OldieButAGoodie

So,
We have all seen a change in hiring over the past 4 months.

Its March of 2024 now.

Where should your typical 1500TT to 2000TT pilot be looking to go in this enviroment this season or this summer?

kaputt

I'm hopeful that there is going to be a brief regional FO hiring push. With the big boys slowing their hiring, the upward pull from the regionals will slow and they will likely stabilize their captain manning. But a lot of RJs are still parked, and even though the Big 3 in particular have moved to be less reliant on regional traffic, it's still ultimately important to their network and they will probably want to stabilize that side of their flying if they can, or at least that's my hope.

I am getting close to 1900 hours TT and with a little over 400 single engine turbine, so I'm hoping a regional may see me of value as someone who's moved beyond just the 172 CFI game. Who knows though.

Best bet is to continue to improve your resume in whatever way you can. Another friend was stuck in CFI world, but he bit the bullet and got his MEI, and has been racking up about 20 hours a month of multi time on top of around 40-50 single engine CFI. Any little bit will help when it comes time for interviews and app reviews.

QRH Bingo

I agree with this. Currently, there are many who just need to "wait it out" while updating those apps regularly. If you are looking to get a potential edge up amongst the crowded field, you can look at what's out there in the part 135 world. However, if you are currently instructing and enjoy it, there is no problem to continue with it. But, like kaputt mentioned, if all you have is a CFI cert, work on obtaining your CFI-I and/or MEI as a way of improving that resumé.

121noob

Some reports are that the regionals will start hiring FO's again in the summer. But no one can predict the future for sure.

VacancyBid

If I were a regional CEO (I'm not) I would focus on upgrading captains, getting FO's closer to upgrade and getting my ratios back to normal. None of that points to FO hiring.

And when I did start hiring, I wouldn't be looking at people with wet ATP's

Regional captain is gonna start looking like a decent job for $200K/yr

TransWorld

But is it enough to outweigh getting a senority number at a major? I think not.

rickair7777

No but it's an adequate consolation prize if you get stucvk for a while.

Sliceback

Define "typical"? What's your objective? Improve your resume. Get 'better' time and a lot of it. Get offered a G650 job? That's FANTASTIC. 50 hrs a year? Hoping to go to a major? Run away, fast. Hoping to live in the same town as the jet? It's a dice roll. Hopefully the owner's young and the industry outlook for the company is solid.

Make a career progrssion choice that makes sense. 2000 hrs TT and go get a pipeline job to bump you hours more than a CFI gets at 800-1000 hrs a year? That's a step back. Youi're not increasing the technical or performance aspects of the job. You're better off staying a CFI. Do they need MEI's??? That's a good way to bump your resume if you're low on MEL time.

Regionals you're #1 goal. Yeah, guys chase the unicorn "I heard about a guy that..." There's always an elelement of risk there - how many of those jobs are there and how many of them move on successful ASAP towards their final goal from there?

Apply to the fractionals if the regionals aren't hiring. IMO getting jet time is more important than PC-12 PIC time. < That's debatable. But if hiring slows down at the majors does anything that PC-12 PIC time will stand out as the typical resume improves as more guys get 'stuck' at their current jobs and improve their resumes in the meantime? A one year drawdown means that EVERY new regional CA will have 500 hrs Part 121 TPIC in a year. That's hundreds of new 500 hrs TPIC Part 121 regional Captains. Guess who the majors will be pursing when/if hiring increaes.

TransWorld

Agreed. Some of the old regional CA with apps in for 25 years had consigned themselves to that fate.