Shaun - I had the exact same question you did about a year and a half ago. I decided to stay a CFI and I made a lot more money with a better QOL until I met competitive mins for my first choice regional. From talking to other guys in my class who were working on their second regional, stay a CFI. You don't want two years of first year FO pay, two years of sitting on the bottom on reserve. I had friends that left a year earlier than me to go "build time" at a low-rent regional and now they're in the exact same place I am plus or minus a couple months. It all depends on how much you like your job as a CFI - I enjoyed mine thoroughly.

But what is important here is define a low-rent regional. This all denpends on where and what your needs are in life. I remember when I was an instructor all I wanted was Horizon. Why not they paid the best right!! Until somebody talked the sense in to me and said "your 22 years old do you really want to retire at a regional? They have an 8 year upgrade there and you won't see the left seat until your 30." He explained in 8 years you might have a family and responsilbility. Can you take a horrible pay cut for the first couple years and go to a major like Alaska, Frontier, or Southwest. After thinking about it no I can't, and I don't want to. Soon I learned the best way to play the game in get hired at a major ASAP. All I'm saying is there is a regional for everybody. Some people want pay or some want quick PIC turbine time. It just all depends! In my case I went for a quick upgrade and PIC time, but the money wasn't a huge concern at the time. Everybody thought I was dumb, but all my buddies are still in the right seat, and I have been a CAPT. for almost two years with my first major interview next month. Now all they say is "How did you get in such a great position?" And bottom line is all regionals suck. You want to tell me you all became pilots to fly out and backs and top out at 100 after 20 years in a CRJ. I sure didn't. Just keep looking ahead and don't get brain washed by the flash of some regionals. Go to a regional not for just the pay, but always weigh in flight time, training, and getting what you need for the next job. Good luck all you hard working CFIs. Just my two cents!!

When I finally decided to jump from CFI to the regionals (it was tough because I took a pay cut, wasn't home everynight, etc) I tried to look at where I would be based, would I want to live in any of those places (since I decided early on I didn't want to commute, at least not at first). More importantly than that, when I looked at a company I asked myself "would I be hating life if I got stuck here for 10 years?" All you guys who to Colgan or Great Lakes for the fast upgrade are taking a risk (in my opinion) that the industry wont take another dump like it did post-9/11. Would you really want to be stuck in that B1900 for 10 years flying the same route over and over day in day out? I decided I wouldn't be happy and that I would rather be at a company that had a good reputation with employees and had a wider variety of flying.

I'm sure you all heard of Rod Machado.....wtf 8,000TT and he's about 50? That right there is a wasted life in aviation, IMO. He's probably rakin in money for seminars and stuff, but really...thats just Gay

You have to decide what you want. Airline, cargo, corporate, whatever. Then work towards that goal. Don't pass up an opportunity to move up to something bigger and better. Money will come later. I could have been a CAL captain by now, but I refused to go to Continental Express (crappy airline back then) and PFT back in the early 90's. Those guys who did are CAL captains now. Who would have known? Seniority is EVERYTHING in airlines. Get there now. Regional or major. That's assuming you want the airlines. Training can be tough on the inexperienced. I know a guy with the basic certificates, no CFI ratings, 1500TT and some right seat C-402 time he purchased with a 135 operator. He got hired by two airlines: one B-1900 and one CRJ. He failed both training in the middle of the sims. Is he a bad pilot? No, he has no experience or background to make it through 121 training. Get into a twin as a CFI, then a twin as a corporate or cargo carrier, then a regional, then a major. Work your way up and do it fast because seniority is EVERYTHING. A few months could mean a huge difference in seniority. I did 1500TT as a CFI and 1000 as traffic watch pilot. Then I flew different turbo props corporate, then I went to a regional and flew turbo props and then RJ's. Then I went to a major and flew 737's and now the 757/767. That's a long road (but was fun). Today CFI's are going into RJ's. Good for them. You try it. You'll save a few years of climbing the ladder and get that seniority now. Good luck to you all.

I'd hardly call him a wasted life in aviation. What could be more valuable service to aviation than giving excellent training to future pilots who may fly your family around one day? If you read any of his columns, you can see that he is truly knowledgeable and respectable flight instructor, and a good writer to boot!

And yes, I do agree that he is probably swimming in the dough.. because he was smart and dedicated enough to make it to the top of his professional field, and thus is able to demand a high rate for this instructing services (and books, seminars etc.)

I agree with you about Rod Machado, kaly. The aviation world needs as many dedicated and experienced CFIs as it can get. No offense to those who are just instructing to build time, of course - I'm in that position myself. To be a CFI, especially a liftime CFI, shows true dedication to aviation.

In response to GetErDun, to call the life of someone like that "a waste" is an insult to all instructors and aviation professionals out there! We all should give back to the aviation community in some way, and Mr. Machado has found a way. And a successful way, at that! My hat's off to him, and even moreso to the career CFI at your local airport who doesn't bring in the big bucks.

It's not just about logging hours or getting rich - and if you've lost sight of that I feel sorry for you.

There's risk everywhere in this business. It's all in where you lay your chips. For instance, what if the industry "takes a dump," as you say, and you have been stuck in the right seat for 4 years at a "good" regional? What do you have? About 3200 SIC...while those crazy guys that went to Colgan and Great Lakes may be the only ones that are competitive for the few jobs out there. Yes, your opinion is correct, to an extent. Just realize that there is no risk-free route to the top in this career.

I've asked some "lifers" why they didn't go fly a cool jet, and most simply bring up the fact that they get to see their families every night, get weekends off, and are paying the bills. Doesn't sound like such a bad deal to me.

Machado is considered one of the best at what he does and he's entertaining to boot. Book sales alone are probably bringing that guy more than any senior captain. How many airline pilots are allowed or even given the chance to do something that sets them above the rest?

I didn't say there wasn't risk at the "good regionals". My point was that if I am stuck in the right seat for 4 years, I'd rather be at a company where I was treated like a person, not ballast, was having fun and enjoyed the flying than be at a company where every day was worse than the day before and be hating life. I don't care what anyone says LGA-ALB-LGA has got to get old FAST. If you gotta poke yourself in the eye during the approach to make things interesting, you are NOT having a good time. Those of us at the "good" regionals are in the same boat as those "crazy guys" at Colgan or Great Lakes if the industry goes into another nose dive. If the majors aren't hiring, where are all those CAs at Colgan or Great Lakes gonna go? If the CAs aren't moving, the FOs aren't moving. So now Jim Bob FO who went to Colgan expecting to upgrade in 18 months is now stuck in the right seat of the B1900 for 4 years. And Bob Jim FO who went to Skywest is also stuck for the next 4 years. Now they are both in the same position (except the guy in the Beech probably can't hear worth a damn any more:D ) but who got the better deal? SIC is worth about the same no matter what its in. Thats all I was trying to say.