Originally Posted by
AirWillie
If CFIing is not for you then your only option is Airnet not much else right now, nobody is hiring and when they do they won't be looking for 500 hour pilots anymore. Still I have never met anyone who regretted CFIing but I have met plenty that wished they got their CFI and instructed.
I would have to second that. While I'm out of the loop regarding CFI jobs, it is valuable time. Consider this; with licenses like the MPL, it would seem that the industry is intent on radically lowering the experience requirements for an airline job. You can bet that it is also their intent to reduce the pay accordingly. The rub is that they will still require experienced instructors to train all those newbies. IMHO, if there is going to be any decent money left in this profession, it will be in training. Experience as a CFI might help you get your foot in the door of training, once you do get on with an airline.
Another thing to consider - if you are intent on flying for the airlines, the skills that will help you the most long term are your instrument flying skills. Let's face it, that's what airline flying is all about. Take your instrument rating seriously (it's NOT just another rating) and then get your CFII. Instruct instrument students. Even if it is in a simulator, it is valuable experience. I'm now a TRE with one of the above mentioned airlines and I will tell you that the lack of a good instrument flying background shows through in spades.