Age Requirements and Regionals
10-24-2006, 12:14 PM
#11
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2005
Position: EMB 170/175 F.O.
Posts: 549
Besides your age problem, it might be an attitude problem. What makes you think that as a CFI you will only deal with people who don't want to learn? The reason airlines like to hire CFIs is because they probably have to ability to deal with and relate to people with varying levels of experience and expertise.
Heres another thought: the reason many airlines have minimum age requirements is because they want a certain level of maturity. On top of that, unless you have previous experience as a "professional aviator" most airlines are going to be wary about investing time and money in you before you have proven your ability as a professional. Yes, there are exceptions to this rule but they are just that, exceptions. To sum up, my advice would be to shelve your attitude, get your CFI ratings, teach, scare yourself a few times, learn a few things about what it means to be a professional, have some fun and THEN start thinking about the airlines. Besides, a 19 year old kid wouldn't be that much fun on the overnights anyway unless you're in Canada
PS
4 years in the right seat at Colgan or Great Mistakes would blow giant donkey balls.
Heres another thought: the reason many airlines have minimum age requirements is because they want a certain level of maturity. On top of that, unless you have previous experience as a "professional aviator" most airlines are going to be wary about investing time and money in you before you have proven your ability as a professional. Yes, there are exceptions to this rule but they are just that, exceptions. To sum up, my advice would be to shelve your attitude, get your CFI ratings, teach, scare yourself a few times, learn a few things about what it means to be a professional, have some fun and THEN start thinking about the airlines. Besides, a 19 year old kid wouldn't be that much fun on the overnights anyway unless you're in Canada
PS
4 years in the right seat at Colgan or Great Mistakes would blow giant donkey balls.
Amen, preach that!
10-24-2006, 12:15 PM
#12
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Oct 2006
Posts: 367
hey, do you live in the north east? I think if you just keep building up your time you wont have a problem gettin in someplace. Besides your way ahead of the majority of pilots at your age. Even if you had to hold off till your 21 you would still have made it in very early.
Using the time you have now to get a college degree would be beneficial in the long run.
Using the time you have now to get a college degree would be beneficial in the long run.
10-24-2006, 12:17 PM
#13
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2005
Position: EMB 170/175 F.O.
Posts: 549
This statement is a half-truth. PIC non-instructing time only looks better after you have some of that dual-given time. Where I work, if you got all that time without any dual given, you'll probably not be given a second look. All of the pilots where I work with the exception of one were flight instructors at some point, and seeing some CFI time is a major plus as well as a bond-builder. Get your CFI. You'll be glad you did.
10-24-2006, 12:19 PM
#14
On Reserve
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Oct 2006
Posts: 11
hey, do you live in the north east? I think if you just keep building up your time you wont have a problem gettin in someplace. Besides your way ahead of the majority of pilots at your age. Even if you had to hold off till your 21 you would still have made it in very early.
Using the time you have now to get a college degree would be beneficial in the long run.
Using the time you have now to get a college degree would be beneficial in the long run.
10-24-2006, 01:36 PM
#15
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2006
Posts: 614
I have a cousin who is in a similar situation as you. He has loads of total time (around 1200 TT with 900 ME) however he cant get hired. What people are telling him in general is the fact that he doesnt not have his CFI. He was told by several hiring managers that he wasnt competitive in a sense because he has not shown the ability (in prior experience) to work in a crew envirornment, which is exactly what instruction is doing. You are probably perfect for 135 job once you meet the single pilot IFR requirement. In the meantime get your CFI, have a student try to kill you a couple of times, and gain some solid flying experience. Also be thankful at how fortunate you are, there are plenty of people on here who would kill to get fly for only the cost of fuel.
10-24-2006, 03:03 PM
#16
Property of Scheduling
Joined APC: Sep 2006
Position: Bus driver
Posts: 2,575
Just wondering if any of you can help. I am currently 19 (21 in '08) with about 800/170 and seem to have a hard time finding a regional that doesnt have that "Minimum Age 21" requirement. Colgan, and Great Lakes seem to be the only thing that doesnt have that requirement, and Commut when I reach 900. Colgan is my first choice but I haven't heard from them. But Anyhow, can any of you give me any insight to what I should do. I dont have my CFI's, mainly because I dont have the complete patience to deal with people who want to learn to fly but have no interest in learning.
These are the 2 options I can think of...
1. Keep applying to those airlines
2. Get my CFI's and when I turn 21 apply for a regional.
Thanks in advance for your help!
These are the 2 options I can think of...
1. Keep applying to those airlines
2. Get my CFI's and when I turn 21 apply for a regional.
Thanks in advance for your help!
