Regionals at 53?!?
#31
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I would suggest recent glass time if you’re a steam gauge person. The transition is not insignificant and you don’t want to be learning it in your sims, which presume glass IFR proficiency.
Another challenge I’ve observed in the transition you’re making is the level of automation, which can bewilder those of us whose experience is mainly stick-and-rudder types. Again, not something that’s easy for everyone to pick up in a sim session or two, and falling behind hurts chances of success.
Candidly, I wouldn’t put stock in the “it’s too hard past 50” naysayers. It depends on the person. If you put in the time, focus on the right things, stay positive, and listen, it’s just another airplane. But I’d show up glass-proficient and IFR-sharp. Fly with some airline buddies and ask for their honest feedback, then work hard to improve BEFORE showing up.
Another challenge I’ve observed in the transition you’re making is the level of automation, which can bewilder those of us whose experience is mainly stick-and-rudder types. Again, not something that’s easy for everyone to pick up in a sim session or two, and falling behind hurts chances of success.
Candidly, I wouldn’t put stock in the “it’s too hard past 50” naysayers. It depends on the person. If you put in the time, focus on the right things, stay positive, and listen, it’s just another airplane. But I’d show up glass-proficient and IFR-sharp. Fly with some airline buddies and ask for their honest feedback, then work hard to improve BEFORE showing up.
#32
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In my experience most of the older career changers don’t get anywhere near as prepared as they need to be even though they think they are. They are also typically very overconfident probably because of their success in the previous career. When you couple that with the fact that they haven’t been in school in decades so study skills are not really there. All of that in an unforgiving training environment at the regionals usually doesn’t end well for a lot of them. We had a guy who consistently bragged about how experienced he was in a 172. As it turns out he only had 10 hours of multi engine time it was before the rules changed. Failed his oral and could not stop crashing the simulator they released him after sim 2. He didn’t even get to single engine operations just couldn’t handle two engines at the same time.
#33
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In my experience most of the older career changers don’t get anywhere near as prepared as they need to be even though they think they are. They are also typically very overconfident probably because of their success in the previous career. When you couple that with the fact that they haven’t been in school in decades so study skills are not really there. All of that in an unforgiving training environment at the regionals usually doesn’t end well for a lot of them. We had a guy who consistently bragged about how experienced he was in a 172. As it turns out he only had 10 hours of multi engine time it was before the rules changed. Failed his oral and could not stop crashing the simulator they released him after sim 2. He didn’t even get to single engine operations just couldn’t handle two engines at the same time.
The proof will be in the proverbial pudding. I’ll return to lurking mode here for the next few months, build the necessary hours, get razor-sharp on instruments again, and see where things go with my regional applications.
Thanks to all for the helpful input.
#34
Prime Minister/Moderator

Joined: Jan 2006
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From: Engines Turn or People Swim
In my experience most of the older career changers don’t get anywhere near as prepared as they need to be even though they think they are. They are also typically very overconfident probably because of their success in the previous career. When you couple that with the fact that they haven’t been in school in decades so study skills are not really there. All of that in an unforgiving training environment at the regionals usually doesn’t end well for a lot of them. We had a guy who consistently bragged about how experienced he was in a 172. As it turns out he only had 10 hours of multi engine time it was before the rules changed. Failed his oral and could not stop crashing the simulator they released him after sim 2. He didn’t even get to single engine operations just couldn’t handle two engines at the same time.
121 is nothing at all like stick-and-rudder GA flying... that just provides a foundation.
#36
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#37
Gets Weekends Off
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The people that are having a hard time getting through airline training aren’t the ones with several hundred hours of recent flight time, it’s the ones that thought playing flight simulator at home and getting an IPC after several years off would shake the rust off enough to fly something 15 times bigger and 3 times faster than their last airplane.
#38
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The people that are having a hard time getting through airline training aren’t the ones with several hundred hours of recent flight time, it’s the ones that thought playing flight simulator at home and getting an IPC after several years off would shake the rust off enough to fly something 15 times bigger and 3 times faster than their last airplane.
#40
Point being things change in the Regional world.
Last edited by SureJetStick; 10-10-2019 at 12:45 PM.
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