Ethan826

Hi, apologies if this has been asked and answered a zillion times; I couldn't find it.

My flight experience is all from 15 years ago: ERAU grad, Gold Seal CFI/CFII/MEI, assistant chief at a 141 school etc. I changed careers since, largely because of family duties, but never stopped dreaming of airline flying. With no more diapers to change and the kids all in school, I'm grateful and humbled that my family is encouraging me to get back in.

My plan is to do a Flight Review, IPC, and fly enough to feel proficient, likely with some additional instrument work in an FTD.

What I'm uncertain of is whether there are any unpublicized requirements for experience in the last 6 or 12 months or similar. I'm in the NC Triangle and so will likely target the wholly owneds for American with the notion of getting based in Charlotte one day.

I'd be grateful for any advice on this. Thanks very much!

FlyinCat

My guess would be 100 hours in the last 12 months would look good on an application. I’d suggest a new rating but looks like you don’t need one…unless you want to get ATP out of pocket.

Brickfire

What’s your total time? Any 121 or turbine?

JohnBurke

Government positions seem more concerned with a specific number of hours in the last six or twelve months, but some companies do ask.

If you're going for an airline position, most will ask if you're current; as you've noted, legally current (IPC, flight review), as well as technically current and proficient, is what they're after. An interview that features a simulator check will verify basic skills.

In most cases, if I evaluate a pilot, I know most of what I need to know before we ever get to an airplane or a simulator. With this in mind, be current on all things job-related. Be able to answer ATP-level questions and know instrument charts, airspace, regulations, and so forth, fluidly. Flying is much like riding a bike (albeit more difficult to place baseball cards in the spokes, as they say), but there's a level of familiarity and ease in talking the talk, as well as walking the walk, which will come through in an interview. Read up and brush up to be ready.

Regionals hire very inexperienced pilots. You don't need to be the ace fo the base, but you do need to be competent and ready, and as you noted, it's largely about your comfort level. Someone else can sign you off for a proficiency check or flight review, but only you know when the rust is sufficiently scrubbed.

Ethan826

No 121, no turbine.

As far as total time, the simple answer is that I can document 1,050/100, plus maybe as much as 300 more. I switched to an electronic logbook in 2005 but after five moves I can't find the CPU it was on and it's not backed up anywhere I can find. The company verifies they don't have any data. My paper logbooks have the R-ATP minimums, which ERAU's Records and Registration verifies I qualify for. I have some emails out to former students who I flew with a lot and expect to dig up another 50–300 hours. I actually have over 2,000 hours, but that's beside the point in terms of my application on paper, though I do believe I gained important knowledge and skills from those extra hours.

Finally—and this is probably one of those "that plus $5 will buy you a cup of coffee" things—but I have 31 hours Level C MD-80 from a Continental internship and 16 hours Level D with Flight Safety as part of my ERAU degree.

I appreciate your thoughtful answer. That's what I'm thinking, and I feel comfortable that I can reach that level and be realistic in assessing myself in having done so. I was regarded as a knowledgeable instructor and did well academically in Riddle and afterward (summa and a top law school—though once again that and $5...). Mostly I want to be sure there isn't some sort of unpublicized filter that will suppress my application in the software or widely known unwritten rule of the nature "everyone knows you need 50 hours in the last six months."

rickair7777

Might be useful with some non-121 employers so yes log it, but don't include it in your total time (airline and private employers don't want to see it there). It's not going to matter much, there was a day when regionals might give you some extra credit for that but not at this point, they'll anyone with legal mins.


Right now regionals are desperate and will hire anyone, I know of several including a good friend who got hired as DECs after 10+ years of not flying and with ZERO currency. They need CA's more than they need FO's right now so the wait for a class will be longer for FO's. Other than that they don't really have any filters at all right now.

For specific info about AA regionals, best to ask in their subforums (it's probably already been answered, but look for recent posts, things change).

QRH Bingo

Since you’re asking for opinions; you’re over thinking it. You can verify you meet R-ATP minimums so pick a regional that fits your needs and apply. As mentioned, be patient because all of them currently have a surplus of FOs. Good luck.

EDIT: You would be competitive for a Part 135 position if you found one close to you and it offered a quicker path back into the industry. But I would say waiting a few months for a regional position would be a better option.

Brickfire

Might also look into part 91/135

The market is insane. Go fly something turbine, get an ATP and you’re possibly competitive for spirit/frontier/etc

Swakid8

this is the answer

BStill

I'm in a very similar situation, but with a military training background instead of GA, but similar hours. I'm almost 20 years out from last flight, until some GA flying recently towards a BFR. Which is dragging out due to weather and CFI availability, so wondering if it might have been more efficient to do IPC first, or in parallel.

For 91/135 opportunities, subscribe to a job board like "Climbto350.com" I've dropped a lot of resumes on postings there and received a couple of call-backs. Nothing serious, but motivational nonetheless. A couple of operations in the Winstom-Salem / Charlotte area keep re-posting the same job openings over the past few months. They would prefer an applicant that already has the type (and currency), but if you don't have to relocate, and you could promise them at least a year in the seat, they might train you in their fleet. (just speculation, I haven't talked to them...)

For at least the next six months, I'm golden-handcuffed to this desk I've been flying for almost 20 years, but if I don't start interviewing soon I'm considering self-funding a type rating in something/anything marketable (KingAir, Citation) that will demonstrate competency/currency, especially if I can use that as a carrot for any local Part 91 operator to use me for right-seat services, to be able to log better time without having to rent an airplane myself, and ultimately provide a backup plan in case I just stay in the corporate/fractional sector. I flew with an early fractional company for a little while a long time ago: the compensation and QoL falls well short of 121 (not nearly as bad now as it was back then!), but the flying itself is a lot more fun.

If you want details on those 91/135 postings in your area, PM me. They're only a few days old.

Good Luck!