A little hesitant to post this on FI, but what the heck.
Can't really keep this short in order to provide adequate background, but I'll do my best...
I am furloughed USAir and recalls are getting reasonably close to me. I expect an opportunity to return there on a 737/Airbus within a year or so, or to the E190 in a few months (I will definitely bypass that initially due to low pay $46/hr). I am an Eagle EMB FO just barely able to hold a line. I came back to Eagle 10/04 (I was here 94-99) after bouncing around post 9/11 to justify moving my family back to DFW and because Eagle is a good regional job, relatively speaking. But...things here seem very cloudy, at best I'd expect a Saab upgrade in another 2-3 years IF we can recruit enough newhires to avoid AMR putting our flying out for bid by others. I don't need a ton of money but I certainly am struggling on FO pay and even SF3 CA pay would barely allow saving anything for retirement. I have small kids (twins) in Kindergarten and cherish my time home, so commuting (to reserve especially) would really be a bummer (we won't be moving anytime soon due to wife's family in the immediate area).
I have less than 1000 turbine PIC but plenty of TT. I can go to Republic as an E170/175 Captain under the Jets4Jobs program (basically like an AA flowback but at year 1 longevity and seniority). If I do that it would be strictly to book the 1300 turbine PIC before I go back to USAir, in case history re-repeats itself and I wind up on the street for a 3rd time (#2 omitted for brevity). That would give me the option of the A list jobs as well as SWA and AA in the DFW area in the future. The pay difference is only about $500/mo over the course of 1 year there because: I'd lose a month's pay, have 1 month of COBRA expenses, and by the time I fly 85-90 here vs. 75 there and pay crashpad expenses it just isn't as much more as it seems ($57 or 63/hr there E170 or 175). Hardly worth it monetarily for the hassles IMO.
So, should I bother going there? Should I go to USAir straight from Eagle? Should I just stay at Eagle and call it a career? Truth is I'm so dang gunshy of making another wrong decision I don't know what the heck to do! Does Eagle have a reasonable future for me anytime soon? FWIW $60k is about the livable wage point for us, assuming wife at home for the kids, which I prefer. I couldn't really care less about flying a 737 vs. an EMJ. Truthfully I don't really wanna go commute to reserve at RPA, or LCC for that matter, and then get stuck junior at LCC when age 65 takes effect. I'm almost 40 and I have a hard time envisioning a 25 year commuting career, but financially I'm just not sure I can stay here and have a reasonable retirement stash. Plus, I'm a little tired of trying to salvage what seems to be a toasted career. Perhaps I need to just enjoy not commuting and wait it out to upgrade here?
Your honest thoughts and insights are appreciated. Flaming is not.
Thanks,
Swaayze
Can't really keep this short in order to provide adequate background, but I'll do my best...
I am furloughed USAir and recalls are getting reasonably close to me. I expect an opportunity to return there on a 737/Airbus within a year or so, or to the E190 in a few months (I will definitely bypass that initially due to low pay $46/hr). I am an Eagle EMB FO just barely able to hold a line. I came back to Eagle 10/04 (I was here 94-99) after bouncing around post 9/11 to justify moving my family back to DFW and because Eagle is a good regional job, relatively speaking. But...things here seem very cloudy, at best I'd expect a Saab upgrade in another 2-3 years IF we can recruit enough newhires to avoid AMR putting our flying out for bid by others. I don't need a ton of money but I certainly am struggling on FO pay and even SF3 CA pay would barely allow saving anything for retirement. I have small kids (twins) in Kindergarten and cherish my time home, so commuting (to reserve especially) would really be a bummer (we won't be moving anytime soon due to wife's family in the immediate area).
I have less than 1000 turbine PIC but plenty of TT. I can go to Republic as an E170/175 Captain under the Jets4Jobs program (basically like an AA flowback but at year 1 longevity and seniority). If I do that it would be strictly to book the 1300 turbine PIC before I go back to USAir, in case history re-repeats itself and I wind up on the street for a 3rd time (#2 omitted for brevity). That would give me the option of the A list jobs as well as SWA and AA in the DFW area in the future. The pay difference is only about $500/mo over the course of 1 year there because: I'd lose a month's pay, have 1 month of COBRA expenses, and by the time I fly 85-90 here vs. 75 there and pay crashpad expenses it just isn't as much more as it seems ($57 or 63/hr there E170 or 175). Hardly worth it monetarily for the hassles IMO.
So, should I bother going there? Should I go to USAir straight from Eagle? Should I just stay at Eagle and call it a career? Truth is I'm so dang gunshy of making another wrong decision I don't know what the heck to do! Does Eagle have a reasonable future for me anytime soon? FWIW $60k is about the livable wage point for us, assuming wife at home for the kids, which I prefer. I couldn't really care less about flying a 737 vs. an EMJ. Truthfully I don't really wanna go commute to reserve at RPA, or LCC for that matter, and then get stuck junior at LCC when age 65 takes effect. I'm almost 40 and I have a hard time envisioning a 25 year commuting career, but financially I'm just not sure I can stay here and have a reasonable retirement stash. Plus, I'm a little tired of trying to salvage what seems to be a toasted career. Perhaps I need to just enjoy not commuting and wait it out to upgrade here?
Your honest thoughts and insights are appreciated. Flaming is not.
Thanks,
Swaayze