CooperJ

Need some help here...USAF colonel, currently in Hawaii and retiring in Jun '18. Last flew in 2010 (C-9/KC-135)...~2300TT. Plan is to go to regionals, then hope for a major within a year. 2 kids, one will begin his freshman year and the other junior year in fall of '18. Looking for advice on where to live! We have lived just about everywhere over my 27 USAF years...but we would like to stay west of Tx and find a place that will optimize quality of commuter life/community/schools/housing/etc, and one that I would have a decent chance of potentially aligning a domicile with a future major employer. The wife wants to stay put for the 4 years to get our youngest through one school (that will be a new one for us), so that is the curveball. Looks like just about any quality regional will not get me domiciled right off the bat at any desirable major (west) hub, so I will certainly be commuting while I build regional 121 time (currently targeting Skywest). Dream would be SWA, followed by United, American, Delta and FedEx/UPS. We have been looking at Vegas, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, Denver and SLC. I never thought this would be so tough...I am from California, but trying to avoid the taxes and returning there. Reno was also on the list, but from what I have read would be a difficult commute base. We never thought this would be so tough...without really knowing what commuting life will be like as a 50 year old (I have read the horror stories and have many friends who did the same), we are still completely clueless with no move plan and only 8 months out from starting career 2.0. Once the kids are out of the house in 4 years, we can move to the best domicile to make life simple with no commute, unless I get lucky and pick the right one before I'm hired. Perhaps we are over thinking it? Any mentorship from those that have worn those shoes is very much appreciated!

Thanks!

Otterbox

Go to Envoy, commute for a couple years if not picked up by a major right away then bid for DFW.

Dfw area means SWA, AA, UAL and Spirit will have bases driveable for you to finish out your career.

rickair7777

Decide where you want to live, do some research on towns which have regional & legacy bases.

As an O6, the currency standards may be lower for you than other mil pilots at least that's the latest rumor. Don't worry about flow to AA, you'll get hired off the street long before you flow. You're one of the few who will likely have his pick of legacy. In fact if AA is going to work best for you long-term then you may want to avoid AA-owned regionals because I think the flow will prevent you from getting hired at AA early. May need to research that.

Off the top of my head, these western towns have both regional and major domiciles...

SLC
DEN
DFW
IAH
SEA
PDX
ANC
SFO
LAX
PHX

I may have forgot something.

CooperJ

Thanks guys...as of now we are leaning towards DFW. I'm guessing DFW should provide as good as any commute/flight options depending on who hires me. DEN was a strong second, but I've read that it's difficult to commute to certain hubs from there. It's making the wife crazy...

155mm

Commuting sucks in general but for a Regional Airline, it is a young mans game! Low pay, long days, the huge stress of not making it to work, bunking up in a cockroach infested crashpad, driving a Toyota Crapola on bald tires and two cylinders, etc. No offense, but I'ld rather be a Captain on a Cessna 172 in Hawaii then commute to a Regional!

Any jobs in Hawaii??

Empire Airlines :: Ohana

https://rn11.ultipro.com/HAW1000/Job...054024C179C280

http://www.corporateair.net/jobs.htm

155mm

With that said, I’ve always lived where the wife wanted to live and commuted to where I had to work.

CooperJ

I'm hoping the regional gig will be for only 6 months...I can do that. This is our fourth year here in Hawaii and the wife is ready for a change. It sounds weird wanting to leave...high schools are a challenge here, so that is a major driver to find a location in the CONUS with quality schools. I have spoken with Ohana and Hawaiian...Ohana would be doable, but then I'm betting it all on being picked up by Hawaiian. Hawaii has been great...but she is getting the island fever...it's a real thing

Sliceback

If you really want to live in LAS or PHX SW is a great choice.

AA gives you PHX as an option.

Ignoring domiciles you have SW as your first option? If w/b's are an option very few guys don't at least try the w/b flying. Some don't care for it but some refuse to fly n/b domestic once they've done w/b long haul flying.

And the legacies have quicker upgrades than SW does right now.

155mm

I misunderstood when you mentioned, "the wife wants to stay put for 4 years", I thought you were going to commute from Hawaii while the kids finish up school. Yeah, DFW is very centralized and no State income tax.

CooperJ

Sliceback....we just returned from a LAS trip to check it out there. Lots of school options and I agree with the w/b flying...I have friends that swear by SW and others that are flying w/bs that would never switch. I have been out of the cockpit for a while, so who knows what my 50 year old mind/body will prefer. I guess that's why I finally decided to post here and see what you all would offer up as advice. PHX is on the list to check out as well. Thanks for the input.