Return to aviation career pathway?

[rs3318]

If you could start again, knowing what you know now, what pathway would you take? Long story short, left a up north GA job flying a 210 with around 600hrs TT (was young, dumb, broke and impatient...), ended up doing an engineering degree and have worked in that field ever since. I'm now mid 30's, in a position where I can chase a pilot career again but with financial security, maturity and a bit of life experience. It looks like a lot has changed, the operator I was working for no longer exists, the school where I did my training no longer exists and neither does the place where I did my MECIR (which apparently is no longer called that).

I've had a chat with a few friends who I worked or did training with back in the day, they have all given vastly different suggestions.
1) Try GA again in Aus or something like Susi in Indo.
2) Go to the US, convert license and instruct / find icus program and get ATP mins as quickly as possible.
3) Do a type rating in the Middle East and walk into a FO job (this is verbatim from a friend who's been there for some years now, downside this pathway is very expensive)
4) Do instructor rating, fly casually and keep the engineering career.


What else is missing, assuming every option is on the table including overseas?

[Aussie Bob]

Then there's option 6 ....

Keep engineering. Organise the business you are in to have several bases or places of employ. Get a lovely bugsmasher and fly as a tax deduction and a way of enjoying aviation without having to work in the industry, An airborne engineer if you like.

[rs3318]

Keep engineering. Organise the business you are in to have several bases or places of employ. Get a lovely bugsmasher and fly as a tax deduction and a way of enjoying aviation without having to work in the industry, An airborne engineer if you like.

It's a good option, but the itch is to eventually fly something more substantial (at very minimum multi-turboprop) over the longer term. I don't think I'd be able to massage all of that expense into a consulting gig or small business!

[Hollywood1]

You might even meet the mins for Jetstar or Qantas.

https://career.jetstar.com/jobview/jetstar-new-zealand-a3201-first-officer/6b904692-e5e2-4a21-a96c-39ad953bb557/

[lucille]

With a degree, have a crack at the airforce.

[kingRB]

stay in engineering. If you must scratch that itch - go to the US.

[onezeroonethree]

No need to try Susi air in Indonesia. There’s a lot of movement again.

get current again and re attempt GA or give USA a crack. I know a few guys who have just recently gotten back into it after stopping when Covid hit. Some went back into GA and now are getting twin with interviews presenting themselves with the airlines here as minimums are low. One or two are usually heading to USA to skip the GA route

dont do instructing to build hours. Do it only if you think you’ll enjoy it and genuinely want to teach. It’s a low tedious way to build hours compared to charter which 95% gets pilots into regionals and majors sooner.