DL,
newhires are placed via experience and need. amflight will hire into turbine equipment (99's, metro's, etc..), but only if there are no qualified and willing applicants in the company. going straight into the lance and chieftain is normal, but if you are willing to move a bit, then upgrade is not a problem.
brasilias are based at cvg and dfw. however, all flight crews live at the outstations like lubbock, midland, amarillo, new orleans, white plains, lacrosse, and probably somewhere i'm missing. they fly into the base at night, and are at home during the day. payscale for e 120 f.o.'s is equal to 99 captain pay, so usually the 99 is the smarter route if you want to turbine pic time. if your heart is set on the brasilia captain's chair you can expect anywhere from 6 months to 2+ years in the right seat, it just depends.
the pay scale is not bad at all. first year lance and chieftain drivers make right at 22k with 99 pilots making a bit (not much) more. second year 99 pilots make 24-28k depending on how many specials they fly while second year metro is in the low 40's. there is a 5% turbine retention bonus paid on the date of hire and pro-rated to time in aircraft over the last year.
anyway, good company to cut your teeth in and get quality time. helps if you are unattached or have a significant other who likes to move a bit.