Need some career help !

[Flyboyz]

15 years ago I was hired by a now defunct regional airline with whom my school had a "bridge" program with. At about the 5th or 6th week of ground school things went from bad to worse and the whole class was let go when intense strikes began. After that I went back to instructing, got another degree and pretty much left the industry altogther. Although I flew around every now again for the last 15 years and maintained somewhat current I stopped logging time in 1989 at 1800 TT and 600 ME. I probably flew another 500 hrs in the last 15 years. 100 hrs since July of 2004. All paid out of pocket.

Now my problem: After much prayer, I have decided to return to aviation and have applied to regionals and local charters. However, I have found that since I do not have a flying job (instructor, frieght dawg, etc.) my resume goes back to the bottom of the pile even though I have the right amount of hours for todays hiring requirements.

Should I:

1. Keep trying harder and knock on more doors.

2. Get my ATP to reassure potential employer that I am serious. I have already taken and passed the written.

3. Renew all my instructor certificates, get an instructor job to show a current flying job on my resume.

What do you think. Please help. Thanks for reading this post.

 

[Yank McCobb]

Just a couple of cents worth of advice, to be sure...

But to me, nothing would be more valuable at this stage than currency. I would do whatever it takes to become current. Many companies set some sort of currency, even if it is only 50 hrs in the preceeding 12 months, as part of their minimum requirements. So going the route of renewing your instructor certificates and getting current again would be my advice, given the choices you listed.

That is if you are dead set on pursuing a flying career, which I would strongly advise against, given the desperate state of the industry.

 

[avoidingmyboss]

Log more time. Get a CFI job at your local airport and start to fly again. It will get you up to speed on the FAR's and etc. I've been trying to get on with a regional with no luck. I think I have too much time and too many type ratings. Go figure.

 

[doh]

I love what I do! I wish you the best of luck pursuing this monkey ---king a football career!

P.S. Just because I love what I do does NOT mean I can't vent: When management p--ses me off, when the PBS screws me, or just plain old when ever I haven't gotten enough sleep and am p--sed! Venting is free once you give a donation to keep the board going!

 

[MTpilot]

Just pray some more, prayer is the best way to get a job.

 

[11thHour]

I'm in a somewhat similar situation as you Flyboyz. I walked away (*gasp*) from a 121 regional carrier as an FO 3 years ago, disillusioned about the industry, and to make better money. I have worked at the local airport in ops since, making a decent salary and getting decent days off, but you know what? I miss the hell out of my old job. I'd gladly take the pay cut to get back what I walked from. Sure the job can suck, hell it's why I walked away, but hindsight is 20/20 and I have learned a lot about myself in the past few years. Each job has it's downsides, and I blew the ones the airlines have way outta proportion. I had unrealistic expectations going in. Now, I know and have a completely different (realistic) attitude towards it. Maybe I am crazy, so be it.

I haven't flown since I left, so I'm not current, but I've been studying my a$$ off trying to keep it together in my head. It has paid off, I feel just as up on things as I was when I left. I'm planning on knocking the ATP cert. out of the way, that will get me current, and then start hitting the local cargo carriers(I know one I talked to expressed interest in me, saying I just need to get current). If that fails, I'll go ahead and do the CFI gig again. I'll go ahead and send out apps after getting current, it couldn't hurt. Of course, I'm thinking no one will want to hire me as a CFI when they see my times, afraid I'll run out on them. I almost expect it will be harder to get a job this time than the first. Anyway, best of luck to you.

 

[pilotyip]

Take any job job that shows you want to fly, tow banners, F/O on a CA-212 sky diver, get your CFI, etc. You have to do something to show you are serious about getting back into the flying business. There ar jobs out there, you may have to move, but you will be ready for the 2007 hiring boom.

 

[RichardRambone]

Ive talked to several 121 skyjockeys, in particular an AA guy, and they always say its not what they signed up for. Im just starting my aviation career and Im curious to know what exactly that means. What were you guys expecting and what types of things were let downs? Im happy at this point to even have a job as a pilot but would like to know what my future may hold.