 1000 hours, I'd lean towards CFI. that way you can learn some things, have fun, and avoid the furlough process at a regional. But it also depends on the location of available jobs and where you want to live.