If you have made the jump to the airlines, how did it go?

Did they cover the cost of training and offer you a job?

How different is the schedule from 7/7 14/14?

Just looking at leaving the rotor wing side of the house.

U can always come back, but rarely go the other way under such luxurious circumstances.

https://www.airlinepilotforums.com/

Also check out the non-profit RTAG (Rotor To Airline Group)

There's so many opportunities on the fixed wing side in addition to the airlines; cargo, firefighting, fractionals, corporate, EMS... 

I've talked to LOTS of guys who have done it and only one didn't stick with it (covid stoppage at first then found a cool at-home job; has new baby so it's ideal for now and he was an FO for 2 years so he can easily go back to it or helicopters if he wants).

You're certainly not going to get the bid schedule you want at first or base you want at first depending on the airline.  Maybe 9 months to 2 years to get there at the current rate of change.

Pay has gone WAY up.  PSA and Piedmont are $90/hr (75 min hours/mo) as of the past few weeks and almost all airlines are following suit so you'll make more than HAA entry-level pay and not have to be away from the fam for 7/7/14/14.  The pay is NOT a reason to not go to the airlines anymore.  At starting pay at that level that only goes up EXPONENTIALLY it's a no-brainer to at least get started, get ratings, jet experience, etc. then you can choose any airplane job you want in the future.  

You'll still have to pay for parking and hotels when on reserve if you don't live in base in many situations.    

Once I'm an empty-nester here in a few years I plan on making the jump myself.  In the mean-time, I'll have to do something else (and I'm DEFINITELY saying siyonara to the HAA world for it's crap pay and expectations). 

...so you'll make more than HAA entry-level pay and not have to be away from the fam for 7/7/14/14. 

This isn't anywhere near correct!   A pilot's schedule is typicaly far less than 15 days off a month.   Trips are built, usually 3 or 4 days in a row, then home for a couple, then off on another trip.   Only real senior line holders will see 15 to 18 days off per month.  And, that is typically when they bid monthly lines with 5 day trips built into them.   The normal schedule is lucky to see 12 days off per month!   Which means you are working 19.  You don't come home every night since you overnight in a hotel somewhere other than your domicile.

Thus, you are away from the family lots more than someone working a 7 and 7, or 14 and 14.

Also, in HAA, a vast majority work where they live.  So, they are home everyday to see the family, and not away from them.

An airline schedule changes every month, generally.  Nothing to predict one month to the next.  HAA is a predictable schdule, easy to plan around month to month.

Travelling/Commuting eats up days off.  In the airlines, since you are typically working 3 or 4 day trips, you are commuting to/from work way more often than you are in a HAA schedule.   Thereforem more of your own time is wasted from the family to commute.   

absolutely listen to a bitter old helicopter pilot about flying a jet.....or go to the RTAG page and read some posts. 

Just remember when your sitting at a bar.

First Pilot- what are yours plans, well I'm going to jump in my own plane fly around see family and enjoy retirement

Second Pilot- Wearing everything he has to show how cool he is. I'm 74 still working and on my third marriage, but let me tell you about my career.

Which one is the professional pilot and which one is the helicopter pilot.

About the amount of time off.

that's one of the things where HAA comes out clearly ahead.  

Home Every Night Lie.

... easily leading in divorce statistics!

Originally replied to said;

"So, they are home everyday to see the family,"

https://divorce.lovetoknow.com/Divorce_Rate_Statistics_by_Occupation

a little clarification...

airline pilots aren't "lucky" to see 12 days off per month.  Almost every pilot contract sets 12 days off oer month as a minimum.  

as a line holder at 50%, I am able to bid trips that have overnights at my domicile.  Therefore I get to be at home at leaat once per 4 day trip.  Some times I bid international trips with >30 hours at the destination.  on those trips my wife has the ability to ride with so we can tour around together.  

airline schedules can change month to month, especially when you're junior.  But for me that's a plus.  I like to see as much of the world as I can.  Having said that, with seniority comes the opportunity to bid the same trips if a pilot so desires. 

