How to get to the regionals with no CFI
 

I know this thread is going to spark some steam, but I'm looking for advice on how to get to the regionals without instructing. I'm 32 have all my ratings and about 300 hours. I also have a B.S. in Aerospace Eng from Embry-Riddle and a MBA.

Times look really good to get into the airlines, I have looked at Jet University's F/O program with Pinnacle. I would like to hear any thoughts from people who have gone through similar programs.

My short time goal is to get into the regionals build the time and long term goal is to get into one major and stay there until retirement and I believe this is the right time.

I have heard of many low time pilots getting hired by regionals. I do not want this thread to become a debate of why low timers don't belong in the cockpit or that CFI is the only and better way to go, so please save your energy for someone else as I have already read all those other posts.

Please I would like advice from people that are at the regionals or have experience and would appreciate your suggestions on schools and paths to get there.

Thanks

Simple--all you have to do is apply to the regional of your choice, and tell them you went to ERAU.

“When the interviewer asks where you did your flight training and you say Embry-Riddle, it’s done. Embry-Riddle is the standard in the industry. People still call it the Harvard of the Sky.”

--ERAU alum Rod Eichelbaum, NetJets

What's their latin motto again? A fool and his money are easily parted - is that right?



-LAFF

Ohhh Boy!!!!! here we go again:eek:

How To Get To The Regionals Without a CFI in Three Easy Steps
1) Spend a lot of money buying time with any one of the PFT outfits that exist.
2) Apply to the first lousy regional that offers you a job.
3) Grow tired of everybody giving you crap for being a PFT *****, quit, and get a CFI.

I'll just say get your CFI, if you can't put the effort towards it, then what says you aren't going to put effort towards a new job?

Like everyone else has implied, you are much better served in the long run by getting the CFI.

However, the current hiring climate is such that airline mins are at an all-time low at the regional level, so it is feasible to get enough hours to get a crappy regional job without instructing (note: you will most likely hate the crappy regional, and quit after a year or two to go to a better one). Here are some ideas as to time building. The current demand for pilots is emptying the CFI ranks, opening up more GA jobs that are usually harder to get. You will need to network bigtime in your local GA community...

- Personal pilot for some rich guy with a high-end recip. This might be a twin or a single, but could pay $30-50K/year with the right guy.
- Banner Tow
- Skydiver Driver
- Right Seat in private jet...insurance usually rules out low-timers, but if the owner is willing to pay a premium, it could happen.
- Pipeline Patrol
- Animal spotting/radio tracking
- Traffic watch
- Repositioning airplanes for a dealer/broker.

Remember, you still need to get the twin time...that will be MUCH harder without an MEI. You could always take out a loan and buy a block, but if you do that keep MASSIVE records of the time, the trips, receipts, everything. It's too easy to fake that kind of time, so employers will be suspicious.

Those types of programs require you to pay upfront a large amount of money. I just don't trust any program out there to pay that much upfront. Anyone who says a job is "gauranteed'', i'm suspicious of. I really never believe the ''gaurantee'' word. That's a very scary word, especially in aviation.

"I do not want this thread to become a debate of why low timers don't belong in the cockpit or that CFI is the only and better way to go, so please save your energy"

Oh...okay....

Guess I have nothing to say, then.

ASA has lowered their minimums to 500/50, Comair is currently the same. Comair is hiring 400+ this year, American Eagle is looking for 400/100. All of these numbers were provided to me by a American Eagle FO. Get your multi-time and apply.

Any estimates of the typical cost to go from a Commercial through the CFI, CFII, and MEI? Another 15K? My old man told me to get the CFI because I'm going to have to get the MEI to build my Multi time with out breaking the bank. No way to get the MEI with out the CFI, bummer.
I was going to get my CFI to teach my brother to get his Private. He told me that he wants me, and only me to be his instructor when I get it. Guess I'm stuck.

Don't get your CFI just to have it under your belt, get it and learn learn and learn some more. Its the easiest way to get paid to fly with low time.

Show me where it says that in the FARs.

thanks for the replies, I think I'm considering the CFI route more each time

FYI,

I think I'm deciding to go the ATP route for CFI in Daytona Beach. It does seem to be the more cost effective method to get the hours and experience that I need. Thanks for the input

Technically, the CFI, CFII, and MEI are all seperate ratings. The first one you get (refered to as your intial instructor ride) will have a more exhuastive oral interview, covering instructional theory and aviation fundamentals quite thoroughly. Subsequent instructor check rides are treated as add-ons, where you only cover the materiel specific to that rating and skip over the stuff covered on the initial instructor ride.

People usually take the CFI ride first, as their initial, but this is not required. I have trained CFII's who did not have and never got the CFI...their CFII ride was their intial ride and covered all the basics as well as the instrument stuff.

So you could get your MEI without doing the others, but you would have to find out if a low-time pilot could even get a job as an MEI. You could do free-lance at a club or FBO, but many rental operations require 50-100 hours of ME time in order to teach in their aircraft (insurance). Large, organized flight schools can usually employ MEI's with less ME time but you normally have to work as a single-engine CFI first (it's all seniority based).

What Rick said.