Need advice for a prospective pilot
 

I'm 95% sure I'm going to suck up the loan and go through ATP's flight school and learn to fly.

Now the scene is looking grim for a regional pilot so my question to you guys is this.... how do you know when you're resume is competitive for working at one of the major's?

I've got a 4 year bachelor's, from what I've researched, thats a plus.

I suppose I'm trying to construct a realistic plan here... as in...

- Start flight school in August - be done by December and try to work as a CFI to get multi engine hrs.

- After a few months of CFI'ing.... land a job at one of the regionals.

so then what?.... work for how long at the regionals to attain how many hours?....:confused:

Start with your ratings first. Do some flight instructing and charter work. Then get the job with the regional. Your length of stay will depend on the the time it will take to move to the left seat. Then you should accumulate at least 1,000 PIC on the regional before moving on. Who know with your degree, you may persue a Masters Degree after you have settled into your regional job, or start a business that can be run on your days off. Leave your options open.

Most important of all... is follow your dreams... don't give up even when you ask yourself what the hell was I thinkg of... stick with it

Happy flying.:)

Best Laid Plans
 

The future is a mystery to us. Fate loves to mess with the best laid plans. If this is a casual interest or even if it is a strong one you need to understand that there will be a huge price to your lifestyle. Lately there has been some talk about the end of the regional good times. It is quite possible that you could get stuck as a CFI for years. Back in the early 90's it was common to sit as a CFI for 3-5 years before a 135 or regional gig came up. Those payments shoot down your dream real fast.

SkyHigh

Plan on making the regionals a career first of all if corporate flying doesn't interest you. Those days of getting the quick 1k hours at the regionals and jumping to the majors are gone, at least for the next few years.

Realistically don't plan on becoming a captain at the regional untill around 5 years with the company. Plus once you become captain 1000pic is not enough anymore meaning you're going to have to be captain for 2-5 years before looking for a job at the majors. So expect to be at a regional for at least 6-7 years. The key is finding a regional that offers a balance of quality of life and upgrade times. If you don't care about quality of life and want to move on and get the fast upgrade to captain choose an airline like MESA where you can be captian in a few weeks:). If you are looking for better pay and work rules choose an airline like Skywest although you will be on reserve more and upgrade will be slow.

Now life will be much easier if you go corporate/fractional flying since they don't require the PIC time, and you will make more money, but that's a whole different kind of flying and it's not for everyone.

Assume that you will spend your entire career at a regional. Hint: you are not the only person who would rather skip regionals and fly for a major, and that includes 95% of the regional pilots! So once you get that regional job, you will be standing in line behind 25,000+ regional airline pilots who all have more experience than you do! And many of them have been standing in that line for 7-8+ years already!

Getting a major airline job today is like winning the lottery, except it doesn't pay as well as the lottery.

If you are well very connected in the industry, have a exceptional credentials (ie Harvard, professional / olympic athlete, etc), or flew in the military, your odds become more reasonable.

What do you mean by stuck as a CFI for years? I'll be finished with all my ratings to fly commercial by december... Are you saying that there's a prospect that the regionals won't hire?

I'm pretty optimistic about getting a regional job... ATP's strong ties with XpressJet and a few other regionals should make it within grasping distance.....

Believe it or not, I really don't have SJS, I just don't want to be stuck as a CFI for more than a year or 2 tops. I wouldn't mind flying for the regionals, seeing as how i'm from DFW, there's not too much problem with commuting... Thanks for all the advice guys.

Guarantees
 

I am just saying that there are no guarantees in life and that some have been saying that the tide may be turning at the regionals. If oil prices keep rising six months from now it might become very difficult to get a job anywhere. You might get stuck as a CFI for a while or have to wait it out in another industry.

SkyHigh

turbomax97:

This is exactly what I plan on doing. I have decided to make the regionals a career, b/c I'm starting out @ 44 yrs old. If the age 60 rule changes, along with other variables, then I just might have a shot at the majors/cargo. If not, I'll just enjoy my career at the regional level. No biggie.

atp

Regional Toys versus Major Toys
 

The size does'nt matter... its how much fun you can have with it. Sometimes bigger isn't better.:D

huh?
 

Are you saying I have been living all these years with a complex of inadequacy and shame for nothing? Damn!