vacating FL410 said:
Not to be a Debbie Downer at all but you are entering this profession at a very tough time. I am near the end of a 37 year career at a major airline. It was bleak when I entered and it is bleak now. What was it Warren Buffett said? I am paraphrasing but, "when people are brave be araid and when people are afraid be brave". Keep up the great work. I actually believe you are entering at a good time.
Regionals are starting up classes again and hiring ATP holders.
Bleak on entering is subjective I guess. This industry comes in waves, and it depends on where you are/who you are (military pilots transitioning vs civilian.) I see huge numbers of mandatory retirements, there were early outs taken, some will never return to the airlines, I know my company is itching to start business travel back up, and the regionals and some of the national carriers are bringing pilots back. You have more insight there, but seeing some of the nationals sucking up marketshare in airports where they have never flown before leads me to believe the bean counters believe there will be a return.
OP - just remember to save as much as you can, and the lean years won't be as tough. I am taking a 60%+ paycut to leave my current job for the airline world for the first few years. I'm a current military pilot, so my path might have been a little less expensive, but it's still a big leap of faith on my end.
Keep in mind too...if you are looking for hours and can't land a CFI gig, glider hours count towards your total time under part 61. Generally cheaper than anything else you can rent, and you get a cool endorsement. You still need to meet other minimums, but if you're running short on cash for time building, check that out.
