Hi folks. I was a military pilot and built about 2,000 multiengine hours and also have an ATP. After the military, I earned an MBA and went on to a successful civilian business career. I'm now considering pivoting back to the world of flying to close-out my working years. I'm 53 years old and my last year of flying full-time was 1994, when I was a King Air instructor. I have a class 1 physical in hand and would like to find a part-time SIC job in San Diego to start building multiengine proficiency once again. In particular, I love the King Air.

Questions:
-Is this the best approach to ease back into the cockpit and build some proficiency as SIC before seeking out a PIC job?
-Any other pathways I should be considering?
-How hard will it be to find an operator interested in putting me to work (part-time) with such a long lapse? I have the hours and the ATP, just no recent experience.

Thanks for your recommendations!

Contact West Coast Charters out of SNA. They have a two crew King Air program that may benefit from your experience.

Thanks for the suggestion! I just sent the president of WCC a note asking for his guidance.

Unless you're set on corporate, I would take a job with Skywest, they have a SAN base (also PSP and LAX), and their training is fairly accommodating. Once you get 12 months under your belt, you should be competitive for majors... AA, Alaska, UAL, DAL all have LAX bases. UPS has a base in ONT, Jetblue in LGB. AA also has a co-domicile in SAN, but that probably takes some seniority.

Some of the majors may ask why you didn't stick with aviation, but if you have a logical answer they should be cool with it (as long as they don't feel get the idea you have any personal issues which would conflict with the lifestyle).

If you're heck-bent on corporate, I think Lockheed operates King Airs or 1900s out of MYF, company shuttle to the desert, home every night. Also Berry Aviation does the SCI milk run out of NASNI (metros).

L-3 International use to advertise for Lear SICs for their DoD support work. They value prior military time - in case you are open to other airframes besides the King Air - though I understand your affection for them.

Thanks for the suggestions, rickair7777 and USMCFLYR!

Not sure it's still L-3 but somebody most certainly still does it for fleet workups.

I don't know if they are still around either - but the website is still up.

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