Am I on Track to the Majors?

[Tonala2k]

My 'curent' plan (as in this industries the best plan is to roll with the punches) is to work for the majors (PAX or F8)as some point in the future. No rush though. I want to have fun flying all the other stuff (in other words, not regional) I'm about to take a single pilot (Chief pilot if you like) corporate position flying a C425 twin with PT-6 turbor prop engnies. After a few thousand hours in that will that get me through to fronmt door, or will they want to see someting bigger? Down the road the company may trade in their C206 (using for short runs) for a VLJ and use the C425 for short runs (Or down grade it to a C421). Would a VLJ look any more impresive, or would I need to later find a larger operation before I try making the transition?

Thanks

 

[ReportCanoa]

Yeah, whatever you do, don't rush to the majors. Take time to smell the roses.

 

[Cassive Mock]

I think the best plan is to not have a plan. You'd be surprised at the fun you can have not flying for an airline. Good luck.

 

[UPSer]

Take the time to learn to spell. OBTW, you don't want to come here. UPS sucks.

 

[Ty Webb]

If you got someone to hire you and insure you single pilot in that aircraft with 600tt, all I can say is "wow". Good luck.

As for getting to a major airline, sure, all things are possible, but generally speaking, crew time is more valuable than single pilot time, and EFIS, turbojet PIC, and line operations are also pluses that you will not be getting under the scenario you are describing. You will not have a type rating, either, and if you get an ATP, it'll be on your own nickle.

I would say it's a great first job, if you can live on the pay, and they don't treat you like dog-poo, but eventually, you'll want to get into a crew environment in a corporate jet. Worked for me.

 

[skiandsurf]

Why wouldnt you want to fly for a regional. It is the same job as a "major" or LCC. Hub and spoke at both. It is a smaller version of the real thing. Great fun. Great people. Great learning. CRM. EFIS. JET. Bidding. Travel benefits. If you dont want to fly for a regional, then I dont think you want to fly for an airline either.

 

[Draginass]

Majors are going to want to see time in a real jet.

 

[Big Slick]

You should become a dentist instead.

Unless, of course, you are an anti-dentite!

 

[Dumb Pilot]

I'll give you a great advice about an aviation career, choose another career path.

 

[sluminginpit]

AMEN!

 

[ferlo]

Are you on track for the Majors? Just get the biggest jug of KY on the market and start practicing for your next career as Wal-Mart greeter,(that way you'll have an edge on the competition). I can see it now, in 25 years we'll all be on "Wal-Mart Greeterinfo.com" bitching about the same kind of sh*t. In all seriousness, drop the Jepps and slowly back away. Get out, RUN.

 

[Juniority]

the smart little fifth-grade kid who lives across the street from me wants to be an Airline Bankruptcy Lawyer when he grows up.

 

[ivauir]

Enjoy the ride and keep an eye on your resume. If you aren't adding multi engine turbine PIc in a crew airplane then make sure you are having fun. Keep looking for a job that is both. There is nothing wrong with avoiding or delaying flying at the regionals. Regional flying looks great on your resume but it has all of the draw backs and none of the bennies of major airline flying.

Hope is not a plan, so make sre you have an action plan for your carreer - but be flexible and open to new opportunities. I was Delta bound until a freind convinced me to look harder at SWA. (Disclaimer: I choose SWA, because of geography/QOL issues. I did not predict Delta's current troubles and I am not disparaging Delta in any way.)

 

[pilotyip]

Don't listen to the negative vibes

This is still a fantastic career, where else can you get paid $100K per doing something you like to do. But if you focus on success as being defined as a job at SWA or FedEx you may end up being disappointed.

 

[GogglesPisano]

This is still a fantastic career, where else can you get paid $100K per doing something you like to do. .

Getting paid $100K, after spending the first 9 years of your career making less than $50K (and in some cases, less than $20K.)

 

[jws717]

Two simple facts, if you dont want to be a CFI and dont want to fly for a regional because those jobs arnt good. Then you dont have the insanity required to stick it out in any airline. find another job!

 

[spitfiremk8]

Don't listen to guys that haven't flown for the regionals. The regionals in general may not be as good as the majors, but some regionals are better than certain majors. Just remember that benefits on paper and in the hands of a major airline is the same as not having any benefits in this time of day (just ask some of the major guys). Keep your eyes open and observe what is happening, then make the best choice for you!

