What is the most cost efficient and time efficient way to become an Airline pilot?

[Max Power]

I've been telling those who can to go to ATP or some other "hurry up" school. I procrastinated on my career and I hate to see others do the same if they can avoid it. Right now hiring is great at the regional level, but it takes a great deal of time to get 1500 hours "the old fashioned way". And we all know how hiring goes, how this business goes in general.

I came up through a small Part 141 program through a community college and put off finishing even that degree, which I severely regret. Those who were much more focused than myself and started flying around the same time I did are now in year five at Southwest and other carriers. For the OP, timing is everything in this business, the faster you get to 1500 hours (or close through a partnership offered by some schools/universities) the better. And I will also echo the "get a degree" sentiment. Get one in aviation if you want, especially if it can get you through the 1500 hours quickly. But get a degree, get your time and get going as quickly as feasible.

 

[woodreau]

How did you pull that off at a regional?

I was unfortunate to be the second to bottom guy at Eagle and was stuck in perpetual Airport Reserve in DFW for about 4 years. So no I didn't fly very much, but logged lots of DFW airport appreciation time.
Since you can't change airframes, the only way out was to bid to the other base and commute to ORD, upgrade (well you see how hard it is to upgrade at Eagle) or pray for a displacement - and after 4 years I finally got a displacement to the other airplane and instantly held a line with pretty good relative seniority.

It wouldn't have worked out that way if was on the other airframe - airport reserve on the other plane in DFW never sat at the airport - they were always flying and other reserve pilots got called in to purgatory to replace them.

I'm too lazy to look it up, but maybe someone can chime in on how many glider hours can be applied toward a commercial airplane license.

All of it - All of my glider hours counted towards my commercial.
But if you have 25 hours in gliders and 100 landings, you might want to consider just getting your commercial certificate (glider) now, and do the commercial add on for airplanes when you get the flight time.

I don't know how viable it is, but I think the cheapest way would be to get the private glider, then commercial glider after 100 landings and 25 hours. Go fly sightseeing tours, build up hours that way, add on the commercial airplane after getting the required training), then CFI-G CFI-A CFI-II
It wouldn't be the fastest way, as it'll take a significant amount of time flying 10, 20, 30 minute glider rides at a pop. But a good busy weekend could net you 5-6 hours of glider flight time that you wouldn't have to pay for while you're time building for the commercial airplane certificate. You could fly the towplane as well (I don't remember the exact requirements, but I don't believe a commercial is required - could be wrong, just a specified number of landings in a taildragger that's determined by one part 61 FAR but mainly by insurance requirements)

 

[ppragman]

I thought you became an airline pilot after you tried everything else?

 

[woodreau]

The only people I know that went straight into a A320 at a US airline are the ground instructors at Spirit.

They went to some aviation college (mostly Embry Riddle), then interviewed for the ground instructor position at Spirit, and after 2 years of that they go straight to the line as a FO.

 

[drunkenbeagle]

You could fly the towplane as well (I don't remember the exact requirements, but I don't believe a commercial is required - could be wrong, just a specified number of landings in a taildragger that's determined by one part 61 FAR but mainly by insurance requirements)

200 hours total time and a PPL Airplane. I did exactly that, having 200 hours when I started towing, that got me all of the hours from 200 to 250, when I got the C-ASEL. Many of my hours from 100 to 200 were in gliders. Not fast, but definitely cheap.

You only need a PPL to tow, and amazingly can be paid for it. I needed 25 tailwheel landings for insurance, which isn't a lot, and the glider club even paid for it. The tow endorsement is a weird one, one of the few endorsements a PPL can GIVE. You also need a CFI-Glider signoff. Insurance will most likely want you to have a glider rating before you can tow.