I am sorry to hear that you are losing your job after investing so much. What major airline are you getting laid off from if you don't mind me asking and which regional airline did you decide on going to?

Did you consider going Corporate instead of regionals?

Best of luck to you. Makes me think about our own future in this crazy business. I do love flying though so I will be at it come hell or high water.

 

Thanks!!

 

" Dereliction of Duty" ???

 

I know there have been a lot of answers here and I'll try to keep mine short.

It depends. It depends on how motivated you are, who you work for and where you want to work.

Want to be a B747-400 Captain at Delta - that will take a while, as it's a senior airplane. At least 25 years once you get hired at the company.

Want to be a B747 Captain for Cathay Pacific? If you know your stuff and fit their mold, it can be a few years. (really - a friend of mine is scheduled for upgrade after being there 3 years, and they do interview regional FOs).

Want to be a B747 Captain for Kalitta? Recently, it was a year upgrade time there. I upgraded there in 1.5 years, and that was after the upgrade class was postponed. But the schedule is tough and the hours can be long.

Delta's schedule is probably similar to Cathay's, which is somewhat nice when you're flying the widebodies. Kalitta's schedule is a lot different, and to some worse.

In short - (wasn't I going to keep this short? ;-) - keep flying and don't worry about wanting to fly a specific airplane. Decide what kind of lifestyle you want and see who has that lifestyle.

 

If you want to be an "international pilot" by the time you are 30, join the Air force and fly transports. You'll see the world. Or a lot of the desert.

 

At UPS, brand new 747-400s have newhire F/Os and are captained by some of the most junior captains in the company.

 

when i was a little kid (last week) i dreamed of flying heavies around the world for UPS or FedEx...that didn't last long...once you start flying and get your first job whether it be flying scenic flights, flight instructing, charter etc. etc. you tend to change your mind...i decided bout 3 years ago that i would not go to a regional...now i'm flying rj's...at this point my goal is to get back to flying piston airplanes around new england and make a little money doing it too...

it's all about perspective and perspective constantly changes with experience...

 

I second that motion!

 

Lightening,

I fly for Astar (DHL). I will either be laid off or the company will cease operations soon. I am somewhat lucky because I am still working. There are many ATA, Kitty Hawk, Aloha, and other pilots that have been out of work for a while now.

I have been applying to corporate, regionals, and foreign airlines for weeks now. I just figured a regional may be the first job offer to come up. I enjoyed it the first time around. I hope I will have as much fun the second time around.

Anyway, so far I haven't had any hits. So at this rate I may find myself flight instructing. I hope those jobs arent too hard to get either.

 

Not unusual to see young skippers in Asia/ME/Europe in their late 20's to mid 30's flying narrow/wide body jets...although most of these guys reached their peak early...flying outside the US has been an excellent choice and if your spirit of adventure is keen to try.. you might be surprised of the end result. Keep your dream alive and best of luck to you.
Remember..15 hours in a tube is not for everyone.!!