PP-ASEL-IA to airlines for $30k?

CJones

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Let's hypothetical a scenario. Piggybacking on @SixPapaCharlie scenario..

45 y/o 700hr PP-ASEL-IA. Started Comm training many moons ago but didn't do written or complete training. Zero multi time. Assume access to fully IFR high perf single engine for minimal cost beyond direct fuel costs.

Assume something like $20-30k available to dedicate to the effort.

From the peanut gallery, what, if any, would be a feasible and practical timeline and steps to get to the point of being hirable (and at least moderately attractive) to airlines or similar pilot career?
 
Not much to it. Gotta get the multi comm and a CFI probably. Then its just a matter of are the regionals taking FOs or not. The few that are hiring are requiring 5 year contracts or only hiring prior 121 dec types. That could change pretty quick though. ASEL COMM multi comm and CFI. You could do that in a month of hustling. Then its just flying your own plane or CFIing till 1500 then throwing apps at the wall and seeing what comes back.
 
I think with 700 total time, the first big thing is that you've got another 800 hours that you need to build. My busiest flying year (I forget if that was 2009 or 2010) was something in the 500-550 range when I was doing a ton of Cloud Nine flights. I remember I actually flew more than @Everskyward did that year. I did that with my full time job as well, but I was basically flying 10 hours most weekends plus some 30-50 hour weeks in there. Chances are, you're looking at a couple of years to get that much flying in, and if you're keeping your day job (assuming you are) that's still doable, but you need to keep at it if you want it to happen. There are lots of worthy charitable ways you can build time, or you can alternately use the RV to take your family someplace every weekend. Or a combination of those.

Rating wise, you'll ned to get your commercial. I'd do that sooner and then get the multi shortly thereafter. Getting the CFI/II/MEI are a good idea just because it fills out the resume, and those can sometimes bring up opportunities. File and fly IFR regularly, even when the weather is nice so that all of the aspects of IFR flying are second nature. And, of course, get time in actual (just not in icing or embedded thunderstorms).

That gets you some useful experience on the way to your 1500 hours, and again you don't know what experiences may pop up for you once you have the ratings. Budget wise, you can do the math on what the RV costs to operate and what the various options are for getting your ratings. You may find that you need to put those ratings to work either instructing or flying for someone else along the way (it would be great to get more than the minimum required multi time if you can).

So then next comes the crapshoot. A big reason why I didn't go professional pilot 15ish years ago was because at the time getting hired at a regional meant the pay was lower than welfare. Then the pilot shortage kicked in and it got to where anyone with the hours and a pulse could get hired. In a couple of years, where will it be and what will the market look like? Who knows, but that's just a risk to take if you want to take it. And since things are cyclical, even if it's not great when you get the hours and ratings lined up, the hiring will come back and maybe you can make the jump. I doubt we'll have an environment quite like what we did a few years back again anytime soon, but that doesn't mean you can't get hired and still have a career that may get you to a major one day. Or, a career flying biz jets isn't a bad option either.

I hear there's some airline based near you that might be a good end goal for you. Logo looks like a triangle or something. I can't remember the name but I hear that they must always find turbulence since they keep on saying something about "light chop" on the radio.

Good luck, if you want to go for it, no time like the present.
 
I think with 700 total time, the first big thing is that you've got another 800 hours that you need to build. My busiest flying year (I forget if that was 2009 or 2010) was something in the 500-550 range when I was doing a ton of Cloud Nine flights. I remember I actually flew more than @Everskyward did that year. I did that with my full time job as well, but I was basically flying 10 hours most weekends plus some 30-50 hour weeks in there. Chances are, you're looking at a couple of years to get that much flying in, and if you're keeping your day job (assuming you are) that's still doable, but you need to keep at it if you want it to happen. There are lots of worthy charitable ways you can build time, or you can alternately use the RV to take your family someplace every weekend. Or a combination of those.

Rating wise, you'll ned to get your commercial. I'd do that sooner and then get the multi shortly thereafter. Getting the CFI/II/MEI are a good idea just because it fills out the resume, and those can sometimes bring up opportunities. File and fly IFR regularly, even when the weather is nice so that all of the aspects of IFR flying are second nature. And, of course, get time in actual (just not in icing or embedded thunderstorms).

That gets you some useful experience on the way to your 1500 hours, and again you don't know what experiences may pop up for you once you have the ratings. Budget wise, you can do the math on what the RV costs to operate and what the various options are for getting your ratings. You may find that you need to put those ratings to work either instructing or flying for someone else along the way (it would be great to get more than the minimum required multi time if you can).

So then next comes the crapshoot. A big reason why I didn't go professional pilot 15ish years ago was because at the time getting hired at a regional meant the pay was lower than welfare. Then the pilot shortage kicked in and it got to where anyone with the hours and a pulse could get hired. In a couple of years, where will it be and what will the market look like? Who knows, but that's just a risk to take if you want to take it. And since things are cyclical, even if it's not great when you get the hours and ratings lined up, the hiring will come back and maybe you can make the jump. I doubt we'll have an environment quite like what we did a few years back again anytime soon, but that doesn't mean you can't get hired and still have a career that may get you to a major one day. Or, a career flying biz jets isn't a bad option either.

I hear there's some airline based near you that might be a good end goal for you. Logo looks like a triangle or something. I can't remember the name but I hear that they must always find turbulence since they keep on saying something about "light chop" on the radio.

Good luck, if you want to go for it, no time like the present.

Thanks for the insight, Ted.

We'll see what happens. The last couple of years at the new org have been less than stellar from a 'rewards' standpoint and the work I'm doing lately doesn't tickle my fancy quite like it once did. There are a few things in process in the background that might shake things up a bit, we'll see. In the 3-4 times I've gotten into this mindset career-wise, my default go-to has always been "I should just go all in on flying".... but obviously I've never pulled the trigger. We'll see if it happens this time or if something new and shiny comes along to suck me back into the corporate grind.
 
Thanks for the insight, Ted.

We'll see what happens. The last couple of years at the new org have been less than stellar from a 'rewards' standpoint and the work I'm doing lately doesn't tickle my fancy quite like it once did. There are a few things in process in the background that might shake things up a bit, we'll see. In the 3-4 times I've gotten into this mindset career-wise, my default go-to has always been "I should just go all in on flying".... but obviously I've never pulled the trigger. We'll see if it happens this time or if something new and shiny comes along to suck me back into the corporate grind.
Since I got tagged in this thread (thanks @Ted ;)) I'd say go for it if it's financially feasible. You don't want to be old and wish you had tried.

That said, I knew a number of mid-life career changers. I don't know what you currently do or how much success you have had, but those things aren't going to matter much when you are a new hire. If you are in a crew situation, the captain is likely to look like a kid to you. Good luck whatever you decide.
 
I went from PPL to IR, CPL, CMEL and CFI in about 11 months. I haven’t added up the whole cost, but from ballpark, I did it in around your budget ($25k-$30k).

Don’t even worry about an IFR high performance airplane, do your CPL in something inexpensive and just use the complex or TAA aircraft for the necessary requirements. By the time you finish, you’ll probably have accumulated around 50 hours, maybe a bit less or maybe more if you go the CFI route. So you’re looking at roughly 750hrs to build as fast as you can. I’d recommend getting your CFI, makes you way more marketable.
 
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