What incredible wit and humor in these responses.

Actually, it's not unreasonable for those with established careers and practices to inquire about the prospect of adding professional aviation to their repertoire. The airlines are replete with those who handle two careers given the flexibility aviation can provide with sufficient seniority. The point of this thread to gauge how flexible schedules can be at the regional level to accomodate already existing practices and businesses.

The short answer is they aren't flexible.

What, may I ask, is your "established career and practice"?

Attorney in private practice.

Stick with the ambulance chasing--more money, better company!

GF

Why in the world would you want to spend at least 240 days each year working a grueling schedule to earn what you do in one to two months?

For the same reasons why everyone else has gone into the airlines - a love of flying. But I'm not naive. I started the thread because I know the first two-three years are grueling - but at some point with some seniority I know QOL improves. I'm just trying to gauge how good it can get once you get through the bad times to see if I can get to the point where I can manage both careers. I know some lawyers do fly for airlines.

First couple of years can be bad depending on what phase of life you are in. First couple of decades can be bad depending on the life cycle of the airline (s) you hire on with. Its all luck. Even though I was worked to death the first couple of years and made nothing... learning a new airplane and flying to new places and working with new people made things bearable. Now that I have a family and am more settled i'm not sure I could do it over again. I have been at SKYW for 8 years and chosen to stay in the right seat, live in base, and have a good quality of life (20 days off for feb), money sucks though.

I doubt it.

If you "love flying". BUILD OR BUY AN AIRPLANE AND FLY IT! Join a flying club, etc.

I love driving my fast car, but that doesn't want to make me want to be a cab driver, sheesh!

One big problem is referring to a broken business model as "cyclic", it's not, it's broken.

If your a lawyer stay doing it... this isnt a hobby its a career. What your doing is the worst thing for this career because you would fly for 2$ an hour because you really dont care what you get paid.

So your looking to drop trips down to the min so you can fly and be a lawyer while there is people out there trying to get a job so they can make a career out of this. Go be a flight Instructor on the weekends.

My interest in having two careers will have no effect on the poor wages paid to regional pilots now. Supply and demand dictates that. Believe me, i agree it's sad that the only way I could even consider being a regional FO is because I have another career. But if you read the threads on this website, EVERY seasoned airline pilot urges young pilots to have a second/backup career. I just did it backwards - got the first career established before professional aviation.