Job Opening, Air Wisconsin CRJ First Officers

[Hypoxik]

A question for those of you who are current or former regional pilots. Those who fly for the regionals do so with the purpose of hopefully working for a larger airlines (SWA, Airtran, and etc.). These carriers require pilot applicants to have a certain amount of experience in turbine powered airplanes. Other than flying in the military, the regional airline industry is the main way to get this flight experience.

I have read alot of negative comments about how bad the regional airlines are (poor pay, schedules, management, and etc.). If you could go back in time, would you still have flown for the regional airlines, found another way to get the experience (other than the military), or chosen another career field?

Career Field...

 

[CX880]

A question for those of you who are current or former regional pilots. Those who fly for the regionals do so with the purpose of hopefully working for a larger airlines (SWA, Airtran, and etc.). These carriers require pilot applicants to have a certain amount of experience in turbine powered airplanes. Other than flying in the military, the regional airline industry is the main way to get this flight experience.

I have read alot of negative comments about how bad the regional airlines are (poor pay, schedules, management, and etc.). If you could go back in time, would you still have flown for the regional airlines, found another way to get the experience (other than the military), or chosen another career field?

YES STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM REGIONJALS.

Do pt135 turbine or pt135 cargo. All the mainline CAFOs that I talk on the jumpseat did it that way and it seemed like it was a lot more fun for them.

 

[no1pilot2000]

YES STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM REGIONJALS.

Do pt135 turbine or pt135 cargo. All the mainline CAFOs that I talk on the jumpseat did it that way and it seemed like it was a lot more fun for them.[/QUOTe


Sounds like a possible and good idea for airline hopefulls. Are there many paart 135 jobs out there?

 

[BushwickBill]

YES STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM REGIONJALS.

Do pt135 turbine or pt135 cargo. All the mainline CAFOs that I talk on the jumpseat did it that way and it seemed like it was a lot more fun for them.

Really? I chose 135 because I did not want to be part of the airlines. I also had the EXPECTATION that the airlines would not want me because I would become such a lousy pilot.

Think TWICE before you want to fly 135 pax. Unless you like cleaning. The job is more like being a mega yacht crew than a pilot. Well I guess there are no good looking women, so it still sucks compared to the mega yacht job...

 

[J and E's Daddy]

This is my second career. Had I known it was going to get like this, I would have prepared better. I have no regrets. I would like to get my dream job. But if I don't, I won't cry over it.
Just make the best of it and the best of this current situation.

 

[no1pilot2000]

Individual preference. What shall it be? Will it be the regionals or part 135 to prep for the majors?

 

[BushwickBill]

The line I was fed from 2002 on was you better get on with a Regional now if you want to fly for the Majors because they wont take anyone who does not have 121 time. This is the first that I have heard of guys considering 135 as an alternate to the Regional Airlines.

A good friend of mine flies for UPS and told me to go to Skywest. He said even with a recommendation UPS will not take guys that don't have 121 time (I'm sure they make exemptions for the military). Of course this information is a few years old now.

I did know of a few guys that were hired on with Ameriflight got a ton of time and then went to Horizon. Because they had a lot of time these pilots then upgraded or went to Alaska but who knows where they are now. Maybe they are all furloughed?

I chose my job because I can live in my home town and go surfing and mountain biking on the same day. I'm still employed and I make more than I did last year. Go figure...

 

[CX880]

Individual preference. What shall it be? Will it be the regionals or part 135 to prep for the majors?

It doesn't matter to airlines. You don't need to "prep" for airline flying, everything is done for you. You just have to actually fly the airplane, unlike pt91 or pt135.

 

[no1pilot2000]

About a year ago, my CFI and I were talking about careers as a pilot. He wanted to someday apply to Southwest as a first officer. After he learned about the horror stories at the regionals, he decided to stay a flight instructor. He told me he maked more money as a CFI.

On the reverse side of things. I spoke to a former CFI who taught at my flight school, got a job at Piedmont for several years, and now is flying Boeing cargo planes overseas. He felt that each step in his flying career was valuable prep. for the next step.

Is the trend changing in the regional airline industry? Are pilots who are now flying for the regionals staying longer or even making it a career? These days, is becoming a pilot for the regional airlines still the proving ground for the larger airlines as before?

 

[sayrejm]

its all just a craps shoot. do your job, dont crash, network and apply everywhere... and smile too. I bet the first 100 pilots at SWA didnt know what they were getting into and I bet the last 500 at NJA didnt either. youll never know what was the right decision until way down the road when you can look back and see how it all turned out.

 

[CX880]

A. These days, is becoming a pilot for the regional airlines still the proving ground for the larger airlines as before?

no it's just supply and demand. They were going from metros to 737s back in the day it doesn't matter what you fly There's two things to consider, pay and qol. QOL is becoming as good as the majors for a lot of senior folks so there's no need to move on. A lot of major new hires come from lower tier airlines that are looking to move on quickly or are less senior.

 

[no1pilot2000]

After all the negative comments and publicity concerning flying for the regionals, are there any regional airlines worth being a pilot for, even for a short time? The reason I am asking is that one day, the regionals will start hiring again, like they did a few years ago. I read on another web site, Colgan air is expecting to hire more pilots in the Spring 2010. An individual may want to submit their application to Colgan when the time comes to do so. Is there a pilot(s) who currently fly for Colgan who can give some advice about that airline?

 

[CX880]

After all the negative comments and publicity concerning flying for the regionals, are there any regional airlines worth being a pilot for, even for a short time? The reason I am asking is that one day, the regionals will start hiring again, like they did a few years ago. I read on another web site, Colgan air is expecting to hire more pilots in the Spring 2010. An individual may want to submit their application to Colgan when the time comes to do so. Is there a pilot(s) who currently fly for Colgan who can give some advice about that airline?

From what I saw in the last hiring wave, it's much better to wait until you can find a job at a regional you like to work for. I would venture to say that a very large percentage of people that took the first airline that hired them didn't stay any longer than was required to get on with their airline of preference. Too much hastle though, just wait unitll you can go to your airline of choice. Colgan was and still is one of those airlines where people use it for experience to get into Skywest, RAH and other airlines with jets.

 

[hou757]

After all the negative comments and publicity concerning flying for the regionals, are there any regional airlines worth being a pilot for, even for a short time? The reason I am asking is that one day, the regionals will start hiring again, like they did a few years ago. I read on another web site, Colgan air is expecting to hire more pilots in the Spring 2010. An individual may want to submit their application to Colgan when the time comes to do so. Is there a pilot(s) who currently fly for Colgan who can give some advice about that airline?

Why work for Colgan when their pay is as low as it is. They are never going to raise it if we keep taking jobs with them for that ridiculous pay rate. Stay away and go to one of the better paying airlines when they begin to hire. That's the only way things are going to improve in this industry!

 

[no1pilot2000]

Which regional airline is better than Colgan (if any?) If a pilot who is new to the industry, what regional airline is better paying? IS there a regional airline that tends to be better than the rest? "IF" (in the future) a new pilot decides that the regional airlines is the place they want to get the necessary experience to move onto better paying flying job, any guesses?