Fishnfly4fun

I am just throwing this out to hear some different ideas or views on which way to go at my current stage of my aviation career. I surf the forum often, however, this has made me more indecisive!

I am only at approximately 1800 hours with about 900 of that SIC in jets (Falcon 50/900 and Lear 35/55) with ATP written completed, no actual ATP yet. The problem is I am 45, aviation is a second career after small injury in Afghanistan forced me out of previous employment. I need to make up for lost time and think the end game or goal will be Airlines now. Would it be best to stay 135 change company and pick up as much PIC time to get to the 1000 TPIC to be competitive and start applying to LCC'S/Majors etc. or take the hit and go to regionals now to start the timestamp and get 121 time? It seems as 121 would be a longer process being that from what i've seen is minimum 18 months or 1000 hours at one of the companies before an upgrade where as if I went to a 135 as XO or maybe Wheels Up I could start logging PIC a little more quickly, not immediately of course but sooner I'd imagine?

Thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated, or hell tell me to go pound sand and that i'm way off base!

AirBear

Once the ATP is in your pocket you'll get picked up by a Part 121 regional. Choosing one with a flow thru to a major is your best bet. You might get PIC time quicker at a 135 operator however, with flow thru and ex-military clogging up the pathway to the most desirable major's it would probably be quicker to take the regional/flow thru path.

Fishnfly4fun

Thanks for taking the time AirBear. I am going to start bugging people that are in the flow thru programs and get info

Excargodog

Outside of military pilots, the regional 121 world is the fastest way to get to a major. The putative advantages of flow are debatable if you have the other squares filled (4 year college, 1000 TPIC etc).