What would be some key considerations for someone who is 41 years old and entertaining the idea of starting over at the regionals? Total time is ~3,000 w/ 0 TPIC. I'm currently making OK money for a single guy, but the job isn't challenging for the right reasons anymore and the prospects of career progression doesn't look great. My biggest concerns about the regionals are adapting to the physical demands required for 3:30am wake-ups, stand-up overnights, and commuting. Anybody in the same boat have experience with this either directly or indirectly? Is there anything else to take into consideration? Ultimate goal would be LCC/Major.

TIA

I wouldn’t give that a second thought, especially as a single guy. 3:30 am schedules aren’t common, after 5 years I’ve never had a standup, and commuting isn’t necessarily fun, but if you have multiple nonstop options it’s not bad.
I’m married with kids , so my day one and four can be long, but that’s because I’m loathe to give up any nights at home to go in the night before, which would do wonders for day one fatigue.
Oh, I’m 41.

Well….how did you get your 3000 hrs and what does it consist of?
There’s a lot more out there then just ‘Regionals’.
Also what is your end goal?
Why LCC/Majors?
Where would you like to be at 51?
61?

I started at SkyWest in 2017 I think it was I was 39. I did have a long existence as a corporate pilot before that.

Less than a year later I was hired by a major. Now I’m at the worst major working harder than my peers for less money.

You can also live this dream if you work very hard and sacrifice. May the odds be in your favor.


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We're all different, but I don't think the body clock adjustment is that big of a deal for most regional pilots. Regional schedules are (mostly) not on the back side of the clock. A fair amount of 0530 show times and 2030 release times because you're moving customers to/from their mainline hub at the beginning/ending of their trip. As ASAP said, the crazy early report times and standups aren't usually that common in the regionals.You may want to talk to a UPS/FedEx pilot before applying at one of those companies in the future. There is also a certain percentage of red eyes at most majors/LLC. With some seniority you can probably avoid most of those, but it's a risk if you're concerned.

FWIW I left a 'cushy' office career to start working at SkyWest when I was 50 (also took a massive pay cut). Never looked back. You're young enough to take the chance, and it sounds like you don't have the family obligations that would make a career pivot so risky. I don't know your specific work circumstances, but if you could re-enter your current career field after a year long absence, my advice is to jump into a regional that allows you to live in base (or at least an easy commute) and give it a try. For me every day in the cockpit has been a confirmation that I made the right choice. If that's not how it turns out for you, at least you'll know.

Thank you for the advice, skylarking. I feel confident I could find a job flying a desk if the flying career went sideways. It's encouraging to see that I'm not alone in the boat

Thank you for sharing that, NewGuy. I hope your situation improves with seniority.

My end goal is LCC/Major by 51 in order to try and build a retirement. Ideally, I'd like to fly to 65, but should anything prevent that, I would probably look for something in ground/sim/ops.

It will only improve with a significantly better contract. Something to keep in mind when you make a move


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Thank you, ASAP. That's encouraging to hear.