a weird transition
 

the situation: I'm currently working as a dispatcher at a LCC while on unpaid medical leave from a regional airline where i worked as a pilot. I got my dispatcher certificate because I wanted to keep my head in the game, so to speak, while i was waiting for my medical to clear. I'm nearly 2 years out of currency but have some part 121 PIC time and 2 types. I just got my medical certificate back. I need to make a decision and I'm inclined to make the most ethical one even if, at least for the first 2 years, its the less lucrative choice.

Option 1; go back to my regional where I would have seniority, hold a line, fly as PIC in the E175, and make a lot more money. I would leave the LCC.

Option 2; accept a class date at my current employer, get an airbus type and take a big pay cut to live in random crew bases that few other airlines fly to. I would leave the regional.

Option 3; apply to other airlines that I would ultimately want to go (the big 3 legacies and WN) despite not being current.

I understand that the industry hiring trend that legacies follow seem to favor pilots with narrow body types from LCCs more than the classic 1000 hour PIC regional captains. With that in mind it makes the choice fairly easy, but letting go of a $160k/yr job for a $56k/year job flying an Airbus is a hard pill to swallow. There is also the risk of getting stuck in regional airline purgatory waiting for the call from the dream job that may never come. My regional does have a kind of "flow through agreement" with its parent company that I would be eligible for but its not exactly the most desirable long-term plan.

what would be the best path forward from here to a legacy carrier?

3600 TT
1400 turbine (mostly turboprop)
200 part 121 PIC
only 1 checkride failure (121 recurrent)
no degree.
no DUIs
below age 40

Any advice would be appreciated!

Any time you can go to a real airline that sells it's own tickets, take that opportunity over any subcontractor.

Do you think you’d pass training back at your regional? Whichever path you choose I’d suggest getting up in the air prior to starting training.

Don’t do allegiant…you just need 100 hours or so to get current again before you can blast off to a legacy. We’re hiring basically everyone now

Apply WHEREVER YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO WORK. It’s up to them to say no if they don’t want you. GO WITH THE BEST OPTION THAT WILL TAKE YOU. IF THEY AREN'T YOUR DESIRED OPTION, KEEP APPLYING TO THE OTHERS.

3. Fail? 2. Something wonky? 1.

Go to an LCC (preferably not Allegiant), get the type, then apply to a legacy.

Enjoy a 30 year career at the legacy.

Nobody cares if you have the type rating from the "ULCC."

You have a chance to go straight back to a captain position making more money and you already have a seniority number. Go there, and apply to the carrier of your choice

It's axiomatic: bird in the hand, vs. the bush; but if all three options are available, take the bird in the hand. The only thing the carrier that you're working for tight now offers is a different type airplane (not a big deal). Option 3 is applying to airlines: you can do that while you're earning a living just as easily as you can when not current and not earning captain pay.

There's nothing magical about a "ULCC," or the type rating you'd get. The only operator that ever required you to be type rated to apply was SWA, and that went away a long time ago. I knew a number of sad sacks that bought a type in their fog of shiny jet syndrome and never got hired. The poverty-carrier won't make you look more attractive and the type won't make you more desirable. Don't do that unless it's an itch you must scratch.

Option 1, you’re off probation at your regional and have an iffy track record in 121 training. Don’t go into an operations initial qual non flight current and get fired. Get back upto speed and apply elsewhere.

the airbus itch. Haha!

I have no deep desire to get typed in an A320, only to then be based in some random domicile that’s next to impossible to commute to. It’s hard to shake the feeling that I would be taking a step backwards going back to the regional I came from, but adjusted for inflation I would be making LESS than I did as a year 1 FO at my regional back in 2018. The lower cost of living in some of these bases isn’t enough to offset the low first year pay scale.

I appreciate the feedback!

That’s a really good point. I’m not prone to failing check events but there is always the likelihood. If I fail initial I would go right back to my seniority position in dispatch, which would be ok economically, but humiliating personally. The more I think about that the worse it gets!

That’s a really, really good point..