Hi, is anyone willing to share with me what DEN is like as a base, either as a PM or a post? I have a Nov start date, second career for me; I have two young kids, so also interested in good elementary and middle schools. I'm interested to know pretty much anything you'd like to share: where pilots tend to live, what the commutes are like, what trips are like, etc.

it's expensive.

Cities in the area to avoid: Denver itself, Aurora, Commerce City, Thornton, Sheridan, Westminster.

Cities good for families: Parker, Lone Tree, Centennial, Englewood, Cherry Hills, Greenwood Village, some parts of Lakewood, Golden, Arvada, Wheat Ridge, Erie, Louisville, Lafayette, Superior, Broomfield, Longmont.

I’m interested in this too as I have three kids at home and being an airline pilot will be my second career. I’m in the OO Pilot Pathway Program, live in Golden, and am on track to hit 1500 next year. DEN is my preferred base.

Wife and I lived in Parker for 4 years. Its a good, safe, family town with good schools. If you must live in the overcrowded, vastly overpriced, drug infested, crime ridden, dirty, smelly, rotten homeless outpost that is the Denver metro area, I would recommend Parker.

Tracking this, I'm interested in going to Colorado Springs but anywhere along the front range is appealing to me. High school age kids and concerned about schools as well. Seems COS is pretty easy to hold.

COS is easy enough to hold if you're set on going to the CRJ. If you're not dead set on the CRJ, I would give serious consideration to the ERJ.

COS is easy to hold and a great base.

What do you like about COS?

Higher value trips, good crews, short walk from car to parking lot, no Denver traffic nonsense, cheaper housing, less crime, etc.

COS is a hidden gem. If you dont mind being on the CRJ. But a way better place to live than the Denver area. Negatives are super early departures and late arrivals make it bad for commuters, but fine for locals. The walk to the parking lot is a huge perk that might not seem like it, but its great.