Job Offer, should I take it?

[AA717driver]

Your goal for the majors should be to get to a major. If you get SWA, great. If you get UAL. Ok. It's still better than crappy 135--REGARDLESS of the type of airplane.

If you can go fly the GLEX and get some time--PIC time and move on to a GLEX 91 job, great. If your goal is the airlines, get the PIC time ASAP (meaning in the Citation) and go for it.

SWA does hire Pt. 91 citiation pilots.

They DON'T hire GLEX FO's with 600 hours of PIC turbine.

Just my $.02. TC

 

[pilotgolfer]

Also...International experience does not mean a thing for SWA. As long as you know Midway is an airport in Chicago and not a fuel stop in the Pacific.

 

[pilotyip]

You know in five years if you made the right decision, regardless of whether you elect to stay or take the new job. We have much better hindsight than foresight.

 

[Big Duke Six]

Stay!

You said that your current company was considering expanding with the addition of a larger aircraft. To me that sounds like your acquisition rate of PIC time should accelerate. Even if they don't require it, airlines hire CAPTAINS, and the more PIC time you have the better.

International time won't matter to anyone that I know of. I could be wrong, but no one advertises "1000 hours International required". The airline will teach you everything you'll need to know when you get there. And if you're loooking at SWA, it's a moot point anyway.

QOL is big, but at least you don't have a family so you could more easily hack the Global schedule than some could. But why bother? The other disadvantages of the Global job (NO PIC!) make the decision for me.

Why did their last Global FO leave? What happened to him? Will you fly with your friend much? If your friend (I'm assuming he's trying to build time in the Global too) flies it much, he may or may not share the seat with you, and even if he does, many airlines only allow you to report PIC time if you are actually the one responsible for the aircraft. You won't be.

I would go so far as to say that even non-121 twin-turboprop Captain time would be far more valuable than the Global FO time. And you're already in a jet.

 

[hoover]

My advice is to consider the job on its own merits, rather than on where you think it might take you a few years from now. Don’t allow BJS (big jet syndrome) to cloud your judgment. You are not being offered a job with a major, nor the promise of one a few years later. As I understand it, the new job offers a 30% raise, less days off, and generally a poorer schedule than your current job. What you have to do is decide if the 30% extra pay is worth the loss of QOL. SWA and major airlines are not part of the equation.

 

[Ralph Cramden]

You are young & single. A few years of Global time waiting for the PIC hours to get you the airline interview of your dreams will open a lot of doors to you.

What if WN turns you down? I'm not saying you are a doofus at all, just realize not all dreams come true. OTOH, a Global type you earned is a very valuable tangible item. It also tells prospective employers you CAN handle a very sophisticated airplane and will help counter your low total time right now.

After a cut short career of airline flying, I earned the GV type recently. Even with zillions of hours, new doors were suddenly opened. Consider your options carefully and be ready for life's changes. If WN or FedEx/UPS doesn't happen for you, you will wish you had that Global type.

Either way, best wishes for a long & happy career.

 

[heywatchthis]

Continue with your career as if SWA will never hire you. If they do then fantastics and you got your dreamjob. If they never do and you waste 2-3 years passing things up, you will never forgive yourself. So many great guys get turned down SWA, or they may just stop hiring or get bought sold, whatever.

Don't put your career on hold. Make the decision that is best for you NOW not the best decision "what if".

ALSO, if your only logging PIC when your a Pilot Flying, sounds like you are a CO-Captain. Although you can legally log PIC via FAR's, SWA does not count that time towards your 1300 PIC. You must sign for the aircraft and be designated as PIC, IE you are the Captain. They do a detailed logbook interview, during your interview.

But you said you are a Captain flying .... If this is true, and you are the captain, you can log all legs as PIC even if you are the Pilot Not Flying. Does that get you the 1300 PIC?

Just my opinion!

 

[SonicPig]

Don't pass on the oppurtunity to collect another type rating. It may help in ways you haven't thought of yet. You may be able to land a Global Capt job in a few years. You may not care so much about the airlines then. Just my opinion.


The Pig.

 

[Ralph Cramden]

To add to my last post, I don't know how much a Global type is going for these days, but here in SAV a Gulfstream type is very expensive. If I were in my early years of my career I wouldn't mind trading 2 years of F/O work for the type. Who knows, they may give you the left seat early, or if the ahole boss takes a dislike suddenly they may 'let you out' or your 2 year commitment.

Just a thought. You can buy the 737 type many times over for the price of a heavy iron corporate type.

 

[Going2Baja]

But you said you are a Captain flying .... If this is true, and you are the captain, you can log all legs as PIC even if you are the Pilot Not Flying. Does that get you the 1300 PIC?

Just what I was thinking.

Also, as stated before, you have no idea if you will get the interview or beter yet the job at the Major. Continue your career by taking the best job offered at that time. One thought about the GX, if you can get your job offer in writing and the job doesn't pan out the way they say it will you have an out of that 2 yr contract and you can look for that golden or contract $2k/day job.

I've never flown the big corporate iron, but my guess is that getting the golden GX job would be WAY better than ANY major job.

I also have a lot of friends at SW and have jumpseated on SW too many times to count. But what this did do for me was give me a first hand experiece of how hard they work. I don't think there is a harding working group of pilots (other than commuter) out there. I don't know about you, but I'm looking for the best $$, with the best QOL I can find, and SW just isn't that for me. (No flame bait here please...)

If I were in your shoes given the info you have shared with us I would try to talk to the other pilots at the GX flight dept and go from there. Just because the owner is an a$$hole, doesn't mean the guys you work with are the same. Also, take the time to have a few cold ones with your SW bro's and ask them what they would do. They know how hard they work and should share this info w/ you.

Good luck....Baja.