Quote:
Originally Posted by Fishingpilot
Hey y'all long time lurker on the forum. I found some old threads with similar situations, but nothing too recent with the hiring environment. I'd like to get your take on the following:
Currently sitting at about 600TT, all turbine, and 500 of that is ME. The problem is that my next set of orders (which will be my last) is a desk job. The desk job will be about a 4 year gig and then I'm planning on a clean break with the military. I want to be able to set myself up for as much success as possible after I get out, understanding that my first goal will definitely be a regional. The good news is that this desk job is pretty laid back, and I could definitely get a lot of flying in on my own time to (hopefully) make 750 R-ATP mins.
150 hours in four years should be reasonable. Make sure you're current and instrument comfortable at the end.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fishingpilot
The questions are the following:
- Does it seem reasonable to think that if I were to make it to 750 hours (by either paying to fly or finding a side gig) by the time I would be applying, a regional would offer me a CJO?
Yes. The dynamics are changing rapidly, right now FO hiring and training has slowed due to loss of CA's and check airmen to the majors. Who knows where things will be at in four years but you should be able to get a job, shortage isn't going away.
I'm also pretty sure you could get a LCC major job in this climate... I might do that because it will pay better, better schedules. The downside for an upwardly mobile civilian is that it will take longer to get TPIC, which may be needed to get a legacy call sooner. But I'm pretty sure the legacies will not care about that with a mil pilot, your mil PIC is good enough... 1000 hours at a regional or LCC should be enough so might as well do it at a major.
As you approach separation, keep tabs on hiring status, as I said it's dynamic.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fishingpilot
- Do y'all have any specific recommendations for ways to build time in my situation, or should I just check out the low-time/part 91 page? I just want to make sure I'm covering all my bases.
In this climate private pilot day VFR time is plenty good enough. If you can get into a flexible part-time turbine gig that might get you in the ballpark for legacies. Depends on your day job and location of course.
Actually if you're a fighter guy, you might be able to get a legacy job with 750 hours, I think I've heard of that kind of thing. Maybe for other FW as well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fishingpilot
- I've had a hard time finding this spelled out plainly: if I make it to 750 total time, would most regionals (if they were to give a CJO) offer to pay for the R-ATP?
Yes, regionals send you to the required ATP CPT course. Your actual flight training, signoff, and checkride will be in the sim concurrent with your type training. It's essentially all the same training with perhaps a couple minor extra tasks for the ATP ride.
I don't think legacies do that (yet), you'd have to pay for your own CTP and ATP in order to apply. Not sure about all the LCCs, most do not provide it though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fishingpilot
My end goal is to use my next 3-4 years as efficiently as possible, so that I can get hired by a regional quickly. That way I can start building hours and experience for a major -- but that's starting to think long term. Right now I'm focusing on the alligator closest to the boat, which is making sure I'm not sitting on my hands for the next 3-4 years.
Keep thinking ahead, things are moving fast. You've done all the hard work, from now until airline new-hire class it's just admin and maintaining SA.