Stay with the airlines or go 91...
 

I have a unique 91 job offer. Full-time, great pay, great benefits, and a great schedule. It checks all the boxes for me. We are dissolving the fleet I'm currently flying that keeps us domestic (121 freight ACMI). I have flown airlines for the past 6 years and bi*** just like others, but it hasn't been too bad. I just didn't know if I really wanted to do heavy international, so I started looking around. Am I ridiculous for wanting to transition to a 91 job from the cargo side of the airlines? The way I see it, if I don't like it, I can finally get my degree, check a couple more boxes, and move on to hopefully a major. If I do like it, it could be a great long term situation if everything pans out. It won't just be one owner going on pleasure trips, it's for a corporation that has been around for 30 years and is in the trucking industry. Anyways, just wanted to gather some thoughts. I enjoy flying heavies, but I don't really want to do 15-18 hour legs :/ .. this has been a huge fork in the road I've been at! Thanks in advance for the advice.

“Unique” is not an unmixed blessing. You might be hitching your future to a good deal, but it does have a single point failure mode. A large airline with lots of slots carries furlough and other risks, but even if the company goes bankrupt it is likely to be resurrected through reorganization eventually, and you’ll still have a seniority number. But a lot depends on your age, risk tolerance, family situation, and number of years until retirement. Too many variables for anyone to give any pat answer.

Thanks for the response. Yeah I totally understand the job security with staying at an airline. I think the airlines will be hiring quite a bit for the next decade so losing just two years of seniority where I'm at is worth the risk of finding potential greener pastures. I just have friends going to the majors and here I am considering 91. So, I'm just making sure that I'm seeing it from all angles. We all have our moments to where we want to explore in hopes of finding "home". And I don't currently feel that.

I’m looking at doing the same thing.
I did 121 cargo 747s for several years, and am now into my fourth year at a major.
I am seriously considering leaving for a Fortune 50 company for many of the same reasons.
Its not such an easy decision and you’ll get very polarized opinions from absolutely do it, to you’re an idiot.
Look heavily into retirement, size of the fleet, longevity of current pilots, age of Chief Pilot and Director, CEO etc.
Do they have SMS, IS-BAO ops, fatigue policy, hard days off, available contract pilots, tuition reimbursement, etc etc?

Do you have turbine PIC? That’s not clear from your post.

You're not happy doing what you're doing, and you've an opportunity to do something that makes you happy.

What's the question, again?

Right, I have received a lot of mixed answers. You did make it to the majors, so at least you do have that perspective. The nice thing about a major is that you have options unlike my current company who is completely focusing on heavy international. You know what I'm talking about though since you did the 747 stuff. Again, not unhappy, but when you have an opportunity present itself, it really sometimes starts to make you think! Every corporate job is different it seems like.

I do not have a lot. It's about a few hundred hours. That's also why I thought this would be a good opportunity. I messed up leaving the left seat of the regionals so that I could get on with a company to where I can drive to work instead of commuting to reserve. With this current job, it'll be getting TPIC immediately, although the plane won't be flying more than 300 'maybe' 400 hours a year.

Yeah very true. I was doing domestic and flying 'hub turns' but I made it work and was happy doing it. I enjoy staying stateside. I haven't flown a lot of international though, but I think doing something with an interesting challenge, day time flying, great schedule/benefits sounds pleasureful over the international work especially with COVID. That'll last for the next several years I'm sure. Maybe I'm wrong but hopefully not.. :)

These are exceptional times in aviation. By historical perspectives we should generally be grateful that we have so many employment opportunities that involve flying.

Also I wouldn't lightly give up a 121 job... that kind of secure money is hard to come by, and even harder to earn in non-aviation employment. Legacies are hiring too.