I am aware that right now and the coming years are a great time for advancement and job opportunities once you get into the airlines with all the retiring going on(I know many pilots for delta who tell me the atmosphere is such, at least for Delta, where really young guys are being hired and advancing incredibly fast).
I want, like everyone else here, to take advantage of this and get there ASAP. I start ATP in a week.
My current idea on how to move fast through the program and gaining hours is pretty basic. Study hard take it very seriously, graduate in 9 months or less if I can. Then try to move to a sunny weather state to do CFI to maximize flight time. Beyond that I don’t know much else in terms of goals or strategic moves I can make to make the time till my first airline job shortest.
Perhaps that’s all one can do but I thought I’d reach out to see if anyone else out there has tips on this subject or input regarding making the most of my time and efficiency to get to this goal. Thanks!
Others might have some tips but that’s really about all you can do. I would just encourage you to not simply see this as a race or the means to a job at Delta. While I appreciate and understand you desire to get to the airlines asap, this isn’t just about checking boxes. You need to use this time to become a skilled pilot. Failure to do so and you could find yourself getting extremely close to achieving your goal but never being successful. There’s a reason they created the 1500hr Rule. It’s to make sure you’ve achieved a certain level of knowledge and experience.
Your plan sounds solid, there is not much more you could do to advance yourself. I like that you are willing to move to a sunny weather state, that flexibility will pay off. Just remember that doing things right is more important than doing them quickly. Study hard and make sure that you do not have any issues in training.