You are in for a rude awakening
xlr857 said:
Thats good to hear, my school assures me there will be no problem with placement in a regional airline. I guess they have standing orders for graduates straight into an airline.
No, my friend, flight schools don't have "standing orders" for graduates straight into regional airlines. You have been fed a bunch of flight school sales malarkey. It just doesn't work that way in aviation.
With only a couple of exceptions, you don't get a job with a regional airline straight out of flight school. For one thing, you just don't have the hours the regionals require coming out of school. You'll finish with something like 200-250 hours, depending on your program. The regionals want at least 1000 total hours and 100-500 hours of multi. You simply don't have the experience to be a regional pilot at that point. Even with your program and "simulated" jet training, you won't have enough experience or the real world experience regionals want.
That "real world" experience can be flight instructing experience, by the way.
(An exception is MAPD. Mesa hires its graduates at 300 hours. But, they've been training the Mesa way from the first day and have been scrutinized by Mesa from the first day. And, contrary to popular belief, not every MAPD student gets "the interview." And, once you get "the interview," you are on your own. At that point you are competing with the likes of street people with far more experience. Moreover, although MAPD grads have a leg up on street hires on procedures, that is no guarantee in any way that they'll survive training. Any number of MAPD grads wash out, with the resulting PRIA black mark on their records.)
It just makes me worry seeing pilots with 3000+ hours and cant get a job. I will come out of the school with 800+ hours and simulated jet training. What do regional airlines usually look for when they hire pilots.
I have news for you. Pilots with many, many more hours than 3000 aren't getting jobs. It is bound to get worse when United lays off pilots because of its bankruptcy. Many of these
extremely experienced individuals will go for the same regional jobs you want. I know. I was in the same boat eleven years ago when Eastern and Pan Am ended and told its pilots not to let the door hit them on their backsides.
I'd suggest you check some of the regional websites. Typically, these days, published mins are at least 1000 total and 200 of multi. I was a regional airline job-seeker eleven-twelve years ago. Requirements back then generally were 1500 total, 500 of multi and an ATP. And, those were only the minimums. The applicant pool drives the actual requirements. I had my first intervew with something like 2800 total and about 700 of multi. I had my ATP at the time.
Having said all this, you are not too old, and if you want to be a professional pilot, go for it. Bearing in mind, of course, the realities that I and others, above, have outlined. Also, get your four-year degree. You will need it to be competitive. Good luck with your plans and don't believe everything you hear about regional jobs straight out of flight school.
Originally posted by generaltso
If all you have ever wanted to do was fly, why have you been driving trucks for 8 years? It suprises me sometimes when I read posts from people in their thirties and forties (you are 26, so you don't qualify) and they say "I have wanted to fly all my life". Well guess what folks, if you really really loved flying that bad - you would have found a way to do it at an earlier age.
I generally like the General's comments, but I take great exception to this blanket statement/denunciation. You cannot lump everyone into the same boat. Everyone has different circumstances. In my case, I had loved airplanes since I first learned to read and watched television. I knew that I at least wanted to learn how to fly one day, but my life took different directions. It took me until my early thirties until I had enough stability and opportunity to commit to learning to fly. And, I never felt that I could have a career. The point is that I did it, finally. For that matter, there are people who've always wanted to go to college, but, for one reason or another, they don't start until they are much older than the typical college student. Don't generalize. Thoughts like that are more typical of H.R. coneheads who probably can't spell "pilot."
PS-Now that I've reread his comments, could this be PFTSuperstar/Riddle Ace/Gulfstream4ever's flamebait again? I hope not - but, it sure reads that way.
