Hello all,

I'm looking for some advise on next steps.

Have CPL as of a couple weeks ago. IR a few months prior to that. 310TT. 120XC. Taking a CFI/CFII accelerated program in January. I have an Associates in Nursing and worked as an ICU nurse for 18 years. I'm looking for career 2.0 or the pilot career ive always wanted since I was a little kid. After CFI, I'll be transitioning to full time CFI to gain hours as quickly as possible. Really not sure if at my age of 43, if I'll still have time to get to a major. Ive always thought about cooporate but don't mind airlines ether. Won't know till I try really.

What should I do next to get into a jet asap? Will certainly get MULTI after about 500hrsTT.

From reading job postings on Netjets and the like, it seems 1500TT is the BARE minimum. CFI/II is mainly to get to those 1500 quicker.

Thanks for your time.

 

Multi doesn't matter for regioanals anymore, you just need ATP ME mins minus 25 hours (they can give you 25 in the sim).

It's not too late to make it to a major, due to legacy retirements, and I would focus on that. While regional pay is great for what they do these days, all regionals are stressed by staffing and there's no guarantee that the regionals will exist in current form by the time you reach 65.

If everything slows down and you get stuck at a regional, you'll probably still have a good career. But shoot for the majors, it's just that much better unless you already have 25 years longevity at a regional.

 

To echo what was said above. You have plenty of time left to make a career at a major.

 

There's a lot to do in aviation that doesn't involve flying for a major airline, too.

 

Yes you do. The Big 3 have even hired 60 year olds in recent times. Do whatever it takes to get to 1500 hours and an ATP as soon as possible then get on with a regional airline, a fractional, or an LCC/ULCC. Áll of those have hired 1500 hour pilots in recent times.

If your goal is to get to a “major” (I think you’re actually referring to the Big 3, SWA, UPS or FedEx), then I’d prioritize an LCC/ULCC over a regional airline, and a regional airline over a fractional. Part 121 time is preferable over time at the fractionals.

The aviation world is your oyster at the present time but time is of the essence. The good times won’t last forever. It’s an industry full of up and down cycles.

 

It's a race...race to get hired by a regional and a race to get hired by a major. The first goal is 1430+ (regional training counts towards the 1500 hrs), then it's a race to get the 2500, 3000, 4000, or 500/1000 TPIC hrs at a regional to get hired by a major.

Corporate flying? A lot of airline pilots started with corporate flying and left. Few airline pilots quit airline flying to go back to corporate flying. Flying Part 135 with a former NW/DL CKA and he expressed a VERY common sentiment by retired airline pilots flying Part 135/charter/corporate/fractional flying - "I read guys online saying airline flying is harder. LOL. There's no comparison, airline flying is easier." More KNOWN and unmoveable time off - no boss/chief pilot asking you if you could fly today/tongiht/tomorrow/etc. It's much easier being an airline pilot.