Do I need the regionals at this point?
 

I read someone with a similar situation but here's mine and I want to know if I'm crazy for considering going back to the regionals.

Currently flying King Air's 350's for an overseas contractor. Slightly heavier than 12.5K, glass cockpit, FMS, EFIS, etc. I'm type rated and an instructor for the company. Great money, but time away from my wife and kids sucks. I was furloughed from the regionals in '06 before having kids and a house. I did the temporary full-time National Guard (helo) thing for a while but got back into flying fixed-wing with this gig. Now I have our third child on the way, a mortgage, 4600 total, 1900 Turbine ME Airplane including 1100 at the previous regionals and 650 jet in a CRJ back in the day.

Maybe this is just a bad case of the grass-is-greener, but I'm doubting how far this turbo-prop ME time is going to get me. The question is, do I need to go back to a regional to get more 121 jet time to get me to a major or legacy? Life was bad enough as a regional FO and that was without kids and a house. Are there any other sane, reasonable options for a guy who has financial responsibilities? Or should I just stay put and tell myself the King Air PIC time I'm logging is going to get me hired at say, Alaska, United, Delta, etc.

I think you'll be okay with current king air time and previous CRJ time. Seems like instructor time, crew environment, and EFIS are all pretty valuable times.

Kinda depends what your target place is ...... JetBlue hires guys with your quals quite a bit .... As well as Virgin,

If your targeting Delta / FedEx . Not sure how far that would go...

Turbine PIC/Check Airmen/Chief Pilot
 

Honestly in the next 3-5yrs or maybe sooner depending on how quickly the airlines ramp up hiring your time is sufficient. Going back to the regionals as a SIC is not going to make you stand out anymore then what you have for a resume.

They want to see pilots who have responsibility within their companies. If you are just a line pilot, then your a line pilot. There are thousands of those. I think that if your someone that has 4k+ with a good amount of TPIC experience you will be just fine.

You wont be the first but you probably wont be the last one either. You just dont want to be down the list to far because as any professional pilot knows there will be a down turn or a merger that messes up our QOL.

And wondering if the grass is greener just remember something new always turns into a grind.

Would you consider any of the ACMI carriers such as Atlas, World, or Kalitta?

He's got a wife and kids. I would not recommend acmi unless there is nothing else in the pax field. Been there done that, its tough with kids.

Thanks for the input. I have considered the freight carriers like Kalitta and National but I would probably be gone the same if not more for less money then I'm making now. In fact, the regionals would put me in the same situation but for even less money than the freight carriers. I think it's mostly a case of the grass looking greener with my current job. I'm gone half the year or less. The others aspect that chaps my butt about my job is working in the third-world sewers of the world. But really, how much better is eating pub food at the Holiday Inn Express in the middle of nowhere on food stamp wages? At least my current pay is good. I think my greater concern is how far King Air turbo-prop PIC is going to get me with 1100 Part 121 SIC in my background.

Lots of guys from the regional I work at are getting hired at National Airlines. However most seem to have some Jet PIC in their background.

I suspect that your FW military time, combined with the rest of it, will put you over the hump for the majors. You have military time, RJ time, glass, turbine, checkairman, and PIC. The fact that it's spread around shouldn't be too big of a deal.

I would think the variety of your flying background would help...it shows you're trainable and flexible.

You may not be the first guy they call, but all else being equal you shouldn't be the too far behind. Are you still doing the guard flying?

Yes, still flying in the Guard, but it's all helo (UH-60 and OH-58). I'm technically not fixed-wing qualified in the eyes of the military. That might be changing soon though

Thanks for all the input.