arch19

I'm considering working towards an airline career, and, being located a mere fifteen minutes from MSP, I am wondering...how likely is it I would be able to be based here? That is to say, if the goal is to fly for Delta, would I be able to be based here from the start? Or is there a chance (or is it likely, even) that I would have to relocate if I didn't want to commute?

I do have a couple of side questions, if that's okay. I met somebody who worked for Sun Country, and they suggested going straight for Sun Country versus the larger carriers to get to the 737 faster. Is this good advice? Why or why not?

Second, related to the above question, when somebody starts flying for Delta, do they always start on, say, the CRJ aircraft, taking years to make it to a Boeing or Airbus? Why or why not?

I have been around aviation for a while. But I am very new to trying to understand how the airlines work. I am here to learn.

Wolf424

You’ll probably end up somewhere other than MSP for at least 6-12 months based on fleet, timing, etc. (the variables constantly change, but most new hires go to NYC).

If you want to guarantee you’ll be in MSP, Sun Country is an option...but you should check out their forum for more info. I don’t know enough about them, except that they are on the lower end of the pay scale. If the only reason is to “get to the 737”, then that’s not a reason at all. No one should care that much about the guppy.

Delta doesn’t fly CRJs mainline. The smallest we have are 717s and A220s. As far as getting to a Boing or Airbus, who cares? You can fly a Douglas or Bombardier product instead






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Chakerik

last ae new hires got msp 717b. So likely quicker then that.

Wolf424

And the 10 before that didn’t. As I said, it’s constantly changing


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saturn

Hey Archie, how old are you? We were all aspiring pilots before we got here too. If you plan to make Minneapolis your home and want a career as an airline pilot, your goal should 100% be Delta. Typically, your first airline experience will be with a regional airline. This means you'll likely be flying the CRJs or EMBs. SkyWest and Endeavor both have pilot bases in MSP. After some years building up experience and flight time, you will hopefully get an interview with Delta. Should you get hired, there's the likely potential of not being assigned MSP right away. However, you can still live in MSP and commute via air to start your ~3-5 trips each month. When an opening pops up, you'll be back in MSP and driving to/from work.
Sun Country isn't a bad job, and they do have a MSP hub. But I think unanimously anyone would tell you that Delta would provide a much better career in just about every way.

arch19

Thank you so much for the insight! To answer your question, I will turn 31 this summer. I am assuming it will take, reasonably, two years to get to the point of being hirable as a commercially-rated pilot, starting from zero. And then perhaps two more years before reaching 1,500 hours so that I can shoot for a legacy airline? Is this realistic, or not really? Would I be too late in the game, considering the retirements going on now versus projections into the next five years?

With a legacy airline, would I still see a $40k salary? More? Less? I can afford a pay cut to that...but I'm not sure how much more. It sounds like things would look up within two to three years, and then a few more years I would probably break even.

Chakerik

Sure it is. Didnt say it wasnt.

With a 717 base target of 100 crews, with about 40 filled there is a lot of room for jr guys getting msp 717b going forward.

DWC CAP10 USAF

Assuming you are working full time and doing the flight training on the side, I am going to say zero to Commercial in two years, while doable, is going to be aggressive in my opinion. Places like All-ATP (I have no affiliation with them and never used their services) advertise zero to Comm in 9 months, but that's doing it like it's your full time job.

Currently, having 1,500 hour min hours, while technically meets the hiring mins for legacy airlines, it doesn't make you very competitive considering other applicants are folks that have thousands of hours flying at regional carriers, or are military aviators with decades of flight experience.

regionals are paying way more than $40K, especially when you take into account signing bonuses, retention bonuses, etc. For a rough estimate, take a look at their hourly pay and multiply by 1,000....that will get you in the ballpark of what income (gross) you can expect per year. Pay rates can be found on the individual Airline Profile pages.

Again, your two year to Commercial, then 2 years to 1,500 hours, is technically doable,but its aggressive. It averages out to 7.2 hours of flight time every week, for 4 years in a row. Assuming you work full time already, those hours are going to be after work or on weekends. You probably won't accrue that many hours early on in your private training, but once you get your commercial and/or CFI, you could ramp up the hours by flying skydivers, or aerial banners, or teaching students.

Good luck!

arch19

Oops...I totally goofed...I meant 1,500 hours before joining regionals (not legacy, as I had stated). I should add that I have a flexible job where I work remotely and am done by 2 or 3 in the afternoon each business day. I also have five weeks of vacation time. So I do have three extra hours each day versus somebody who works a traditional 9-5. But I get it...hard to do if working full time. So if four years to get to 1,500 hours is pretty aggressive, let's say six years is more realistic. Hopefully six years from now isn't too late to be joining the game?

DRaab

The pay scales are listed for each carrier in APC in the individual Airline Profiles.