Go Back  Airline Pilot Central Forums > Career Builder > Career Questions
Left regionals to provide for family... >

Left regionals to provide for family...

Notices
Career Questions Career advice, interview prep and gouges, job fairs, etc.

Left regionals to provide for family...

Old 03-27-2013, 02:35 PM
  #1  
Line Holder
Thread Starter
 
swimbody's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Jan 2007
Position: None right now
Posts: 65
Default Left regionals to provide for family...

Since I couldn't stand living paycheck to paycheck I left the regionals and have been out since 2010. Got a couple of real jobs away from flying and now am looking at the possibility of returning, although I will not go back to the regionals. Sitting at 3500 hours with no ATP although I can go get that on my own. I started flying again this weekend and it was like riding a bike. Even approaches are like it was three years ago.

What are the chances I might be able to come back? I have friends at the majors that are cheering for me and want me back but I want to know if there are others here who took long breaks or left the misery of the regionals to return to the majors.

Anyone?
swimbody is offline  
Old 03-27-2013, 03:26 PM
  #2  
Prime Minister/Moderator
 
rickair7777's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Jan 2006
Position: Engines Turn Or People Swim
Posts: 39,100
Default

You're not going to get hired by the majors unless you have family or close personal friend in management.

There are ten thousand regional pilots who have thousands of hours of TPIC and are 121 current. 80% of them have apps in at the majors. If they run out of them, there almost as many regional FO's, essentially all of whom have an ATP by now and are also current.

If you want to avoid regionals, you're going to have to break into corporate. You might be able to do that piecemeal with some freelance CFI work to fill gaps, build recency, and network.

The ATP would be a good idea.
rickair7777 is offline  
Old 03-27-2013, 04:11 PM
  #3  
Gets Weekends Off
 
galaxy flyer's Avatar
 
Joined APC: May 2010
Position: Baja Vermont
Posts: 5,168
Default

As far as corporate opprtunities, I'm fairly deep in the business and don't have good news:

No ATP
No corporate experience
No recent experience

1 and 3 knocks you out of the majors and all three will knock you out of corporates. It's a tough market as stated above.

You need to fix the ATP and recent experience with jet time, not CFI time. Networking is NOT handing out resumes; you need to get a known and good reputation; be known by hiring officials (those who can make hiring decisions) and to make your networking help be seen as valuable. Valuable means do favors, be seen as reliable, offer something of value by those that can hire you.

GF
galaxy flyer is offline  
Old 03-28-2013, 06:44 AM
  #4  
Line Holder
Thread Starter
 
swimbody's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Jan 2007
Position: None right now
Posts: 65
Default

I planned on doing this the right way, building time back up, instructing...maybe, but I do have access to a few jets and could get some time. I'm not expecting to jump right back in line. I have a lot of friends in the industry from the 4 years I spent in the regionals. I will have to ask who knows who and if they can lend a hand. I really appreciate the comments and advice. I'm just wondering how desperate the airlines are going to get by this time next year.

The other big question is when the dollar is no longer the world's reserve currency. When that happens what will happen to the airlines? That could happen sooner than we expect.
swimbody is offline  
Old 03-28-2013, 10:12 AM
  #5  
Banned
 
Joined APC: Jan 2006
Position: A-320
Posts: 6,929
Default

Originally Posted by swimbody View Post
I'm just wondering how desperate the airlines are going to get by this time next year.


Major airlines will never be desperate.............
JoeyMeatballs is offline  
Old 03-28-2013, 11:30 AM
  #6  
Layover Master
 
Joined APC: Jan 2013
Position: Seated
Posts: 4,309
Default

Originally Posted by JoeyMeatballs View Post
Major airlines will never be desperate.............
Exactly. Stop believing these lies. The majors will have MORE than enough pilots for all eternity.
PotatoChip is offline  
Old 03-28-2013, 04:57 PM
  #7  
Gets Weekends Off
 
Joined APC: Jul 2007
Position: 744 CA
Posts: 4,772
Default

Originally Posted by JoeyMeatballs View Post
Major airlines will never be desperate.............
+1...............
HercDriver130 is offline  
Old 03-28-2013, 08:16 PM
  #8  
Disinterested Third Party
 
Joined APC: Jun 2012
Posts: 5,926
Default

I have friends at the majors that are cheering for me and want me back but I want to know if there are others here who took long breaks or left the misery of the regionals to return to the majors.
How do you return to the majors if you were never there?
JohnBurke is offline  
Old 03-29-2013, 04:41 AM
  #9  
Gets Weekends Off
 
USMCFLYR's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Mar 2008
Position: FAA 'Flight Check'
Posts: 13,835
Default

Originally Posted by swimbody View Post
What are the chances I might be able to come back? I have friends at the majors that are cheering for me and want me back but I want to know if there are others here who took long breaks or left the misery of the regionals to return to the majors.
Originally Posted by JohnBurke View Post
How do you return to the majors if you were never there?
How do you know that the OTHERS he speaks of didn't quit the regionals at some point and then when they came back to flying, had the qualifications for, and hit the hiring window just right, to get on with a major?
USMCFLYR is offline  
Old 03-30-2013, 08:41 AM
  #10  
Disinterested Third Party
 
Joined APC: Jun 2012
Posts: 5,926
Default

How do you know that the OTHERS he speaks of didn't quit the regionals at some point and then when they came back to flying, had the qualifications for, and hit the hiring window just right, to get on with a major?
I don't know that, don't care about that, and it's irrelevant.

One can't return to something unless one has already been there. One can't return to the majors unless one has already been at the majors.

If one moves to the majors, one isn't returning to them, if one hasn't previously worked for them.
JohnBurke is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Cessnan1315efw
Regional
3
02-19-2013 08:16 AM
skyqueen
Part 91 and Low Time
28
05-14-2012 02:59 AM
av8r4aa
Major
27
10-21-2007 05:42 PM
MinFuel
Fractional
10
02-24-2007 12:54 PM
supercell86
Hiring News
14
01-09-2006 01:07 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread
Your Privacy Choices