Instruct or Freight
 

I am only at 250 hours and just obtaining my CFI CFII and MEI. The pay is terrible as a CFI but I also have possibility at a small airline where they fly Dornier's. Pay is also not good at the small airline. Should I pursue CFI to get my ATP or go the small airline and get turbine time?

There are many schools out there with really good pay for CFIS. A ton of well paid jobs actually.




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yes but its the turbine time that has me thinking

Good Lord, please instruct for 700-1000 hrs before you move.
Instructing will teach you more about flying then you’ve ever been taught as a student.
If the school will let you teach Instrument students at night also.
Better for them and better for you.
You can make $40-$50k/year as a CFI even hourly.
If you can’t stand it get at least to 500hrs and get with PlaneSense and get some real world IFR experience in congested airspace.
Leave single pilot night freight to Hogan’s Hero’s.

US Aviation would love to hire you as a flight instructor!

Get the turbine crew time!

I went the freight route and it has served me well. I flew as an FO on an EMB-120 and my transition to the 121 airline world has been fairly smooth.

I do think flight instruction time is valuable, however flying bigger aircraft and crewed aircraft is wildly different than any GA stuff. I have seen a few struggle with the transition at my airline.

That being said I've also seen previous 135 guys wash out too.

Whats the airline flying Dornier's? Im in a similar position as you are.

Was that EMB-120 FO position with Ameriflight?

Do a year of each.

Not a bad idea.

Just make sure the training program for the small airline doesn't have a 50% fail rate (common for low-time pilots in their first turbine training event at a cheapo operator). Not a good way to start your career.

But either way, regionals only care about TT right now. I wouldn't leave much money on the table or inconvenience yourself much to chase a particular flavor of time building.

Instruct. Learning to teach teaches you to learn. You’ll be able to learn systems and flows with little effort after you instruct.

^^^this^^^
Well said