For those who quit the regionals...

[BoilerUP]

So do you blame a kid when they chop off their hand in a sweat shop? After all, they weren't paying attention.

You're really equating adult Americans, working of their own free will in a profession that costs tens of thousands of dollars to qualify for, with a child working in a sweatshop?

Really?

The FAA didn't kill the passengers of Colgan 5191...its pilots not paying attention to airspeed, and then doing literally everything wrong once the plane's stall warning/prevention systems activated, resulted in their deaths.

But by all means, continue looking past professional responsibility/personal accountability while you grasp for FAA strawmen...

 

[amaineiac]

Come and join the FAA as a ASI.

You make it sound like they're handing those jobs out like candy. I've had my stuff in there for 5 months now and haven't heard a thing. Spoke with a few feds at different FSDO's (unbelievably nice and had lots of suggestions) and they said it's an increasingly hard gig to get, especially if you're not a vet.

So what's the secret if I want the job?

 

[GlenQ]

So, have any of you who've left the regionals tried grad school or anything like that (or anyone who's stayed in the regionals for that matter)? I bet it wouldn't be such a bad idea to get a Masters and have it to fall back on to teach at a college with it

 

[kmox29]

I've had my stuff in there for 5 months now and haven't heard a thing.

Gotta remember, it's the Federal Government...nothing moves very fast. It took me 2 years.

 

[kmox29]

I guess you never saw that pbs special on colgan where the faa inspector was trying to whistle-blow.

I did see that PBS special. In fact, I thought it was a well put together program. Could the FAA have done things differently? Sure. Post accident usually reveals what a lot of people could have done better.

But to lay the bodies at the feet of the FAA saying this is all your fault is incomprehensible.

You can't go through life, blaming everyone else for not protecting you enough. At some point you, as a professional, need to take responsibility for your actions.

 

[Dizel8]

"not more than 2 flying accidents during the last 5 years in which the applicants pilot error was involved"

Wow!

 

[11thHour]

I left the regionals 2 years ago when an opportunity came up in airport mgmt nearby. Haven't looked back since. It was a lateral move in pay, but I'm home every night, work a fixed 4 on, 3 off schedule, have better bennies, have a pension, and get more vacation than I ever had at the airline. Easy to get time off with less than one day notice, whether moving a workday or taking it as vacation, making it easy to adjust my schedule for events. No need to bid for it in advance. Work is easy, no stress. Plus, it's very stable. Overall, it was the best move I've made. Now I just listen to the pilots complain as I walk through the airport rather than being the one complaining.

I missed the flying for a few months. I missed 'being a pilot'. I missed some of the people. Now though, I don't miss it at all.

 

[GlenQ]

Do you think it would be very plausible to leave the regionals with a few thousand hours and then come back a couple years later, without your currency?

 

[eaglemaster]

I have been out of the airline life for over two years now. My family matters more than the Airline Pilot title. I hate to say that the "box" is checked and that was never my intention; I payed my dues and worked at two different regionals. I knew the pay was low and the days from home long. Suddenly, overnight almost, I had to change back into my bussiness suit and leave the airline life. I returned to the Emergency Medical Service where I had worked as a paramedic years before. I had kept all of my required skills current and rejoined the workforce. I bought my first home, a nice car and have no intention of moving. Do I miss it? Sometimes yes. Even going to towns nobody wants to go. I flew the mighty Beech eveywhere and nowhere. My pilot skills were never sharper. Now, I have moved up the company ladder and still CFI and fly a club owned BE33, but as a weekend pilot, I must admit that my personel minima are more like MVFR. Also my local Civil Air Patrol unit keeps me busy outside of work and is a good distraction from the office I now have. I can fly a twin turbine-prop at flight level, but I can only afford a Bonanza, a few hours month at 8000 ft. My choice was right for me. I want to go back when the lifestlye and rules change for the better. I think most of us do. Until then, my alarm will go off at 6AM for the next five days.

 

[qxpilot27]

It has been about 3 months since I left the airline gig. I left Horizon to come to Pinnacle as a street captain. I spent about 13 months in the left seat, and then came the downgrade. I couldn't stand the lifestyle and time away from home for a meager 24K a year. I put an app in with Target. Yeah its retail, but I am home every night, the money is good, and my performance determines my future, not my hire date. I haven't missed the flying too much yet. I do feel a sense of disappointment that my career didn't turn out the way I wanted it to. But I am damn lucky and I know there are a lot of people out there dealing with far worse circumstances than me. I believe everything happens for a reason, so I will just go with the flow. I do feel there are challenges switching careers. Many employers look at pilots as a very unique career with a skill set that doesn't translate to other industries. There are however, a few good companies out there that can appreciate what pilots bring to the table. We are very skilled and demonstrate an enormous ability to multi-task and handle many different types of situations without the benefit of time. We demonstrate a tremendous amount of responsibility and have many great leadership skills that have been engraved in our heads from day 1. I have no regrets so far and I am very excited about my new career. Saying I work at Target doesn't sound as good as saying I am an airline pilot, but at the end of the day it sure feels a whole lot better.
Cheers!