Why not go to college and instruct while there? You can do a 4 year bachelors in 3 years and have a much better resume and also not cap yourself from majors. If you go to a 121 you will still have to wait till you are 23 to upgrade... The age thing is a bit of a sticking point I must admit- when I was sending out resumes a few months ago (before I turned 21) I could only apply to those regionals where I could e-mail a resume. The 21 age thing IS a requirement for many and must be met for an interview. Good luck
10-24-2006, 05:10 PM
#17
Gets EVERY weekend off
Joined APC: Jul 2006
Position: SIC
Posts: 1,367
yeh, that statement isn't really true. the best time will be in a structured atmosphere of some sort. whether that be instructing students or flying corporate, both look better than the "so...did you just buy all this time?" cause that can occasionally lead to the "why did you have to buy time instead of find someone to buy it for you?" question.
A CFI has been considered by some to be the most difficult checkride that people take prior to their 121 stuff. So, it may also show the company that "until now" you've passed the most diff. checkride that's available (because, that will also help show that you might have better promise to pass the 121 ride which is to come) Personally, i'd try to see if there were any 135 type ops around that'd be willing to hire you, even on a part time basis, doing hops in a king air while going to school could be helpful, and it'll show you have some professional flying ability plus some ability to work in a crew. Also, get your degree so you're marketable after the age 60, or before if things go south. Who knows if after you've been flying the line for a while, and are gone all the dang time whether or not you'll actually still enjoy the flying, and if that's the case, might as well have somewhere else to go. Find something you enjoy and major in that, no need in gettin an aviation degree which will have u taking corses for stuff you already know and understand.
A CFI has been considered by some to be the most difficult checkride that people take prior to their 121 stuff. So, it may also show the company that "until now" you've passed the most diff. checkride that's available (because, that will also help show that you might have better promise to pass the 121 ride which is to come) Personally, i'd try to see if there were any 135 type ops around that'd be willing to hire you, even on a part time basis, doing hops in a king air while going to school could be helpful, and it'll show you have some professional flying ability plus some ability to work in a crew. Also, get your degree so you're marketable after the age 60, or before if things go south. Who knows if after you've been flying the line for a while, and are gone all the dang time whether or not you'll actually still enjoy the flying, and if that's the case, might as well have somewhere else to go. Find something you enjoy and major in that, no need in gettin an aviation degree which will have u taking corses for stuff you already know and understand.
10-24-2006, 05:40 PM
#18
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2006
Position: 717 FO
Posts: 397
I was told when learning how to fly that "PIC non instructing" time looks better than a lot of "dual given" time. Now listening to what everybody is saying, it looks like this statement might be false.
10-24-2006, 08:03 PM
#19
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Sep 2006
Position: 767 FO
Posts: 293
Well i am just going to kind of jump in here, agree or disagree with me if you want. I just turned 19 years old, just hit my 1000tt and about 100 multi, and fly about 110 hours a month, and yet I still take a full load of classes. Half at a local college, and the others classes at uvsc online. But I would like to get on with a company like express jet because I have talked to a pilot there and it seems like a good place to be, but the only other regional I would work for would be horizon so I don’t know but most likely I would like to end up at ameriflight hopefully. This would be a good option because there is no ago to upgrade into pic of a 135 if I am correct so I could get my turbine pic, go to a regional get some 121 experience and go from there. Sound like a good plan…
10-24-2006, 08:58 PM
#20
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Dec 2005
Position: 7ER B...whatever that means.
Posts: 3,982
Something else you young guys with rediculous amounts of time might be overlooking is that it can smell fishy to the hiring department at most airlines. I guarantee it will come up at an interview and the last thing they want to hear is "i flew around for sh!ts and giggles, paying for it out of my (or mommy and daddy's) pocket". Diamnd15, how are you flying 110hrs a month if you aren't already employed? When I was instructing at one of the largest aviation colleges in the country with a full load of students. doing checkrides and maxing out my duty time every month, I was averaging 80 hours a month of flight time.
Got another question for you young guys who are up to your eye balls in flight time: what is your damn hurry? If you got hired TODAY, thats 4 years MINIMUM to upgrade. Regardless what the upgrade time is at the company. Do you really want to sling gear in a B1900 at Colgan or where ever else might hire you for 4 years? At 19 you should go to college, party yourself silly, have drunk sex with random girls and not have to worry about reserve phone time, 30 in 7 conflicts, when your next PC is due, is the company paying me right, is what they're asking me to do legal, when am i going to eat next, how quickly can I cover the 3 S's (sh!t, shower and shave) in the morning and all those other glamourous things that go on in the regional airline world. Thats just my 2 cents.
Got another question for you young guys who are up to your eye balls in flight time: what is your damn hurry? If you got hired TODAY, thats 4 years MINIMUM to upgrade. Regardless what the upgrade time is at the company. Do you really want to sling gear in a B1900 at Colgan or where ever else might hire you for 4 years? At 19 you should go to college, party yourself silly, have drunk sex with random girls and not have to worry about reserve phone time, 30 in 7 conflicts, when your next PC is due, is the company paying me right, is what they're asking me to do legal, when am i going to eat next, how quickly can I cover the 3 S's (sh!t, shower and shave) in the morning and all those other glamourous things that go on in the regional airline world. Thats just my 2 cents.
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