How long to the left seat

[RobertV-IL-210]

My name is Robert and I have been flying since 2000. I graduated from SIUC flight school and currently have almost 2000 hours. I unfortunately only have 25 hours in the Cessna 310. I try to fly 2 times per week weather permiting. I have decided that I need to finish what I started and that is to become an airline capt.
The main concern I have is money. I was unable to afford flight instructing and pay for college loans. What is the best route to take in order to attend ATP and what are my odds of getting a flight job once I complete ATP? I here many discouraging things from pilots I know and pilots who are retired about the current situation and what they expect it to be. Could you shed some light on what you know.
All in all, I really want to finish what I set out to accomplish, and hope that ATP could be my bridge that will allow my to cross the valley I have been trying to jump.
Thanks for you time and attention.
Robert

[Corporate Dan]

Hello Robert. Sorry for the delayed response to your original post. I was on a trip in Europe. Anyway, I don't know if I can answer your question yet without getting a better idea of where you are in your flight experience. You say you have 2000 hours with some multi time. That's great. Do you have your commercial certificate and/or flight instructor ratings? If so the best option for you is to try to get even more multi-engine experience so that you have the minimum multi time to get an interview at a regional airline. With 2000 hours you are already ahead of many people when the airlines start hiring again. ATP does have some multi-engine time building programs. After you get your multi-time up I would recommend ATP's Regional Jet Airline Training program which will prepare you for the airlines and will let you take advantage of ATP's letters of agreement with airlines to get interviews before people off of the street. This is of course only if you have your commercial license already. Let me know where you are at and we will take it from there.

As far as what the "old-timers" are saying you have to kind of filter out here and there. Of course the industry will not be like it was in 1965 when airline captains were making 300k + salary. There will always be airlines flying airplanes and the current pilot population is about to have many retirements in the near future. So based on that alone things will start to move a bit. Also the economy is hopefully bouncing back to what it was too.

So, I believe that there will be a pilot shortage from the retirements and also the fact that many people stayed away from flight training due to their view of the current aviation environment without looking ahead to what it will be will be another cause for the shortage.


Talk to you soon.

Dan

[RobertV-IL-210]

Hi Dan,

Thank you for the information. I currently have my commercial, CFI and Multi-engine. I had taken the ATP written exam and passed with an 87. Unfortunately it will expire at the end of this month.
How much mutli engine time should I gain? I will contact ATP this afternoon to check the prices for the multi time building and the regional jet program.

Thanks and best regards,

Robert

[Corporate Dan]

Hi Robert. It's good to hear that you have almost everything that you need. Just one more question: Do you have your Multi-engine commercial? As far as having multi-time I think that bare minimum to have to get an interview is like 100 hours. I know for a while regional airlines were giving interviews to people with 1000 total time with 200 multi. That was before the big hiring boom 4 years ago. So I would say at least have 100 but remember the more you have the better that looks on a resume and at an interview. How much multi do you have right now? The Regional Jet program will help you get an interview at a regional airline with less multi-engine time as well.

Talk to you later.

Dan