Ready to move on to next step

[Mawingo]

Hey JC, I have some questions re: making the career switch. I did all my training starting in 2000 and finishing in 2002 with my Multi-Commercial and CFI-II. I have since done just some freelance instructing work while supporting my family while my wife was in school and working a regular full-time (read: cube hell) job. I've accumulated over 600 hours to date, but only 25 multi (including my training time). Very fortunately, it looks like I will able to jump into this full time by this spring (knock on wood!). I'm just not sure what's next. Obviously, I need multi-time, and I plan to buy this by the block at a place like Skymates here in the Dallas area, at least 50 hours worth. What's after that, is where I'm not sure. I have a contact who is a check airman for one of the regionals and says that 700/100 is all I need to get in. If I want to eventually fly corporate, what route would you recommend I go? What other options could I go with based on my current hours and the local market? As you can tell, I just don't know what route to go, I just wanna fly... and fly nice planes eventually and still see my family as often as possible during the week. TIA

[RICHARD5]

FYI: I got my comm in 2001 and currently have just a bit more TT than you. I'm hoping to be a CFI by the end of March. This would be a career change for this greybeard. So, you know where I'm coming from....

Since you have a family you are undoubtedly more concerned with pay and QOL than the single guys. Yet I don't see that expressed in your post. My take is which route you take will be heavily determined by ability to fulfill your responsibilites to your family. I don't mean to imply your family is a limitation but it isn't just about your TT.

I think that your times are at the hiring minimums so that means you have limited options which would provide a decent payrate. My suggestion is to build on what you already have (CFI). Get on with a busy flight school which has a 135 op. Exploit a niche and concentrate on advanced instruction (TAA, glass, etc). Basically, distinguish yourself as a CFI. And network, network, network. I know more than a few CFIs who were grabbed to ride shotgun in jets while they were working as a CFI.

Distinguish yourself and you will be noticed. The corp guys are always ready to help a fellow pilot. I just think your current value is in what you have rather than going out to cling to the bottom rung of the next step.