Typically just have a POC at the organization who can verify that you volunteer there. They probably won't try to do accounting on the exact number of hours.

You know how many people I know that left the industry 20yrs ago and still haven't gone back? I'm one of them.

I'm 52 now...senior IT manager/engineer...yes, would love to go back into aviation...but they won't pay what I need to get by. Which is $120K+/yr with kids in college, mortgage yada yada.

Maybe in 6-7 yrs..I'll go fly for Silver Air and think about working retirement plan...or maybe I'm laid off or fired..then have no choice...haha

That would be awesome to fly for something like Silver out of Tampa, home every night likely. Even at lower pay, I loved aviation/flying. But the pay, crazy schedule, terrible operations etc..you all know the story, hard to go back.

Did I mention the pay sucks in aviation starting out?

Many people would be willing to leave their careers if the airlines understood lifestyle, respect of people and pilots/crew time/lives etc. At the right price!! Or as an alternative to their career they are in.

Right??? Being an airline pilot doesn’t require a top secret squirrel clearance. You’re a bus driver not an astronaut. Airlines don’t need to know your GPA from kindergarten or get a reference from the old lady whose lawn you mowed when you were 13. Jesus the last 121 airline I applied for wanted so much I said no thanks half way through the application.

This. I know about 20 including myself in this situation. Been 10 years since 121 and 4 since last mil flight. Thought hard about rejoining in the last round of bonus updates (prior mil, 737 & 747 type ratings, 4K w/600 121), interviewed, and was offered a job (with a regional) contingent on my getting current and sim time prior to starting. Uhh, not going to shell out $7k to take a 70% pay cut to work weekends. Thx, bye.

Huh?

What regional wanted you to blow $7K on sim???

Plenty of them will take a guy like you with bare minimum currency (ie BFR/IPC in a 152 at the local patch). They'll put you through ATP training too if needed.

Assuming 4K mostly mil FW and a clean record and you'd be off to a big-6 airline within a couple years.

I've worked in the real world and have plenty of friends who still do, seen guys killing themselves for years, climbing over their buddies dead bodies, to get that next promotion which will take them from $120K to $150K. Aviation is much mo betta right now, and will probably stay that way for a good while... long enough to get pretty senior before you have to ride out another downturn anyway.

I know guys who bailed back in the day, and they all have second thoughts, have discussed the possibility of coming back with me. Of those who gutted it out, don't know anyone who regrets it, although I'm sure they're out there too. The guys who got stuck at regionals and needed more money, just got into some other side gig (or main gig), leveraging their seniority for schedule flexibility.

What would define as a clean record?

Nothing criminal more than a few speeding tickets.

No terminations for cause.

No training failures. You can work around one or even two, but it all depends on the details and how long ago.

If you have to ask, you’re hiding something. Don’t worry it will come back to haunt you.