Timbo

Well you've come to the right place, there is lots of real-world good info here, you can spend days researching it on this site alone, and there are lots of others; The Bad - The Truth About the Profession

On your age, No, you are not too old to start, but let's talk about number 6.

This industry hires/furloughs in waves. Those waves are a result of the overall economy. Right now we are in a down cycle due to two things:

1. the worst recession since the great depression
2. the mandatory retiremet age being lifted to 65

Both of those hit this industry at about the same time, 2007-8. which created stagnation and a huge downdraft for Professional Pilot jobs.

Both should turn around in another year or two...we hope. Certainly the first wave of age 65 guys will be hitting that wall next year, (Dec. 2012) and in the next 10 years I think something like 60% of the Major Airline pilots will hit age 65. Hopefully the economy will also be picking up by then.

On getting to the Majors in 5 years, your problem is, right now there is a huge 'oversupply' of highly qualified regional pilots who have been waiting 5-10 years to catch that next wave of hiring at the Majors.

The last time there was a big hiring wave, just before 9-11 shut it down, there were some 200 hour 'wonders' coming right out of the Pilot Puppy Mills into the right seat of Regional Jet with only 1-2 years invested. Now it looks like the FAA may put a stop to that, and may require all Regional Pilots to have a minimum of 1,500hrs and an Airline Transport Pilot rating to fly Copilot.

Most guys will have to build that 1,500 hours by flight instructing. The most time you could possible build, per year, per FAR, is 1,000 hours. So let's say it takes you at least 2 years (and probably $100,000) to get your Comercial, Multi, CFII tickets. And that's if you bust your hump, oh, and remember, you will still be working your 8-5, M-F Day Job, and flying your arse off on Saturdays and Sundays to get all that done in 2 years.

Now you have all of 250 hours, so you'll need to instruct for at least 1-2 more years to build up to 1,500 hours, and you still don't have a job with the Regionals, let alone the Majors. And you've got 4 years invested.

Now maybe you get lucky and win the Major hiring lottery, and you skip right over the Regionals, or spend minimum time there, and go straight to the Majors as a bottom F/O.

Guess who's sitting in the left seats? Those former Regional guys I mentioned above, oh and you are now age 44 and they are 34, because they started flying in College, and you started at age 39. You will most likely be hired on the back side of the next wave, not the front.

So for a few years maybe the economy stays strong and you move up off bottom NYC reserve. Life is good, you may get a Capt. bid next year! BUT THEN....a Merger takes place and you get stuffed to the bottom of somebody elses seniority list.

Or, the price of oil shoots up to $150bbl. and the world economy goes back into the dumper (and that's if it ever gets out of the dumper it's in now!) and your company files CH.11 and furloughs.

Guess what? That Capt. seat is gone, it might never come back. Or it might take 10 more years to recover...you'll be what, 55 by then? Well, you might get to spend the last 10 years of your life as a bottom Capt. I flew with a 62yr. old copilot not long ago. He had 20 years in at Delta, but first he put in 23 years in the Air Force before he -retired- then got hired on the back of a wave in 1991.

Where you are hired in the next Wave is the key to a good career, or a crap career. And that is mostly luck. But if you want in, you had better get started.

So...ask your clients how long it took them to get to the Majors. Ask them if they were hired on the front side of the wave, middle, or back side.

I do agree with you that the best part of this career is you don't have to answer the phone on your off days. I flew for a Part 135 Charter outfit, we were on call all the time. BUT...that was long before cellphones, so it was hard for them to get ahold of you on your off days!

Do you have a wife and kids? This career is not easy for a wife, with kids, to live with. Even if everything went perfectly for you, training and hiring wise, you realise you will be gone at least 50% of your month. Seems I'm always gone when the dishwasher explodes, or the roof leaks, or the kids crash my wife's car, or...1000 other things happen, that require my immediate attention, and I'm not there, and can't even get there, for a few days.

Oh, and most pilots I fly with, (and these are 777 copilots!) wish they had become Doctors or Lawyers, working 8-5, M-F, sleeping in their own beds every night and never missing a Thanksgiving, Christmas, kid's Birthday, Superbowl, etc.


Two things to remember;

Hindsight is always 20-20 and the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

Good luck, but if you do it and it sucks, don't say we didn't warn you...

block30

Concur with grass is greener statement.....You have a lot to lose. (not loose! I see that mixed up all the time.).

ThePlane

Thanks for the feedback. I should point out I am single with no kids. I am pretty sure if i was married and made the decision, my wife would divorce me in a heartbeat.

What is the time frame on when the FAA will require regionals to hire pilots with at least 1500 hours? It seems the regionals are hiring with much less than that right now.

As you said and being told, this might be the best time to get in because of the hiring lottery and the FAA regulations.

Is it possible if I get in now, I get in before the FAA requires 1500 hours for the regionals?

Timbo

Since changing the rule will take, "An Act of Congress" it's anybody's guess as to if/when the new rule will be put into effect.

