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Old 01-20-2021, 11:44 AM
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Hey folks, furloughed regional guy here. My airline shut down permanently last year. I've been Chief Instructor at a 141 flight school since. 4800TT, 1200TPIC, LCA, 4 year degree, no skeletons. Just curious what you folks would do in my shoes? 135? Stay as Chief Instructor for a while longer? LCC when they hire?

My quality of life in the CFI gig is incredible and the pay is better than I was making as a regional LCA unbelievably. I know that CFI time is doing nothing for me. Should I jump at the first available jet job or stick with my QOL? Figured I'd see what the harsh voices of the internet had in store for me.
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Old 01-20-2021, 12:32 PM
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Your 121 experience would have been in the ballpark for a top/mid tier airline a year ago. You have all the tickets punched, and LCA is a big plus, TPIC maybe a hair light. How many types do you have?

I suspect you can probably stay competitive if you get some kind of turbine job on the side, ideally PIC in something with a type. Keep chipping away at TPIC and I'd guess in 2-3 years somebody will call, maybe sooner if you apply to ULCC/ACMI.

If you get to 4-5 years out of 121 you might be considered "stale" from a training perspective, so you should evaluate the industry continually along the way... if it looks like sustained stagnation, the place to wait that out is in 121 so you're all current and ready to go when things start moving again. I've seen that play out before.
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Old 01-20-2021, 01:25 PM
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Originally Posted by Anderair View Post
Hey folks, furloughed regional guy here. My airline shut down permanently last year. I've been Chief Instructor at a 141 flight school since. 4800TT, 1200TPIC, LCA, 4 year degree, no skeletons. Just curious what you folks would do in my shoes? 135? Stay as Chief Instructor for a while longer? LCC when they hire?

My quality of life in the CFI gig is incredible and the pay is better than I was making as a regional LCA unbelievably. I know that CFI time is doing nothing for me. Should I jump at the first available jet job or stick with my QOL? Figured I'd see what the harsh voices of the internet had in store for me.
If your career goal is to be an airline pilot, then why in the world would you not try for an LCC when the hiring door opens again? I could understand if you were asking if you should go to another regional, but the narrow body pay difference between the legacies and the U/LCCs these days is negligible and it’s really a wash on quality of life factors. Don’t be one of the thousands who have the “hold out for nothing less than a legacy” attitude only to hit the end of their career and realize that it never happened. Get to someplace where you COULD be happy spending a career at. If you want to continue to push for a legacy job from there, by all means go for it! But, at least you’re sitting on a career gig if your dream airline never calls.

The same could be said for ACMI, but that’s a different lifestyle that only you and your loved ones can decide if it’s right and doable for an entire career.
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Old 01-20-2021, 01:32 PM
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Only have one type. I would definitely go for an LCC, not sure my family can stomach the ACMI route. Thanks for the advice!
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Old 01-25-2021, 05:20 AM
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QOL is all that matters.

Our answers only vary based on what we consider to be a high QOL.

Some people want to travel and be on the road while others want to be home every night.

Some people consider QOL to be money while others want time off/flexibility.

You already answered this question by saying you got great QOL. Stick with it. Don’t leave until hiring resumes and then consider jumping ship to a LCC if they can take great QOL and make it even better
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