 

[Stifler's Mom]

I know of one regional that has much better travel benefits than SWA.

This is absolutely priceless. This coming from a guy who obviously works for a DCI carrier, but for some reason has a 737 type rating. :laugh:

 

[spitfiremk8]

What is priceless is that you have 4000 hours and are still an FO.HAHA

 

[Stifler's Mom]

Touch a nerve? Sorry for calling you out for being a hypocrite.

 

[spitfiremk8]

All I made was just an observations, nothing more.

 

[Stifler's Mom]

Same here. :blush:

 

[spitfiremk8]

Ok, go play with your fs2004 now

 

[fxbat]

I wouldn’t fixate on the majors, they are probably going to look a lot like the LLC.’s (schedules/pay/retirement) before it’s all done. And that is if (5k other pilots with master’s degrees 10k hrs command time in the shuttle at 25yrs old) you ever get a successful interview.
My friend fly’s for a geologist firm. They take off in the morning go out to a site and blow up a few holes in the dirt, grab samples and fly home. Grate pay, home at night, has weekends off and he gets to blow things up! I enjoy flying charter, basically you only go-around once so enjoy what you do now and let tomorrow worry about it’s self.

 

[Stifler's Mom]

Ok, go play with your fs2004 now

Great comeback.

By the way, nice job redoing your profile and your original post where you said Southwest had poor benefits. You take a shot at Southwest, but at the same time you went out and got a 737 type in hopes of getting a job there. You are unbelievable.

 

[Tonala2k]

You guys are mean in here. Are people jealous that at 800tt I'll be making $60k? Or is it because I still have a lot of options open to me so I can cheery pick what I MYSELF am looking for and I have a lot of time to take advantage of these options, and I have an awesome wife who loves watching me do what I love?

I knew a guy who got hired on a King-air with fewer hours just after he got his commercial. I was excited for the guy. (Someday I'll fly a king-air. Thats one of my goals.) Envy and bitterness appears to run deep in here. It's a good thing I love my job.

Thank you for the advise. It has helped out. I wasn't looking for rhetoric, just help seeing any holes I'll need to feel in over the next several years.

 

[Bjammin]

What is priceless is that you have 4000 hours and are still an FO.HAHA

I'll have 5000 or 6000hrs and will still be an FO.

I know FO's at my airline that have many more then that having been furloughed from many different airlines.

What's the problem?

 

[UPSer]

Great comeback.

By the way, nice job redoing your profile and your original post where you said Southwest had poor benefits. You take a shot at Southwest, but at the same time you went out and got a 737 type in hopes of getting a job there. You are unbelievable.

How do you know that he didn't fly T-43s in the Air Force and got typed that way?

 

[rattler]

What is priceless is that you have 4000 hours and are still an FO.HAHA

Sad thing is 4000 hours isn't much time, it isn't even competitive to move on. In this day and age most regional CA's have much more time than that. The days of going on to a "career" airline with the "min" requirments are long gone.

 

[YourPilotFriend]

You guys are mean in here. Are people jealous that at 800tt I'll be making $60k? Or is it because I still have a lot of options open to me so I can cheery pick what I MYSELF am looking for and I have a lot of time to take advantage of these options, and I have an awesome wife who loves watching me do what I love?

I knew a guy who got hired on a King-air with fewer hours just after he got his commercial. I was excited for the guy. (Someday I'll fly a king-air. Thats one of my goals.) Envy and bitterness appears to run deep in here. It's a good thing I love my job.

Thank you for the advise. It has helped out. I wasn't looking for rhetoric, just help seeing any holes I'll need to feel in over the next several years.

They are not being mean to you. What they say is happening in this industry is the truth. I find it very hard to believe you will get a job paying $60K with what hours you have. Better get a contract in writing because once your boss finds out people are willing to fly for free in that aircraft, you are toast.

The reason it is so bad in the industry is because management is outright attacking the pilot group from every angle possible. Their outright malicous actions make working at the airlines unbearable. I think the only reason people do it, even myself included, is we love to fly. If I were working any other job where management was acting this way I would quit it immediately. So you can determine for yourself whether or not you want to do this career because you love it. You don't see the bad from the outside world looking into the industry. Until you actually work at an airline, you will not be able to understand the attitudes of your peers.

I will bet you an entire year's salary that when you make a 121 carrier your attitude will be exactly what you see here.