That's the direction I'm leaning towards at this point. I think getting a private and instrument in say a C-150, spend the next 4 years flying your tail off, accumulate 1400 hours. Then sell the plane with a run-out engine and use the money to get Multi-eng Comm and ATP. The Magic number for airline hiring is 1500 w/ATP and thats what it will take to fly right-seat at a regional - at least for now. My sense is the FAA will realize their 1500hr rule is stupid and will relax it.

 

You live in the Bay Area?

 

They already did. It's called the Restricted ATP.

 

Stupid? It's restricting supply. Demand is going up and supply is going down. That raises wages. It's hitting the regionals hard right now and they are trying to combat the possibility of raising wages by lowering their demand for pilots by trading 50 seaters for 76 seaters. That is just a band aid in the next few years when the retirements are at flood stage the regionals will have a major staffing problem. You can get someone with 500 hrs to work for nothing but someone isn't going to invest the time or money to get 1500 hrs and make nothing. Wages at the regionals with have to go way up. They may have to go up to the point where outsourcing doesn't make any sense.

The 1500 hr rule is about as far from stupid as you can get. Do I want my family in the back of a plane with a guy that has 500hrs in the right seat and 1500 in the left? No!

It's absolutely amazing the complete disconnect the top of some mainline seniority lists has.

 

That disconnect is because "Regional Jets" didn't EXIST when we came up through the system, 30+ years ago.

There was no way in HELL any 500hr. 22yr. old kid was going to get a job in the right seat of a JET, with PEOPLE in the back, when we were flying checks at night in props, trying to build time to maybe one day get hired as a FLIGHT ENGINEER...

Then maybe, years and thousands of hours later, you'd get to the right seat of a jet...if your company didn't furlough you first.

I do fully support the 1500hr. rule, I only whish that when the RJ's were invented, it was already in place! They might never have grown to replace all the DC9's and 737-100+200's at the mainline in the first place!

 

+1

If you can make it through ATP you can make it through a regional.

There's 9 ways to skin a cat, but I'd argue that the ATP program is the fastest.

 

I assume you are talking about All ATP. I did their all CFI course in Jacksonville many years ago and had a great experience. It's a bare minimum to get you through training and that's it. It is also the most cost effective way to get the ratings in my opinion... flying at the FBO's or flying "on campus" at the aviation colleges can be very expensive. I wish I had done all my ratings at ATP! I know people who went through the "puppy mills" and they are further along in the industry, started later than me, and paid less. Hind sight is 20/20.
After ATP, I built my time moving aircraft for a broker and instructing. I can second the advice on purchasing an aircraft once your son has the ratings. If they want to employ him as a CFI after training there, GREAT... let someone else pay for the flight time and it'll be good experience. However, if that doesn't work out, I advize getting an affordable single engine for the majority of the total time required to get the ATP then get a worn out multi. for the add-on and experience... or find someone with a multi looking to built time and split the gas. The market on twins is pretty soft right now due to the cost of operating them. Once your son is hired by a regional... unload the plane to the next guy wanting to put their kid into the industry.
Go talk to the brokers... the guys at AirplanesUSA (United pilots) can help or talk to O'Brien Aviation down in Spruce Creek. These guys can find you something for just about any budget. You may even make money once you're done with it if you find a good deal. There are still quite a few distressed sales of aircraft going on these days. PM me for more info if you need it.

 

It's all about timing. It can be the best job ever with lots of time at home with your family and enough cash to pay for your other half to stay at home for a few years. However if you get it wrong it can bankrupt you and your family chasing that dream.

Unfortunately none of us has a crystal ball so we will never know if our timing will be right.

Good luck to you all and krudawg glad you are retiring and I move up a number :-)

 

There are def things wrong and unattractive about puppy mills, but as we all know seniority is everything in this business . I did all my ratings through a mom pop fbo , looking back I regret it , I had zero guidance when going through, I didn't have any friends leaving to go on to the regionals to make contacts etc, I took much longer and flew plans that were expensive and didn't really serve me a purpose for getting ahead in my career, this is where I think the ATP puppy mill type palaces serve a valuable purpose . They have one purpose , take your money as give you ratings. Plain and simple . Which is what your son needs.

Forget what the internet ninjas say, get through as fast as possible and get him a seniority number somewhere. Yes you want him to be a solid pilot , that's gonna happen at either type of training depending on what type is student he is .

 

Not to beat a dead horse, but have you considered the Air National Guard program? You can't buy better flight training at any price, and they'll PAY YOU to learn to fly, in jets, then the give you a job.

I did it both ways, started flying Cubs and C150's at FBO's, flew checks, then much later joined the Guard. My only regret is that I didn't join the Guard sooner!