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nwpiperpilot · February 29th, 2008, 11:45

Hello!

After 8 or 9 years of lurking, I'm finally stepping up and asking for advice. I've probably read a couple hundred of these "What should I do" scenarios over the years, so please bear with me.

Here's my situation. I started flying in '97, PPL in '98, 4 year degree in '00, IR, Commercial, and MEI in '01, all with the intention of flying for a living. I flew skydivers, Air Lifeline missions, was co-owner of a '76 Archer II, then life, bills, and a somewhat gloomy industry outlook got in the way of my plan, and I stopped flying for nearly 4 years.

I'm back! But now what? I have around 650/75, but only 10 in the past 4 years (all in the past month). I want to get back on track but can't decide whether to get my CFI and instruct for a while, or just crank out some hours doing what I used to do (skydivers, ferry, cost share, any excuse really). Money is a concern getting back into it. After leaving aviation I managed to flip a couple houses and pay off all my debt and DO NOT want to take on that burden again.

Oh yeah... I'm getting married in a month! She's a great girl and totally supportive of my decision to fly again. She makes good money, but not enough to carry us and our mortgage indefinitely.

Finally, it's always been my dream to stay in the Northwest and fly for Horizon. I realize being flexible in this biz is key, but any advice on focusing on one particular airline and steps to increase the chances of getting on?

Thanks Everyone!

February 29th, 2008, 11:45	#1
nwpiperpilot Newbie Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Ruston Posts: 1	Next step? Hello! After 8 or 9 years of lurking, I'm finally stepping up and asking for advice. I've probably read a couple hundred of these "What should I do" scenarios over the years, so please bear with me. Here's my situation. I started flying in '97, PPL in '98, 4 year degree in '00, IR, Commercial, and MEI in '01, all with the intention of flying for a living. I flew skydivers, Air Lifeline missions, was co-owner of a '76 Archer II, then life, bills, and a somewhat gloomy industry outlook got in the way of my plan, and I stopped flying for nearly 4 years. I'm back! But now what? I have around 650/75, but only 10 in the past 4 years (all in the past month). I want to get back on track but can't decide whether to get my CFI and instruct for a while, or just crank out some hours doing what I used to do (skydivers, ferry, cost share, any excuse really). Money is a concern getting back into it. After leaving aviation I managed to flip a couple houses and pay off all my debt and DO NOT want to take on that burden again. Oh yeah... I'm getting married in a month! She's a great girl and totally supportive of my decision to fly again. She makes good money, but not enough to carry us and our mortgage indefinitely. Finally, it's always been my dream to stay in the Northwest and fly for Horizon. I realize being flexible in this biz is key, but any advice on focusing on one particular airline and steps to increase the chances of getting on? Thanks Everyone!