Hey gang. I am a current part 135 single pilot King air 200 Cap. Sic Citation 135. 2000 hours king Air pic or so.2600 tt.. 300 jet sic. ATP. Never busted a ride. Always wanted to fly airlines. I am 43.In shape and fun to be on trips with. Just a High school ed. Did some college wasn't for me. I am a very safe pilot that can think under pressure. Credit rating sucks but from old college loan.Fixin that. Talk to me. Looking to make a move.

 

Drivin a King Air and Citation...stay where youre at. Presumably you like flying, stay there and keep enjoying it. Don't come to an airline and end up hating flying.

 

If you're already rich, do what all rich people do... whatever catches your fancy.

But if money will be an issue between the ages of 43 and 65, I would recommend the following three step process:

1) Stay put and fly your King Air and Citation.

2) Don't go to a regional.

3) Wait for the hiring wave and go straight to the first major to hire you.

OK, maybe that's only two steps.

 

This...
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Hi Bandito,

I figured I'd jump in here since all the replies you've received so far were the usual empty bandwidth.

First, why do you want to head to the airlines? Are you still gainfully employed with your current gig? Do you have a pretty good future there? What are your long term goals?

I have a similar background to you... I used to fly King Airs for a 135 op, and more recently was a part 91 citation co-captain with about 2100 hours. A few months ago I made the switch to a regional airline, as I was only flying about 200 hours/year and did not see a strong future at my corporate gig. I saw the regionals as a place to quickly get my TT up to the "magical" 3500 TT dictated by Wavern/Argus for a lot of the better 135 jet jobs, as well as some of the mid-size jet insurance requirements for part 91 operators.

Additionally, I felt now was my one chance to try the airlines before settling down in life (I'm currently 34, single, no kids). I've only been doing this for a short while, but so far it has been enjoyable. The first year pay is obviously terrible, but as long as you plan ahead financially it is certainly possible to still have fun without incurring debt. It's pretty nice not being tied to a phone on my hard days off, and I'm enjoying the variety of crews that I fly with.

I'm not really sure how far I'll pursue this airline thing, but it will always be a nice boost in my resume if I decide to head back to charter or corporate down the road later. Having exposure to multiple types of operations is always a good thing in my opinion!

One last comment... Since you don't have a college degree, you will most likely be unable to move onto the major airlines/cargo carriers. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as making a career at some of the better regionals is not uncommon. But if your goal is to be flying a Boeing 767 for Delta for example, you might need to reconsider. But you probably already know this.

Good luck with your decision, and please feel free to PM me if you have any questions! Also, keep in mind the most bitter airline pilots are the ones that have never had to slug it out in the crappy charter/corporate jobs. They're kinda clueless!

 

WRX,
You do know that the clueless bitter airline pilots can see your posts, right?

Yes, first year pay is terrible when you're 34 with no kids. So is year 8 pay with a family. Since Bandito didn't reveal his family situation you may not want to tell him it's "certainly possible" to get by.

Please feel free to share your opinion based on your months as a regional pilot. But don't call me clueless, bitter, and empty just because I offer my opinion based on my 8+ years as a regional pilot.

 

The only hurdle I see with you moving to the airlines is your lack of a college degree. The merits of whether they should or should not be required can be debated elsewhere, fact of the matter is most major/legacy carriers require it or at least the VAST majority of their new hires will have a degree. Many regional carriers would prefer you to have a degree.

Beyond that, 121 is a totally different world than you are use to, there are good and bad things depending on what type of flying you like to do and what sort of work schedule you like. Good luck down the road.

 

If you presently enjoy a job which pays well and has decent job security, I would stay put. Flying is flying.

 

Lol. It amazes me how many pilots drop out of college to become pilots. These same pilots then argue that flight training is harder than getting a degree.

Regional airlines do not care if you have a degree. Majors do, but I know at least one pilot at Southwest without a degree and at least one pilot at Delta without a degree (he flowed up from Compass). It is possible to get to a major without a degree, but not probable. Good luck to you.

 

Yep. What's your point? Did I hurt your feelings?

Well, let's not pick and choose what I said here. I stated he could get by if he "planned ahead financially". That would of course take into account things like expenses from a family, mortgage payment, boat payment, country club dues, etc.

I'm basing my opinion on my years spent in charter and corporate. Some (notice I never said all) airline pilots are "clueless" when they act like those areas are the best thing ever, and tell the OP not to even bother looking at the airlines. They have no idea what his situation is, which is why I was the ONLY one to even ask him questions.

By the way, if you're so ****ed off about the airlines, why don't you get out and do something else? There are other opportunities out there, it's not worth staying somewhere and hating your job. I've been there, and it's not fun.