Returning to Professional Flying
 

Back in 2004 I attended a professional flying academy and got my Commercial Multi, Instrument Rating, CFI and CFII. I worked for that school for 1 year and got some Cheyenne time to boot. (the school had a charter side of the business as well)

I got hired at Colgan to fly the Saab 340. Made it through school and IOE and I had to leave shortly after starting at my base. I was in my mid 30's at the time and I was creating a financial nightmare for myself. I was getting $17/hr as an FO.

It was a very difficult decision because I love to fly, but I thought I had left aviation forever. An AA captain is telling me I should go back. The climate has changed dramatically and now he has the bug stirring back in me again.

I have about 900hrs total time, 100 multi and about 50 Turbine. I need a flight review and IPC. I let my CFI's lapse.

I have talked to some people about Mokulele and Boutique to bring me up to the 1500hrs I need to get into the regionals.

Can anyone tell me if it is realistic to think I could get into one of these 135 operations? The lapse has been almost 12 years. I know I will do fine with getting current again, but do I need to fly a couple hundred hours before someone will look at me? I am hoping not to have to get my CFI again.

I am in a much better financial situation to be able to weather the storm of low pay in the regionals although I see that has improved quite a bit since Colgan.

Thanks in advance for any responses.

Everything is the same except jobs are easier to find and pay is better. The outlook is rosy, as it always is late in an economic cycle. As you have learned "the hard way", aviation is one of the riskier lines of work. I would fly for fun if I already had a stable career somewhere else.

MODS: This thread should be moved to “Career Questions” as the current folder is for folks that are Leaving the profession, not wanting back in.

I got back in the business after being out for 10 years. I had not flown at all in those 10 years. I "got current" a BFR and ICC (about 3 hours of time in a 172), but that was probably not even necessary. I know the hours are reducible if you went to an aviation university.

Check out PlaneSense, fly in the right seat in the Pilatus, lots of time quickly.

PM me if you have questions about getting back in after having a life outside of the game.

If finances was your reason for leaving, things have improved tremendously, entry-level pay is $30K to maybe $80K with some of the bonuses, upgrades come fast and the majors will continue to call more and more folks over the next ten+ years.

You could upgrade at a regional and be making six figures or close to it within 3-4 years and be at a major in 4-6 at the rate things are going.

Times have literally never been better, current opportunities are unprecedented (I know you've heard that before from Kit Darby, but it's apparently for real this time).

That said... it's still aviation, and you never know what might happen. You'll want to get educated on career progression, and what you'll need to do, and what to avoid. Major airline hiring standards have gotten complicated. Not everybody is getting called...