BRA said:
50 multi and got the ATR at coex? A bunch of your friends too? 12 multi and got the baron at airnet? I swear i do everything the hardest way possible!!!!!! Amazing how important timing is. A year ago today I don't think eagle or coex were even hiring. Around january and feb. coex was hiring and you needed 500 multi just to continue the online application i think. Now they want 600 total time. I hope the majors get jumping like this in the next few years!
I just told a bunch of college kids who are just starting out that there has NEVER been a better time to be doing what they're doing. Think I'm nuts? When I got out of college in 1994, nobody was hiring....my flight instructors had 1500tt and couldn't get spit on by Great Lakes - they're at SWA, NJA, UAL now. History proves that the airline industry ebbs and flows. Sure, there are events like 9/11 that accelerate the downswing, but even with the current troubles, the industry will recover (may not look like it does today, but it will recover), and there will be plenty, I say again, PLENTY of jobs for those who really want it.
And I say don't worry about the thousands of pilots who are furloughed, many of them have gotten other jobs and won't come back, lots are taking early retirements, and the LCCs are going to grow. Yes, times are tough now, but if you look at history, this is almost predictable. By 2006-8, everyone who wants a flying job will have one. It's true that you won't make $250,000 and fly a B-747 10 days a month, but that dream wasn't realistic in the first place.
If you love flying, stick it out. You may ONLY make $80,000/yr flying an RJ, but that still beats a desk job and golden watch after 30 yrs.
Flame away if you want, but history will prove me right.