GrummanP

I have around 300 hours with a private certificate over about 10 years of on and off flying. I am 29 and have decided to make flying a career. I am wondering how I should proceed to get the required 1500 hours in the quickest way possible...who knows how long this "shortage" is going to last.

Should I just go to my local FBO at Sarasota International ( KSRQ about 40 miles south of Tampa FL) , get my ratings there, and then CFI for them or should I go to one of these ATP type schools that advertise relationships with regionals'? Or can you easily mix and match or do schools typically want to only hire CFI's that they train?

I guess my main concern is getting the most hours in the shortest amount of time after my ratings are complete. I would probably need to investigate at the FBOs and find out how many hours their CFI's are getting a month? I don't know if a rating is a rating or if a regional sees that its from a accelerated school and would take that over a FBO trained pilot. Thanks for your advice.

rickair7777

1. You don't need to worry about the pilot shortage... it's just getting started at the regionals, and isn't even lukewarm at the majors (yet). You have plenty of time. I wouldn't delay unnecessarily, but don't kill yourself (or go into a lot of debt).

2. Regonals don't care where you got your time, or your ratings. Unless you have serious background issues or obvious personality defects you will have your choice of regionals. You do not a school with a "relationship" with a regional... in today's market, that's just a means to funnel noobs to certain regionals. Do your own research and decide where YOU want to work and live, and choose accordingly. Consider regionals with AA flow.

Some majors seem to be granting a slight preference to civilians who got their ratings at a university flight program, but sounds like you're already past that point

PRS Guitars

If you have 300 hours, I think you're best bet is finish up part 61 or local part 141 that will not force you to run through an entire program. You need to look through your log book and see which requirements for the commercial you still need (XC, etc). Hire a local CFI, and start knocking the rest out. Then get the CFI (which will be the same type of maneuvers, but from the right seat) and start working.

And I second that the regional pilot shortage is not ending anytime soon.

kingsnake2

If you're already over 300 hours, I'd probably just finish up CPL/CFI locally. As for getting your ATP minimums, go somewhere that will get you enough flight hours to live on. I work at US Aviation in Denton, Texas so obviously suggest them.

Envoy does have a pipeline program in which pipeline instructors get full travel and medical benefits. This can be a huge bonus if you have a family and makes being a full time CFI much more financially possible. US Aviation is part of this pipeline program with Envoy.