Commuting as a Regional Pilot

Airline Pilot Questions & Answers
1

Hi,

I just discover https://airlinepilot.life today and have been reading all day! These forums have triggered so much curiosity.

Question 1, Is it economically feasible for a regional pilot to commute to work? For example, say I live in Hawaii, and work for a regional in LA? (I’m new to this all and am not even sure if there is a regional in LA. Just speaking hypothetically)

Question 2, I visited the Target Hangar and really loved the environment of the corporate flying setting. To become a corporate pilot is it a similar route to becoming a major airline pilot? Is it harder to become a corporate pilot? I guess by harder I mean does it require more flight time and experience than a major airline pilot.

2

Raven,

  1. You’re asking economic questions but we have no way of knowing what you’re personal finances are? For some it’s very feasible for other’s it isn’t. I know many pilots who commute to the West Coast fro Hawaii. It usually involves sharing an apt or staying with family and it’s not a problem. Others have considerable debt or other responsibilities which make it prohibitive while others have families who help them tremendously. Short answer it’s feasible but up to you to make it work.

  2. Most corporate jobs have similar requirements to the airlines. The biggest problem with corporate flying is the number of available jobs. An airline like SkyWest has approx. 5,000 pilots most of whom are trying to move on to a Major so they’re constantly hiring. Target’s Flight Dept may have 10 pilots making really good money with zero desire to go anywhere. That means not only building the time required but also waiting for a slot that may not come for years and then doing the proper networking to get that single slot. Not saying it can’t happen but definitely more challenging.

Adam

3

Raven,

  1. Pilots commute from all over the world. That being said, it is very time consuming and stressful. I would strongly encourage you to move to your base, I wish I had.

  2. The licenses to be a corporate pilot are exactly the same. The difference comes in the fact that corporate jobs can be aloof who you know and the connections you make, while the airlines, at least the regional ones, offer a more straight forward application process. But plenty of people get into the corporate side of flying,

Chris