Originally Posted by
250 or point 65
Bry,
The way I see it, in the situation that you are portraying, you'll have a slim window in which to jump back in. You're not competing against guys who have the same experience you do because 90% of them are already on a list and waiting on recall. After that happens, I would guess that the first airlines who hire will probably be attracted to guys with 121 time. These guys will have the same experience you do and probably have the same lack of recency that you do. Basically, you'll look identical to a furloughed guy from another list. After all those former airline guys are picked up, they will probably turn to CFI's. I believe that by the time this happens, your ship will pretty much have sailed because the mins will have gone down and you will have been basically out of the game for that much longer.
When comparing you to the 10% of former airline guys that you'll be competing against, it may be better for you to have an ATP, but I would guess that most of these guys won't either. Its hard to tell if it's worth the time or money for the tick on your resume. I'd probably say that if its not going to cause you financial hardship, go for it. If nothing else, it may allow you to be hired at the beginning of that 10 % instead of at the end, and we all know how much being up the list 10% can up your QOL.
I understand that my %'s may be off, but thats how I see it going down.
That is a valid take.
The way I see it is that the airlines will take the most qualified and likely guy to pass through their training program. All decisions made by an airline are cost oriented. A new guy with only CFI experience is more of a wild card.
Anyone on a furlough list obviously has first priority - but, as you said, that is ONLY with the company from which furloughed. I gave up my recall rights at TSA because based on my estimation, recalls weren't going to happen in volume for a long time. Even if I had barely made it back on the list, the slow progress of things coupled with my commuting would have proven a VERY difficult period of time. And as you know, the company isn't worth crap anyway. It was my first knee-jerk entry into 121. I knew that after what would likely be more than a year off, I'd not want to go back there anyway considering I do have an alternative career to use if needed.
That being said, the furloughees will need to be picked up first. However, when "arm's length" hiring resumes, it seems that a company would prefer someone who has traveled through a 121 training program and has gained some valuable initial experience over a CFI who just came out of a 172. Recency is certainly key, but I'd imagine that a guy whose been CFIing, even at a rate of 100 hours a year, is still above many in recency.
I am currently flight instructing, but just part time. By the end of this year, I'll have logged about 150 hours or so and will try my best to keep it up. IFR recency is still good. Renting a twin is likely something I'll need to do when the time comes (if it does).
I see many guys at the flight school I'm at and on these board working through their ratings, etc. I'd like to think that my experience, lowly as it is compared to many, still ranks higher than these working their way up the pole right now. Plus, with well over 1,000 hours multi time, never mind turbine - its tough to get that quality time as a CFI.