Clarification
 

Shackone,

What I mean is that I wouldn't lay down the cash for initial training to be followed by several years of low paid humiliation. I have already incurred the expense of acquiring my licences and wasted a decade of my life in lower jobs gaining experience. I wouldn't consider myself to be starting over as a new hire at Alaska Airlines or UPS. Their lowly new hire pay rates are higher than what I averaged while climbing the ladder.

SKyHigh

Seems like one of your critical errors was flying / working fun jobs (alaska bush flying, corporate jets, etc...).

Would you tell someone starting out to get a 121 job ASAP and forget about the 'fun' flying jobs?

Is it worth it to stay a CFI for an extra year or two to get the ATP then apply to the regionals and start working in the 121 world?

Just trying to get a better grip on the career...

Thanks,
LAFF

Really!!

What would you consider yourself then?

In my opinion I would pay whatever sum to go strait to a regional.

Once when introducing myself to a captain at the beginning of a four day trip he asked me about my background. When I came to my bush pilot experience he stated "wow that is good experience". In my mind I had to pause because that statement caught me as odd. Good for what? I had to ask myself.

This guy went straight into a Lear and then to the regionals. Now he was my captain in a 757. In the modern world of aviation what good is experience like that anymore? As a bush pilot you are taught self reliance, analytical thinking and a "can do" attitude. There was no one else there to help you get your plane unstuck. I couldn't call dispatch to work up a new weight and balance when an unexpected passenger showed up. My performance calculations were done by pacing out the distances and going off my gut. If my pax showed up intoxicated and armed TSA was not going to pop out and subdue him. (they probably wouldn't do that at LAX either) I grew into a confidant capable and independent pilot who was use to being in command of highly intense situations. At the end of the day I was overcome with a huge sense of satisfaction and was a nervous wreck.

We were responsible for everything from load and route planning to aircraft selection. How does that help an airline pilot who's company goal it is to become a manual driven automaton? For that matter, what good is being a CFI if your goal is to become an airline pilot? You are taught rules procedures and skills that mostly don't apply to flying 121. In my opinion it just pollutes the mind with conflicting FAR's and emergency procedures.

In my opinion the best route is straight to a regional if at all possible. I would write out the check and never look back. Real pilot experience means nothing anymore and in fact can become a hindrance.

SkyHigh

Self Consideration
 

I would consider myself as taking an opportunity that I had already paid far to much for.

In all honesty though if it was for any company other than Alaska Air I most likely I would hang the letter inviting me to ground school on the wall and write an nice and warm "no thank you letter". Alaska Airlines is different since its compensation would go beyond the mere paycheck.

SKyHigh

might be true if youre talking about the old school single pilot mentality. those "real pilots" can fly the heck out of an airplane, but they lack the most important thing these days: CRM. I think the best background out there is one that offers a chance to see both sides. Sure you have to rely on yourself and be able to handle situations and act independently as a start, but you also have to balance that with how to effectively get things done as a crew. This is the most important thing in a fully automated crew airplane. Autopilot (if its working properly) usually flies the airplane better than we can hand fly, so its not about how awesome we are with our flying skills. Its about properly distributing workloads and and solving problems together. On the other hand i dont necessarily think those old school types are a bad thing unless they keep that single pilot mentality in a crew environment. Its good to have experience on both ends of the spectrum...

Exactly
 

The question was, "what experience is valued anymore"? Single pilot part 135 and part 91 CFI really doesn't help at all if you are intending to impress an airline. We all have to start someplace but the best by far is to buy your way into a 121 airline operation over the latter.

SkyHigh