After 8 years flying unmanned, I have essentially reached the pinnacle of my field. I make great money and have a bullet-proof career with a great company. Despite this, I’m not terribly happy with my work or living away from friends and family.

I left Trans States Airlines in 2009 after having been downgraded and then displaced. It was a no-brainer at the time but now I am beginning to think I’d like to get back to the airlines.

I wanted to get some opinions from active pilots on how they would proceed. At 40 years-old, am I nuts to leave an industry where I have established myself? What is my best path back to flying the line? To a major? Any opinions are appreciated, I’m on the fence…


Total Time – 3000 (4300*)
- Pilot-in-Command – 1110
- Mission Commander – 1580*
- Multi-Engine – 2390
- Turbine – 1790 (550*)
- Instructor – 910 (180*)
- Night – 520 (2140*)
- Cross-Country – 2000
- Instrument – 105 (130 hood)
- Combat – 3720*
*unmanned aircraft systems

You already know you're nuts. What you're looking for is reassurance that you'd be crazy to get back into the rat race of job fairs, logbook printing, interview preps, 2 day interviews, union dues, management shenanigans, 5 legs a day, pilots stepping on each other to get the job over you, etc. Yup. You already know you're nuts, but if you need me to remind you every so often, I'm your huckleberry. Don't be insane.

When one breaks it down like that, then the question seems to answer itself. Trouble is, I'm just not enjoying what I do... as much as it sucked sometimes, I genuinely enjoyed airline flying. Maybe it's selective memory, but I'm finding it harder and harder to ignore.

I don't think you're nuts for wanting to fly again. If wanting to fly makes someone nuts, sign me up for a staight jacket.


I DO think you're nuts for including UAS time on the same page with flight time. Night unmanned time?? Really?


You've got a good (almost) 25 years ahead of you. Freshen up your resumé and go for it.






.

Yes, the drama and the gamble of airline flying is addictive. "Will we grow next year and start upgrading again?".... "Will I get furloughed?"....The unknown can be fun, and I get it. The job doesn't feel like a job sometimes, but in 5 years you'll be just as miserable. Unmanned is the next emerging market and you have that locked down. Do what you feel is right, but I know I'd take the bird in the hand and enjoy my days off. Good luck, "mission commander".

* Go ahead and delete all of the UAS time from the resume...ESPECIALLY the combat time. That will **** off to no end any actual combat veteran who happens to see it. I know those numbers mean something in unmanned land, but it means worse than nothing in the manned world.

You can and should list the UAV experience in text format on the resume, just don't throw flight times into the mix. Or the word combat.

You can go to a regional to get current, but you're still probably looking at upgrading to be fully competitive for legacies. You could likely get on with LCC once current.

More importantly, remove the C time. Nobody gives a rats a$$ about real C let alone UAS. Holy crap, I didn't even know that existed

Edit - I see 777 beat me to the punch. Seriously, follow that advice. And never let that see the light of day again...

I appreciate the advice. I've perused these forum over the last few years and always knew I'd get unfiltered and frank responses; exactly what I wanted.


Now, in defense of my unmanned time:

By-far-and-away the most complex and challenging flight time in my logbook is unmanned. Three of my coworkers are prior F4, F117, and C17 and I think they would all agree. Moreover it shows that I've remained heavily engaged in aviation; I don't want to appear that I've been out of the loop for the last 8 years. I'll explore other ways to incorporate the information to make it more palatable.


My resume makes it clear that I spent 4 years (the equivalent of 5-6 tours of duty) in-theater embedded with Special Forces. I'd say I earned the right to put that time down but I can see where someone might view it differently. Never-the-less, I don't have it listed in my resume for manned aviation... that list was just lifted straight from LinkedIn.

I would certainly include it in a resume but as stated don't count it towards your flight time.
The average HR person won't know what to do with it anyway.
Pick a place and go for it.
And thank you for your service.

You keep insisting on your rights. That will gain you some real traction in seeking a job.