I’ve been a 91 guy my entire career of 17 years. 3 weeks ago my company unexpectedly, and without warning shut down our 62 year old department. I’m out on the street and struggling with what to do with my life now. I cannot really relocate due to wife’s work. I have narrowed it down to three options.
1. Stay put and hang up the wings. Just go be a welder or electrician or something.
2. Stay put and try something like Net, Flex, DPJ (I have an interview this Thur) where I can home base but be gone every other week.
3. Force wife to move and chase the $$$ to another 91 department.
I’m moderately timed at
5200 TT
4700 MultiTurbine
3600 PIC
DA-7x, DA-2EASy, B300, RA-390s typed
Current in the 7x and B300. Current Chinese and Brazilian visas.
NA, Carib, SA, Euro, Pac, Asia experience.

Okay guys. Make me feel positive about getting ****-canned from my perfect 180hrs/year job.

....and go!

 

Where do you live?

 

Ah yes. That would help. In the middle of the cornfields of Central Illinois.

 

UPS has taken a liking to corporate pilots.
How far of a drive is SDF?
Apply and find out if it’s an option.

 

SDF is about a 4hr drive.

 

For UPS it’d be worth it to me...

 

I applied there for the open FO positions. It was just last week however. Any idea how long it can take to get a call? I am guessing months?

 

well, I have 2000 hours in the 747, and about 8000 total time, and I’ve been applying for four years.

 

Not practical to apply to a single top-tier major and expect and results, quick or otherwise, unless you're in a narrow range of fighter pilots with specific tickets punched. To have a decent shot at majors, you need to cast a wide net and then it could easily take several years to get hired even if you fit the mold they're looking for. It's also normal, for both mil and civ, to have multiple internal LORs on file with a top-tier major. That last is pretty much assumed, so I can't even guess at the ramifications of having no internal recs. Hopefully you know some folks in the airlines?

If you get on with one of the better airlines, you could try commuting for a while and plan on ultimately moving to base... that could in some situations allow very minimal flying. And the money would most likely be better than what you're used to, even if wife has to downgrade her employment.

There is a demand in the corporate world, although the unicorn jobs are never a gimme, as you well know. If you're going to move anyway, might as well try airlines if you can get on. now's a good time and you might might like it better than most corporate gigs. You can always go back to corporate at any time. If you're going to sit tight in the home town, fractionals are an option but airlines are better in most respects if you can avoid an ugly commute. Your exact location and nearby airline service would determine that.

 

All good advice and no, UPS is not the only place I have applied.
This event has really soured me. We are talking about a Fortune 50 company that has had a department continually operating for 62 years. And not a small department. This has really been a wakeup call and my only wish was that it happened to me years ago instead of at this stage in my life.
I have decided that I am not going to chase crap jobs for crap pay. I’ll just sit tight and go be a machinist or a welder or something. One thing is certain, I’m not turning my wife and kid’s lives upside down for a piece of noisy metal.