Question - Regional Pilot Career

PillowFace

New Member
Good morning, gentlemen. I posted a question on Tuesday morning regarding a career as a pilot for the regional airlines and have logged back in unable to find any answers to my question. In fact, I've been unable to find where my question has disappeared to. I posted it in this forum and am now unable to locate it. The past 2 days have been very hectic for me, so I've been unable to participate in the discussion. I am new to this forum, and this is only my 2nd posting, so if some experienced members would let me know how this usually works it would be much appreciated.
JE
 
Good morning, gentlemen. I posted a question on Tuesday morning regarding a career as a pilot for the regional airlines and have logged back in unable to find any answers to my question. In fact, I've been unable to find where my question has disappeared to. I posted it in this forum and am now unable to locate it. The past 2 days have been very hectic for me, so I've been unable to participate in the discussion. I am new to this forum, and this is only my 2nd posting, so if some experienced members would let me know how this usually works it would be much appreciated.
JE

I'm guessing your previous post disappeared because it looked like you were trolling. If that's not that case, maybe you can rephrase your question in a less troll like fashion and people will be able to answer it.
 
Was the question whether or not to attend ATP so you can come home and impress your wife? If it is well, you got a little chuckle and rolled eyes from a few of us here thinking it was a joke. If that question was for real.....well then ill stayed tuned.....
 
I think your question was along these lines..."My wife makes lots of money, I don't work, it would be cool to get my ratings behind her back, then show up after flying my first trip and in my uniform and say, SURPRISE I'm a pilot." Accurate?

Reality:
Learning to fly is not something you can do quickly. 150 days is the bare minimum and you would need to study your ass off to get it done.

Learning to fly is not cheap, the 150 day program at ATP is around 60k, if you can spend that much without her noticing, buy your own plane and have fun.

Your first job won't be at a regional. You need to build hours to get there, you'll finish at ATP with 190 hours, You'll need much more than that to get to a regional. Most flight instruct, ATP might hire you if you meet their expectations while training, but you'll need to move to where they need you, not where you want to be. It could be the same location, but I don't think there are any guarantees regardless, you need to go to Florida for the training and to be placed.

When you do get hired at a regional, you wont fly day trips. You start at the bottom, flying crap trips when needed, where needed. You'll be gone 4-5 days at a time. Again, doesn't matter because you'll first need to interview then go though training, which is a month or more away from home before you ever get to fly a trip and call yourself an airline pilot.

I don't mean to be harsh, but you are not going to win many people over by coming into a forum filled with professionals and aspiring professionals asking how you can turn their profession into a notch on your belt to impress your wife and fill your days.
 
I don't mean to be harsh, but you are not going to win many people over by coming into a forum filled with professionals and aspiring professionals asking how you can turn their profession into a notch on your belt to impress your wife and fill your days.

+1



That being said, as long as you are genuinely interested and ready to work your rear end off and put in the time and effort, you're in the right spot and we'll be happy to help.
 
My wife doesn't think me being an airline pilot is "cool." Especially when I'm gone on those days that she really wanted me home. Then again when I'm home for more than 4 days she's wondering when the hell I'm leaving again.
 
I think airline pilots are cool... in a "we were both in band in High School!" kind of way...
 
Go for it man

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My wife hates overnights beyond a couple nights a week. She hates when I'm in another country (can't call). I grew up with a family member flying the int'l trips.... Not a fan of that as a kid.... Talk it out first is my opinion as a guy who is married who saw it as a kid and now married. It can work great,but just like CRM in the cockpit, everyone needs to be on board, and nobody likes "surprises".
 
My wife doesn't think me being an airline pilot is "cool." Especially when I'm gone on those days that she really wanted me home. Then again when I'm home for more than 4 days she's wondering when the hell I'm leaving again.
You get that too!?!? lol My wife is sick of me being home the last couple weeks but is dreading my next 2-4 week stent on the road.

Women. Can't live with them. Can't live without them. So I sent mine to medical school! :-)
 
I can honestly say you guys hit it dead on. Been working my tail off since 2007 as a career changer...been a long road just to get to the regionals, of course it didn't help finishing my cfi in 2009 at flight safety with no one wanting pilots or instructors...so I toughed it out for 2 yrs teaching privately, then another year back at flight safety , now I may finally get into a regional...So yes it can be a long tough road, very financially stressing to your family as well. I am blessed to have a wife who is making good money too, but it has still been a huge burden. I made sure she knew exactly what to expect along the way as much as possible, and to this day she stills supports me 100%.
 
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