I realize that this question has been asked in different forms (regional to majors flow) but I have a somewhat unique situation and would appreciate some insight.
Short bio: 43 years old, retired military (USN) rotary wing pilot (4500 total time with 3700 PIC and 100 fixed wing - all time turbine).
I am considering taking advantage of one the new “rotor to airline” transition programs being offer by the regionals (I’m specifically looking at TSA’s program). Please help manage my expectations as I weigh the pros and cons of embarking on this new aviation adventure - what is a reasonable amount of time to plan for being at a regional given my resume? These rotor transition programs are all less than a year old so there’s no data points out there. I realize that this question may be “unanswerable” but I figured I had to at least ask the question. I understand any replies are opinions only.
While I hate the concept of “unanswerable” questions. yours is pretty tough to nail down. You need another 150hrs fixed wing PIC to be eligible for an ATP which shouldn’t be too difficult. The fact you’ve already got 4500hrs and you do have turbine PIC which is great but I do believe most of the Majors (with the exception of Atlas, SouthWest and Hawaiian, all of whom are sweet on military pilots) will want to see some more fixed wing time and at least some fixed turbine time. That said the hiring climate is changing daily so honestly as soon as you get that ATP I’d start applying to the Majors of your choice. While I hate to be overly optimistic based on your resume I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if you’re not out in under 2yrs. Disclaimer as always: there are no guarantees.