Everyone's situation is different, and a LOT depends on where a pilot is willing to live.  My advice is to avoid commuting to work.  

At my legacy airline, it took only 6 months to hold narrow body FO in my domicile.  i could hold NB Captain if I were willing to commute, but it is too big a hassle for me.

the bottom line - if you are considering making the career switch, don't wait.  Seniority is everything in the airline industry.

When they said minimum eleven days off per month, they could have also said 'usually eleven days off, sometimes twelve'.  Think four day trip, couple days home, then off on the next four day trip. 

interview was easy...unless you're that person with whom no one wants to work, then you're hired.  Ground training was fine.  The simulator portion was what tripped some people up.  Seemed like slightly higher attrition among rotary folks.  They covered training costs.

In the end, COVID hit, they sent us packing, and I came back to helicopters

Vs HAA that gives it day 1

And stays that way - 7/7; along with fairly stagnant pay. No one likes the idea of 'paying dues', but realistically it's done in some form at most careers. Spent 4 years at a regional (one year of that - during the initial covid hit - I chose not to fly at all). I'm now comfortable at a legacy. One month of reserve and a line holder since then with 15 days off/month. 

As of my June pay stub, I've earned $57,513 year to date on first year pay, which is routinely much lower across most airlines during your first, probationary year. Still not horrible money IMO. Second year pay increases about $50/flight hour - possibley even more pending a new contract. The 16% direct contribution into my 401k is also amazing once you start seeing it on each paycheck. 16% every paycheck...just because...

I also have the ability (in seniority order) to trade trips. I hate cold weather and last winter was able to trade almost every trip for warm weather destinations - deiced once last winter. As I type this, a trade came in for my next trip - currently on a 5-day off stretch. I traded primarly because the 4-day trip ends at 1000, I'll be home by 1130 on day 4 of my trip. The fact that day one ends at 1300 in PR doesn't hurt either - I can handle the afternoon on the beach courtesy of my employer. 

This career is definitely not for everyone - especially those that get comfortable with ok, and don't want to take the risk to go for better. But it seems like the loudest ones on here about the airlines are from that group - with ZERO personal experience. 

Having made the switch to the commuters and now a major,a much more professional enviroment. A B737 is a handful and challenging.

What exactly does RTAG do? Just a one time event per year? Looking on their website I can't find much info besides that they post on facebook a bunch?

To Airplane sort of thing?!?!!

1. RTAG holds an annual convention that is free to vets, and only $25 for civilians to attend.  This is an awesome networking opportunity for both FW and RW careers.  Airlies are well represented as are fractional operators as well as helicopter operators.  

2.  RTAG provides flight training scholarships at their convention

3. The RTAG FB site is a huge resource for pilots transitioning from the RW side, and for those who are new to aviation.  There are many who have walked the path that will help those that follow.  Pilots helping others in a professional environment.  

If they need a warm body, and no on duty or volunteer off duty pilots available, they start calling off duty pilots in reverse order of company seniority (junior man) who are off duty and "ask" them if they would fly the duty.

Some company contracts allow them to "assign" the duty to the junior pilot who answers the phone

Hope this helps

Be eligible for the assigned duty you suggest. A relief pilot if available is the best bet. 

You're asking questions that don't matter. Stop looking for reasons not to go have a better career. You can always go back to flying helicopters to feed yourself, which is all it does. Getting an ATP and flying jets will open doors you could never imagine. 

Facts!!! But you can't convince the local HEMS base idiot otherwise. Curious to see how that No Suprises Act works out for HEMS. 

Flew offshore for 16 years and just made the jump to corporate jets part 91/135. My base is 7 miles from my house. After years of 14/14 I now work 9 on, 6 off. So I know my schedule many months in advance. I had flown airplanes in the military as well as helicopters so I was picked up right away. Put on salary and sent to Flight Safety for a type rating. All expenses paid. I had applied to United last Summer but never got a call. I think they thought I was too old at 58.