121 Retirements
- Thread starter TallFlyer
- Start date
Blackhawk
Well-Known Member
As an Army pilot he needs to get his stuff together now as far as ratings go so he can apply in about 2.5 years.
Hacker15e
Who am I? Where are my pants?
Depends on how many years you've all ready put in so far...as well as it depends on there being no major geopolitical, economic, or industrial/financial/corporate shakeups in the airline industry.
What could possibly happen in those categories, really.
Roger Roger
Bottom of the list
Well, you ARE a hack.
Ruck
Well-Known Member
As someone also considering a career change in the 'couple of years from now' timeline, and who has recently started to take concrete steps to achieve that, I totally agree that we should be as prepared as possible. But, at least for me, it'll probably be 3-4 years from now before I get enough hours to even consider applying to regionals. By then, who knows what will happen? Will regionals even still be around in their current form? Will there have been another furlough period and jobs go from abundant to nonexistent? We shall see, but one thing's for sure: I think anyone who is planning to roll the dice on a career change into aviation should have a fallback plan firmly in place.
tcco94
Future GTA VI Pilot
And these majors want other resume perks as well, at least what I'm hearing? I'm about a year away from getting into the 121 world, so I would like to imagine about a 5-7 year time frame at the regionals. I hear 8-10 is a trend now though, but lots of majors want recruiting or some sort of outsider perk to be heavily considered other than flight time.
Truth to that?
Hacker15e
Who am I? Where are my pants?
The guys like @jtrain609 who spent a decade at the regionals are products of age 65 and the recession, e.g. things that were going on at the time he joined the regionals.
There's no telling what the timeline is going to be like going forward from 2015 -- as they say, past performance is never an indicator of future results. The current hiring paradigm is different than it was two years ago, and is different than it was 10 years ago.
All you can control is what you do, the rest is just circumstance that it is not worth trying to think you can control. No matter which way the winds blow, there are going to be some things that are just going to improve your chances no matter what the circumstances:
- Get multiengine turbine, preferrably PIC
- Don't bust checkrides
- Get a 2-year or 4-year degree
- Participate in some kind of volunteer or community service (e.g. do more in life than just be a pilot)
- Have a professionally related side-job/duty; check-airman, training department, safety committee, union rep/volunteer, etc.
ZapBrannigan
If it ain’t a Boeing, I’m not going. No choice.
Hacker's advice is pretty much dead on. Beyond that (and the necessity of networking and making more friends than enemies) we are victims of timing and fortune in this business. For a lot of us, age 65 happened while we were still furloughed post 9/11. Talk about a slap in the face! Just go with the flow and know that no matter what decision you make you'll probably second guess it later.
tcco94
Future GTA VI Pilot
And that's probably why so many of my colleagues and co-workers are taking advantage of these flow through programs to the majors. I don't know how it's going to work if something in the field does shift again like a 9/11 if they are guaranteeing CFI's to only be at a regional 5 years and sitting in an American seat guaranteed with no additional interviews. Everytime I hear these programs and how every CFI should sign up for it, it just sounds like a scam/bs to me to be able to predict that.
I guess in 12 months time I'll see if I enjoy instructing gig or the regionals are still going in the trend they are now. No use to focus on it entiretly, but I still like to be cautious about the fields before entering...I just don't want to make the wrong mistake at the wrong carrier at the wrong time....And then steal candy from kids on Halloween as my hatred for the world.
Hacker15e
Who am I? Where are my pants?
Flows are the real sucker bet -- plenty of discussion on why that is here on the forums, just search a bit if so inclined.
Hopefully you don't fall into the trap of thinking that the perceived benefit "no additional interviews" outweighs the downsides, and there are many. IMHO flow agreements are only one small part of the decision matrix of where to seek employment with a regional.
chrisreedrules
Master Blaster
I'm pretty sure age 67 is just around the bend.
Seggy
Well-Known Member
Ahhh........no it isn't.
tcco94
Future GTA VI Pilot
Is it bad to have the idea of picking a regional that's more stable with recognition, rather than someone that's questionable on their stability, but have a flow? That's currently where I stand...and domiciles. I like some of the options I have for cadet programs as a CFI, but it's tough to decide where to go off that. Someone always has a higher bonus, better locations, lower upgrade times, etc.
I feel like I'd rather spend 2-4 years somewhere stable and happy than somewhere questionable and "flow"
But I'm new to this decision and it's definitely a big decision to make over time. I hope that is good logical thinking, at least for what I am looking for.
ClarkGriswold
Non Nutritive Cereal Varnish Engineer
66.5?
ClarkGriswold
Non Nutritive Cereal Varnish Engineer
Go to an airline that has quicker upgrade potential and potential to do things outside of flying to build the resume. Some places have 0 opportunity to do things unless you are in a tight knit group or super senior. Just my 2 cents.
chrisreedrules
Master Blaster
I'm just an eternal pessimist
BEEF SUPREME
Well-Known Member
That's what my friend at American Airlines says. For him it would be a bonus.
But really all it would do would be to kick the can down the road 2 more years. It really wouldn't change much IMO. Also how many guys are even getting forced out at 65?
I know a couple that were shown the door before they reached 65.
Many do well with the extension, many do not, it really depends on you and genetics.
66.49 years is the average age a lot of us "check out".
Kingairer
'Tiger Team' Member
I certainly would consider going to a place with flow. You can still go to an unaffilited airline if you chose. The airlines with flows are the only airlines getting additional flying now because they are the only ones who can staff them. With retirements, flowers ahead of you will keep the pipeline moving. As much as I hate the idea of flownthroughs I think anyone getting in to the industry should look at it strongly, it's a great hedge.