I think there is a whole -other discussion- around here somewhere all about the new 1,500 hr. rule.

Also, check out jetcareers.com I think there is a thread there about the new rule as well.

It's good that you are single, that will eliminate a lot of stress if/when you take this on.

surfnski

Keep practicing law. Make partner. Buy your own plane. Rinse. Repeat.

marcal

Enter Content

USMCFLYR

Others have written quite a bit in the way of advice and I haven't even waded through it all, but I'm going to make some points which may or may not have been made so far.
First - have you spent some time reading different threads here on APC or some of the more popular short articles on the Regional Airlines - especially ones targeted at newcomers? One of the most popular is called 'The Truth About The Profession' Check it out.
Here is another thread already started that closely matches your questions and has some good advice in it. I've seen your question asked numerous times on APC. Do a search and spend time reading the previous threads. Many of your questions will be answered.
http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/ha...aw-degree.html

Would you be comfortable if it were well over a decade before making anywhere close to your current income again?

Pilots have their own stress ThePlane.
Imagine if you as a lawyer (what type of law btw?) had someone from your bar council coming into your office or courtroom once every 6 months and watching you to see if you did every little aspect of your job correctly; and if not - it could (worse case) mean losing your license, which them you would probably have a VERY hard time ever getting another job at any reputable company. Not only might you know when these evaluations are coming, but one could just show up at any moment and watch too. Of course lawyers are monitored and can have grievances against them, but I'd say that the ones I've seen don't carry the same possible consequences. I know a lawyer recently who happen to misstate a single phrase in court and caused a mistrial. Luckily there will be no action on her record.

Then there is the medical. Imagine again going into the doctor every 6 months (which would be required for you soon) at your livelihood depending on your blood pressure, or blood sugar levels, or who knows what aliment you may find that requires a Special Issuance medical that may take months to acquire and you might be out of a job for that particular amount of time.

To me ThePlane - it seems that your view of the airline lifestyle (even from your comments about clients of yours that work in the airline industry having a better QOL than you might be based on old perceptions of the airline pilot's lifestyle or you have clients in the top percentage of there airlines whom you are talking to and not realizing that they are not the norm.

Let me introduce you to Skyhigh
He'll talk some sense into you!

I'll take the chance, without having read more of the responses here, and suggest as others have that you get your early ratings (Private pilot and maybe an instrument rating) and take some of that disposable income that you may have and enjoy General Aviation and all it has to offer at your own pleasure, pace, and popularity. Just don't become one of those famous 'lawyer pilots' who doesn't realize their own limitations (though that same advice applies to everyone)

USMCFLYR

The Juice

This is far from accurate, unfortunately.

Your upgrade is based on company seniority, not by base. So even if you went to BFE for a base, any Captain upgrades in that base will be open to those senior to you, regardless of their base.

JamesNoBrakes

If you realize that this industry is broken, that virtually NO ONE for 8-10 years has "gone to a major", that there are simple way too many pilots, airplanes and airlines providing a watered-down service for as cheap as possible, maybe you'll see the light.

Do you like/love flying? Why would you want to make that your profession? I love mountain biking, snowboarding and skiing. I work so I can do that. Yeah, it would be cool to have a job where that WAS my job, but that's not realistic, I'd have to become an olympic quality althelete or go to school as a designer/engineer/etc, which would get me into the area where I could at least do something worthwhile in the industry, rather than just be a "bum" living from paycheck to paycheck wondering if I have enough to eat or pay rent for the month. That's what I do not want to be, and being an airline pilot today is just that, you are basically an "aviation bum" working from paycheck to paycheck, hoping something good will come along sometime. You know from being self-employed that the only "good things" that come along are because YOU MAKE THEM. I currently fly and I enjoy it, but you gotta think hard about whether your chosen profession will allow you to do and live like you want to. I have lots of "other things" going on that I am setting up to allow me to sidestep out of this industry, I couldn't be happier about that.

Diver Driver

1: No, you're not too old.

2: Maybe, 2 years is very aggressive. I would count on 3-6 years from now depending on how fast you get your ratings and can build time. Realistically, 4-5 will be average.

3: No. Being on reserve, you will only have 1-2 days off per week. Depending on how your commute works, you will likely be commuting to and from base sometimes on your days off. Once you are a line holder at your regional and as you get senior, (the timeline for that could be 2-10 years), you could average 2-4 days off per week and it may be doable.

4: I'm sure it's happened before (<1%), but unless you get hired as a street captain, no. Expect to have to upgrade and get 1,000 TPIC at your regional first before being able to move on. The timeline for this could be as short as 3 years to 20+ years depending on which regional you go to and the 'luck' you have there. Keep in mind there is no way to forecast this.... it truly is luck of the draw.

5: It's not going to matter initially for the regionals, but it will likely help you when going to a major.

6: Absolutely not. I would bet strongly that goal has a 0% chance.