cbrpilot

My only commercial flying gig I had was with Georgia Skies () back in 2008/2009 flying the Caravan out of ATL. Built ~500 hours there and got laid off when the US economy tanked. Couldn't manage a response from over 100 separate attempts at obtaining an interview *anywhere*, doing *any* kind of flying. I resigned to completing my bachelors and then just never came back. I couldn't afford to take the dismal salary of the first (at least) 5 years of being a new commercial pilot.

Fast forward nearly 8 years. I stayed current for the first few years, utilizing heavily discounted block time in a 172 to help my dad with his business etc. But as of today, I have not flown for about 3 years. I've lost all currency, but I do still have a 1st class medical.

So, is there any kind of super focused approach I can take to rushing back into currency and proficiency? I'll be flying with an instructor for at least 10 hours in a glass cockpit aircraft and getting commercial/instrument current again...but I'm worried about the technical part of the 121 interview. Should I just get an updated Instrument Oral Exam Guide, some approach plates, and an enroute chart and study my ass off til the interview? Any guidance is appreciated!

teddy3412

As far as interview prep I'd read anything you can on aviation interviews and do everything you mentioned doing as well as getting your hands on the turbine pilot flying manual or whatever it's called. That should prepare you to take pretty much any interview in the regional world currently. I had an interview at Endeavor recently and I just studied the questions on aviation interviews and read some of the oral exam guide for instrument and I was offered the job.

airflight999

Have a Mesa recruiter call you, pick up the phone, respond in half English, and show up to class. They will carry your hand through everything. Seriously, we hire people who have been out of aviation for over 10 years and get them through training. You'll hate yourself while eating ramen noodles for the 6th time in a trip in a lousy Microtel in Cincinnati that's smaller than a prison cell, while avoiding your fellow crews who have contacted Legionnaires disease.

But hey, living the dream!

cbrpilot

Thanks. I've been reading through gouges and have a good list going on what to focus on now. I don't have the turbine pilot flying manual though. I'll probably over study, but I'd prefer that to not enough.

Appreciate the heads up, but I'm pretty familiar with the lifestyle of a new regional pilot lol. Still have several friends that stuck with it and are much better off now than their meager beginnings. I'm lucky enough to have a wife who makes enough to support me not making any income at all...I won't be eating any ramen. Any other advice?

prydb

Go to Mesa, no interview required. Get a training event under your belt and apply for better job and qol/pay.

271c

Hey man, welcome back! I have a similar backstory, left aviation around that time not by choice, and did something else for a few years, hopping in and out of flying. I lost all currency at one point, and did exactly what you're talking about -- hopped in a glass cockpit airplane. I can't recommend that enough, as learning the G1000 with an FD/AP setup was highly-useful in managing the systems of a 121 jet. As for the interview, learn Jepps like the back of your hand, and from there read the aviationinterviews website gouges. Some airlines will want jet knowledge (Skywest, so I've heard), others won't go beyond Jepps and a few basic 121 alternate/legality questions (Envoy), and some will want to know about your Cessna or "most recent multi" systems (several airlines). As for the HR stuff, be the normal guy/gal you seem to be and you'll do just fine.

As far as your "getting back into it" training, a lot of that will be for your 121 training more than the interview; most have done away with sim evals, and even so they are often fairly straightforward events. The training, though, has a starting point that some without recent proficiency find to be a stretch. Of course try to re-perfect a solid glass-cockpit scan with and without a flight director. And if your budget allows, fly till you feel totally comfortable with the ins and outs of a technically-advanced glass cockpit setup (not sure if PW Caravans had G1000s or some other type of tech?). Sure, it doesn't directly transfer, but you'd be amazed at how much easier life is for the guys who've used FLCH and VS modes, or VNAV/GP G1000/FMS modes, compared to those who had to learn those basics AND try to fly a jet. Again, maybe you're good to go on that, but just wanted to stress that point. The only folks we lost during our training were those who had only flown steam gauges and/or hadn't flown with technology in quite some time. The actual flying didn't weed anyone out, as they'll likely work with you as needed to a reasonable extent. But it was the guys who couldn't wrap their heads around the FD/AP modes and the FMS (the latter of which in many ways has similar logic to piston G1000/Avidyne set-ups; not nearly as user friendly, but the logic will be remotely familiar).

One last suggestion that helped me a bit, try flying "faster than normal" approaches as much as the Cessna allows. While I couldn't mirror a jet, it did help tracking LOCs and GSs at 120 versus the normal Cessna approach speeds when it came to hand-flying the sim. Just something that helped me a bit after being spoiled with countless 90 knot approaches as a CFII, YMMV. Your Caravan time may make this unnecessary.

The money doesn't have to lead to poverty nowadays, some people are a bit dramatic (yes, it used to be pretty bad, and still isn't what we'd like it to be, no argument here). No need to go to Mesa. I came from a higher-paying non-aviation gig, and I haven't suffered a horrible financial setback. I'm sure you're well aware that pay is going up, and many regionals are hiring. You'll do great.

Theaveragejoker

If you live close to a base, go to an AA wholly owned. Get tons of bonus money and mainline flight benefits. If you're not multi current I'd stay away from Piedmont until you can hand fly a single engine ILS without short circuiting.

cbrpilot

Excellent info! Thank you for posting. I'll make sure to do my approaches faster than normal. The caravan approach speed was usually around 110 kts, but flying to ATL we were always asked to maintain best forward speed...which always ended up flying near the top of the yellow in order to stay out of the way. It was fun flying for sure.

I did not plan on becoming current in a multi platform, mainly due to costs associated. Being so rusty, it's probably best to get some quality time in that's less stressful than dealing with engine out approaches right off the bat!

I plan on shooting for Envoy. I may interview at one or two others first for the practice. I live 25 minutes from IAH, but I'll be able to manage DFW at Envoy once I'm able to hold a line there.

cbrpilot

One other thing that I haven't seen mentioned yet: do I need to (or am I able to) use my own headset at most regionals? I was looking at picking up a used DC or maybe Bose X headset for getting current again, but if I'm able to or forced to use my own headset at Envoy then I'd rather buy new.

271c

There are headsets in the aircraft at Envoy. Some people use them, some don't. If you provide your own, it is supposed to be TSO'd per company policy, though I know some fly with ones that are not. I personally am waiting to buy my own after noting how many other people use the ones in the aircraft. However, it also depends on the airplane -- the 145 is a bit louder than the 175, for example.