I'm settling in quite well to driving to work again. I don't miss commuting at all.
It's nice to not have to stress about what assignment I will get which would directly affect when I would have to leave home to catch a flight. Now I can just drive. No matter what I get....I can drive...just 15 minutes away.
That said my current base is growing. I would have been more senior if I had stayed commuting. This is a temporary pain. By next March I will have 50+ pilots under me. For now...I work Thanksgiving.
The flying has been fine. I've flown to both Canada and Mexico so far. No emergencies or major issues yet. I'm still disgruntled with my company....but there are very few regional pilots that love their company.
I passed my 9th year last month. I got a decent pay raise. I'm currently at $84 an hour. It sounds like a lot....but a good friend at Delta on the 717 gets over $200 an hour as Captain...and his plane holds maybe 20 more seats. It's still a lot of money.
Next March I hit the big 4-0. Forty years old is a big deal as I have to get an FAA medical exam every six months instead of every year. I can skirt the rule by getting a medical BEFORE my 40th birthday and thus can wait until my 41st for my next one. The rule is roughly any medical AFTER turning age 40. Hey I can save $70.
I'm flying with a lot of new hires. My airline has majorly increased new hire pay.
My first full year as a new hire I made $31,000 all in. Now new hires make $60,000. More than double. Good for them....but man they will never know the struggle.
I will make another "How much does a regional pilot make after xxxx years" at the end of the year. This will be a hybrid year as I began getting Captain pay back in April.