Gmac115,
firstly i would like to say good luck. you sound like you have the right attitude which is very important.
now.... how can i put this??
oh i got it:
DO YOUR MECIR & YOUR ATPLS
end of discussion. people that are telling you not to do them until a later date are clueless. MRCIR is required for 2 reasons. 1 - as it has already been said, you may not get onto twins when the opportunity is there (a few guys i flew with went onto twins within 6 months and 500hrs total). 2 - some companies required you to have 2-3 renewals min.
As for the ATPL exams, you will not need them for the first job and they will not help you get the job. However, you will need them eventually. The amount of pilots that i have come across that cant upgrade to command positions because they do not have their ATPLs is crazy! I was in your position - i hadnt finished my exams, but i didnt want to miss out on the jobs at the start of the dry and so i moved up north. i did however complete them while i was up there and now all i need is the hours. dont kid yourself, it is very hard to find the time and motivation to do the exams while up north. your up at 0330-0400am for the first flight of the day and your not home until 0600-0630pm. just not enough hours in the day!
good luck!
LeMeL
