What would you do?

Armarsh24

Armarsh24

Well-Known Member
If you were starting over in aviation, which path would you take that would grant you (in this order) best QOL for a family and best pay in the long run:

1) Instruct to 1200, go to freight, get corporate or EMS gig afterwards and stick in corporate aviation

2) instruct to 1200 go to freight, get over 1000 TPIC, join regionals, then hope to get picked up by a major in the next few years (given the 200% turnover regionals are going to experience in the coming years

Or

3) By that same token, get to 1500 somehow (either through instructing, freight, or some other method) join regional, stick it in the regional to get upgraded to Captain, get enough PIC so that a Major will hire you?

This is all based on starting this journey by 2016 (assume at that point you have 1200 hours).

Another question.... Is it feasible to join straight-up to a regional and realistically expect a 3-yr upgrade followed by another 3 years as a Captain to get picked up by a Major in 2022 (given all the retirements and movement)?

My data sources are from APC, and these links below:

Airline Pilot Demand Comparison | Audries Aircraft Analysis

This one shows Retirements and where one would most likely be in seniority say at like United by 2030 (if joined the airline at 2022).

Regional Airline Pilot Demand Comparison | Audries Aircraft Analysis

This one shows the 200% turnover at the regionals which is why I asked if a 3-yr upgrade followed by 3 more years as a Captain to get in at a Major is feasible.

I know this seems way unrealistic now, but is it plausible during the timeframes I'm talking about? Will the pool of highly qualified regional Captains be all already hired by the Majors by this time (2016-2022) allowing a new joiner to progress rapidly fast as I had stated (6 years total)?

I'm just looking for thoughts/advice from the Pros. Thank you gentlemen!
 
I really don't have a lot to add, but do think about what it'd be like to be hired at the end of any wave. 20 year FO at the majors?
 
I definitely would not base my future on a 3 year upgrade with a regional. With the need for smaller jets decreasing, being replaced with fewer larger jets, upgrade times could also stay stagnant, its a toss up really as no one can predict the future. I would agree with squeezemylemon, 135/corporate would be the better route, but also the more difficult route to get into.
 
Who knows, hindsight isn't even 20/20 in the flying biz.

Find something you like doing NOW, and maybe think of what you might like to do next. It just might possibly still exist then.

Anything else is going to set you up for disappointment.
 
One thing I've learned in my 5+ years of professional aviation - it is completely pointless to map out your career as you've done. Opportunities that you never considered will present themselves to you unexpectedly, while doors you were certain would be open will be closed when you get there.

Be flexible, and don't burn your bridges. Stay out of debt. Develop a good reputation and ALWAYS be networking. These things will help your career more than anything else.
 
GypsyPilot said:
One thing I've learned in my 5+ years of professional aviation - it is completely pointless to map out your career as you've done. Opportunities that you never considered will present themselves to you unexpectedly, while doors you were certain would be open will be closed when you get there.

Be flexible, and don't burn your bridges. Stay out of debt. Develop a good reputation and ALWAYS be networking. These things will help your career more than anything else.
Click to expand...

That is some great advice.
 
Yes, DO NOT TRY TO MAP THINGS OUT!! However, as a corp pilot, remember it is all about who you know and how nice of a person you are, with whom the other pilots or the president of a company wants to have you around.
Also, more and more (in the corp world) insurance makes the call . . . So getting a few hundred hours flying the pattern will not (or may not be enough) to get you flying " a little jet or turbo prop". Insurance might come back and say that you need 100 hours in the plane surpervised (after your $30,000 type rating) before they will sign you off. Also, I am seeing more and more regional and mainline guys come into the corp world because of the much better QOL, and I think it will just become more saturated.
However, all that said, I never went to the regionals, I got right into the right seat of a TP and havent looked back.
My advice is to be the coolest, easiest to get along with hanger bum while getting your ratings and flight instructing. Then you might have more options once your ready to make your next move in your flying career.
Good luck
 
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