Originally Posted by
Won2Many
I appreciate the feedback! I’m stuck at that 350-450 hrs a year right now too (if all goes well). I’m in my 40’s and settled with a family in a popular town in Montana which should be easy enough to commute to most West Coast cities for an airline base out there.
My PIC turbine is a mix of Twin Otter ~300hrs, Caravan ~250hrs, Part 91 Sole manipulator Phenom 300. ~50hrs.
I understand the fast lane going by me. I’ve been choosing my family and QOL for the last 5 years over the career (maybe to a fault). Had been told when hired by current company that hours within count for double towards upgrade time of 3000tt and recently had company wide email stating otherwise. I’ve applied to most and interviewed with several of the relevant 135 operators. I think I’m just part of the pack of pilots lacking time and experience.
I’ve reached out to a couple airline prep folks and will see what they have to say.
Thanks again!
Not to be discouraging but to show how 1900 hrs stacks up in the market place - two 7,000 hrs guys in another thread. One had 780 (?) TPIC and the other had 3,000 TPIC. The 780 TPIC guy had gone to a job fair(??) and was hired. Not saying the job fair is the deal breaker but it's another check mark. I doubt a job fair would be the difference maker but I doubt a major airline is looking for that resume right now. A regional airline? I would think they absolutely would be looking for your resume. You have experience at weights and speeds that has broadened your experience level. Keep in mind that a 50,000 lbs CRJ-200, with a wing loading of 90+ lbs/sq ft, is a vastly different aircraft than an 18,000 lbs Phenom 300 with a wing loading of 57 lbs/sq ft. But your resume is a great stepping stone to the regional airlines but major airline 121 is a 'bridge too far' right now.
Pursuing the career path that gives you the best odds of making it to the majors often requires pain and sacrifice that requires difficult decisions and choices. How do you take today's resume and transform it into a resume the majors will take notice of? What steps gets you there quickest? None of the advancement is guaranteed. That's the difficult decision point - what's the quickest, amd most likely path, that gets me to what I hope to achieve?
Keep grinding away and pursue the next step up the career/resume improvement ladder. If the majors are your goal, and it is achievable with more experience, regional airlines are the #1 feeder to the majors and are a decent non major airline career. It will also be a resume enhancer, time and type rating boost, to pursuing a top tier Part 135/91K job in the future (mid 50's?) if the Part 121 job doesn't come through.
Good luck.