I've got ATP mins 1500/75multi. Small 135 outfit is offering me an f/o position in a King Air 90 with the promise of a quick upgrade (mostly Caribbean flying). My dream is airline. Do I:

a. Take the KA spot and wait to see how the dust settles with the regionals.... or

b. Go to a regional now and pray it doesn't fold in the next year. I'm especially hesitant bc I was thinking Envoy.

Compass is looking like a great place to get in to right now.

I probably wouldn't do Envoy.

King air cause you live in the Caribbean and you can drink rum on the beach.

Kingair and go have some fun for a couple years.

The king air is not going to get you to a major airline. It's slightly possible that you could knock out 1000TPIC in the king air, then go to a regional for some 121 glass jet time and get hired at a major without upgrading.

IMO the more reliable path would be to just go to a regional, take the first upgrade and try for check airman as soon as they let you.

A little background info:

-Flight Safety CFI grad
-Age:29
-no 4 year college degree (tho I plan on completing this)
-not married/no kids


King Air job is:
-based in Stuart,FL (30 min drive from home)
-doesn't pay particularly well

I ask virtually every pilot I come in contact with their opinion and ultimately they lean towards 121. I hear a lot of "now's the time to get in", and "if I was ur age with that time I would go for airline". Also, I can't help but feel like I'm missing out on seniority not applying now.

KA, your missing nothing at the regionals.

If you want to be an airline pilot, I'd suck it up and go to a regional. I see low time guys fall into the turbine corporate trap all the time - it might be a good job for a 1500 hour pilot, but time is of the essence, and most corporate jobs won't put time into your logbook very quickly. Plus, you're counting on an upgrade in a situation where the right seat time is dubious at best. I wouldn't be happy with that either.

I'd let the dust settle a bit. The big question is how important is QOL vs. getting to an airline? How does the KA job pay compared to a regional where you will be abused and either have to move or be subjected to commuting. At 29 you are not so old to wait it out a yr and see if you upgrade on the KA.

The majors are going to try and destroy whatever is left of the "good" regionals. But, they have tremendous headwinds in operating their old whipsaw game. See how it plays out.

Says the guy from PSA that sold the rest of the industry out.


No regional airline will fold anytime soon, nobody can get enough pilots, don't worry about that part.

You will only be young and single without kids once.. well, maybe not the single part.. enjoy a different type of flying that you will probably never be in a position to do again. The airlines will always be waiting for you when you are ready.

Just make sure it is a safe operation with good maintenance. I've heard too many stories and have known a few that didn't live past the fly-by-night operations experience, especially cargo.