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Alternate ways to gain experience for the major airlines

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no1pilot2000

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 11, 2006
Posts
529
Is there another way, other than the regional airlines, that a CFI can use to gain the experience to eventually get a flying job with the major airlines or cargo carriers like FedEx or UPS? My former CFI decided to become a pilot in the Air Force instead of going to the regional airlines. Military flying isn't for everyone, but what are the alternatives to flying for the regional airlines and gaining the important PIC turbine time?
 
Unfortunately not a whole lot.....

There are always success stories of guys doing the 91/135 route to get there. But unless you are from the military, the next best thing is to be from a regional... Well maybe wide body cargo carrier also, but to get there you usually need some experience also..

Regionals fly a heavy workload, where hours build up very fast. Plus the added bonus of doing routine 121 ops. And then the vast amount of connections and contacts you can utilize s good also.

Back in the day there may have been some that went from places like Ameriflight to SWA or other carriers, but nowadays I'd say that is a very
One shot unless you've got some serious connections...

Fractional to a legacy seems to be doable also. But there are very few Fractionals and currently very very few opportunities at Fractionals. And again the ratio of regional vs. fractional going to a legacy is still in favor of the regional guy.

My best device is gain as much experience as you can from wherever you can. In the end you may have to do a bit of regional flying. But if you supplement that with prior 91/135 you may be able to shorten your time at the regionals. 10 years ago the better regionals were pretty tolerable. It doesn't appear that way any longer.
 
Part 135. Around year 2000 all the guys I worked with at the 135 I worked for went straight to the majors, except me, and I'm still at a regional. I did avoid furlough and upgraded pretty quick, making more money than them the last decade.

Now I would recommended 135 to new commercial pilots. Get 1500-2500 hours as fast as you can and the see what the majors are doing. At that point you may be able to go straight to a major or do min time at a regional. Meanwhile you will have made a lot more money and avoided the spiraling quality of life we are suffering at the regionals.

I even recommend the college kids do this rather than get sucked into the regional agreements their universities are signing. Don't do something that will commit you to instructing at a university and flying for a regional for years when you can find other avenues that may get you to a major much sooner.
 
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It's who you know, everything else doesn't matter.

Look at you, you work as Hulas's personal goat rimmer/felcher, and now you push a galley cart up and down the aisle.
 
Is there another way, other than the regional airlines, that a CFI can use to gain the experience to eventually get a flying job with the major airlines or cargo carriers like FedEx or UPS? My former CFI decided to become a pilot in the Air Force instead of going to the regional airlines. Military flying isn't for everyone, but what are the alternatives to flying for the regional airlines and gaining the important PIC turbine time?
It will take you approximately 10 years to get to a job that will allow you to start making QOL a goal in your job search. Pilots get hired at good places because they have Turbine PIC, you must build turbine PIC to have control over your career. You have to go wherever that job is that gets you turbine PIC. You stay in that job until you can get another job that gives you better turbine PIC, i.e. Bigger airplanes, Turbojet, 121, etc. It is called paying your dues everyone must do it. Some do it in the military, some do it at the regionals, and some do in the on-demand business. Everyone pays his or her dues.

Any one reading this board can make it as a pilot and eventually make it to a point where they can live on what they make, it may not be a "major", but it might be a good charter operation, a good corporate job, or something involving flying airplanes. It is hard, it is lots of moves, you go where the next job is, it is living in flop houses with 4 other pilots and one bathroom down the hall, it not buying any new underwear for one year, it is driving a car that you jump start from the battery you keep in the apt on a charger, it is being 100% subservient to your bosses wishes until you can move to your next job and he gives you a good recommendation. It is saying no to your mom's birthday party, it is saying no to being home a Christmas. Come to think about it, this sounds alot like being in the Navy, except for the underwear part. They made us get new stuff. You need a talent for flying, you need a most gracious personality that focuses on what you can give and not what you can take, and a goal is sight that you will pursue no matter what.
 
It will take you approximately 10 years to get to a job that will allow you to start making QOL a goal in your job search. Pilots get hired at good places because they have Turbine PIC, you must build turbine PIC to have control over your career. You have to go wherever that job is that gets you turbine PIC. You stay in that job until you can get another job that gives you better turbine PIC, i.e. Bigger airplanes, Turbojet, 121, etc. It is called paying your dues everyone must do it. Some do it in the military, some do it at the regionals, and some do in the on-demand business. Everyone pays his or her dues.

Any one reading this board can make it as a pilot and eventually make it to a point where they can live on what they make, it may not be a "major", but it might be a good charter operation, a good corporate job, or something involving flying airplanes. It is hard, it is lots of moves, you go where the next job is, it is living in flop houses with 4 other pilots and one bathroom down the hall, it not buying any new underwear for one year, it is driving a car that you jump start from the battery you keep in the apt on a charger, it is being 100% subservient to your bosses wishes until you can move to your next job and he gives you a good recommendation. It is saying no to your mom's birthday party, it is saying no to being home a Christmas. Come to think about it, this sounds alot like being in the Navy, except for the underwear part. They made us get new stuff. You need a talent for flying, you need a most gracious personality that focuses on what you can give and not what you can take, and a goal is sight that you will pursue no matter what.

Like!

But, as a pilot you should be able to get at least five or six years out of a pair of underwear.

My advice is to buy an RV. That way you can save on rent and crash pads.
 
Like!

But, as a pilot you should be able to get at least five or six years out of a pair of underwear.

My advice is to buy an RV. That way you can save on rent and crash pads.
That depends on how often you wash it.
 

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