Airline Career

[yowflyer23]

If you had 500 TT/250 PIC today, where would you suggest going next if your goal is the major airlines? I’m leaning towards finding work with a medevac company on a twin for some multi-IFR time and also relative job stability if a recession does occur. I feel like my timing in the industry couldn’t be worse as I’m probably going to just miss the hiring wave by the time I have 1500 hours and an ATPL. In that case, might as well try to be as marketable as possible, right? Current job is single-piston VFR so not sure if it’s worth staying on until 750-1000 hours. I’ve heard of some success stories, but if Porter, for example, had to pick between me with 1000 hours in a C172 and a King Air pilot, I can only imagine who’d get the job. Would appreciate any advice! Thanks!

[Goodman5]

All I can say is don’t go to Jazz if the majors are your goal.

Stay far far away.

[Reinhard]

500 hours might be competitive. I knew someone who got hired recently with around 500 hours, but 300 ish hours of that was king air multi crew experience with some piston twin PIC thrown in.

Jazz is a great choice for low time pilots right now. $64.95/hr for a first year regional FO is nothing to scoff at. If you want to work at a major someday, Jazz on your resume will look better than flying a king air for few thousand hours. You'll also probably get the hours quicker.

[PostmasterGeneral]

Except you’ll never be upgradable. Going to a regional without an ATPL is career suicide right now. Your gut instinct is correct, go up north for a year or two, get some hours and experience under your belt, and then join an airline.

[Reinhard]

If he has 250 hours PIC, that part of the ATPL requirement is already met. The other requirements such as night and cross country time can be logged as co-pilot.

[BTD]

If he has 250 hours PIC, that part of the ATPL requirement is already met. The other requirements such as night and cross country time can be logged as co-pilot.

Night pic x-country is usually the tough one. When I’m holding or we have to slow back for flow times, I still say to the FO, “at least it’s more multi engine, heavy Jet, Night PIC, x-country time. That’s the big one”.

I think the OPs gut feeling is a good one.

[Reinhard]

When I did my 50 hours cross country PIC for the instrument rating, I made sure to do as much of it as possible at night. I thought it was common practice. Or maybe not.

[yowflyer23]

To be clear I’ll just need 9 more hours of night pic x-country to fulfill the atpl requirements. Worst case I could hammer those down in a 172. I’d prefer not to of course. Being a King Air FO wouldn’t help me with that anyways.

[Hysteria]

Yeah I'm also unclear as to actual instances of the PICUS approach - pertaining to the night xc pic portion of the ATPL req's. Otherwise I'll be in the same boat as you just shy of the night xc pic.

[TheStig]

If your goal is to be an airline pilot I would avoid going to a medevac operator as you likely wont fly as much as you would at a 705 operator. If you're currently logging PIC time just keep applying to Encore, Porter and Jazz. Complete your ATPL as soon as you can and upgrade and upgrade as soon as you're able to.

Don't worry about missing 'the wave', there is always another one following behind.

[flyingcanuck]

Jazz is a great choice for low time pilots right now. $64.95/hr for a first year regional FO is nothing to scoff at. If you want to work at a major someday, Jazz on your resume will look better than flying a king air for few thousand hours. You'll also probably get the hours quicker.

It literally will not look better AT THIS CURRENT STATE of hiring. You can go to AC will some KA FO/CA time, its happening now.

[TeePeeCreeper]

If your goal is to be an airline pilot I would avoid going to a medevac operator as you likely wont fly as much as you would at a 705 operator. If you're currently logging PIC time just keep applying to Encore, Porter and Jazz. Complete your ATPL as soon as you can and upgrade and upgrade as soon as you're able to.

Don't worry about missing 'the wave', there is always another one following behind.

Agree with most of what you’ve had so say but unless things have drastically changed… a 705 op that flies/utilizes their crews more than the usual players in the medivac world?

Have the tables finally turned? Regardless, it’s a scary proposition…

Respectfully,

TPC

[TheStig]

TPC, maybe my post is outdated. My experience was that I barely flew 30 hours a month as a medevac pilot but was routinely able to bump up to CARs limits in the 705 world in my time building days.

[porcsord]

I feel like my timing in the industry couldn’t be worse

You'll do just fine. Ask the people who started in 2001 or 2008 or 2020 or any of the earlier tankings of the industry. Just keep flying, enjoy the ride, you'll get to the airlines when you get to the airlines.

[yowflyer23]

I feel like my timing in the industry couldn’t be worse

You'll do just fine. Ask the people who started in 2001 or 2008 or 2020 or any of the earlier tankings of the industry. Just keep flying, enjoy the ride, you'll get to the airlines when you get to the airlines.

Funnily enough, I am a 2020 starter. Lost my first flying job due to Covid. Took me till this year to get back into the industry and it’s looking like it’ll be more of the same. At least I’ll have some experience to work with this time around..

[daedalusx]

Most of us have having gone through a few airline bankruptcies, mergers and recessions:

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