Jumping to the Majors

[FlyBigE]

Can you make it to majors without any 121 time in the commuters? I am currently flying C-310 and E-110's in the 135 environment. I don't see too many commuters hiring. I would hate to go from 45 - 50K / year to 18 - 24K to fly for a regional?

I currently have over 2500 hours with almost all of it in an E-110

 

[WrightAvia]

have a chat with Captain Jack dude...

Saturday night and you're still hangin' around
Tired of living in your one horse town
you'd like to find a little hole in the ground,
for awhile..

So you go to the village in your tie dyed jeans
And you stare at the junkies and the closet queens
It's like some pornographic magazine
And you smile

Captain Jack will get you high tonight
And take you to your special island
Captain Jack will get you by tonight
Just a little push, and you'll be smilin'

Oh yeah,...

Your sister's gone out, she's on a date
You just sit at home and masturbate
Your phone is gonna ring soon, but you just can't wait
For that call

So you stand on the corner in your New English clothes
and you look so polished from your hair down to your toes
Ah but still your fingers gonna pick your nose
After all,..

Captain Jack will get you high tonight
And take you to your special island
Captain Jack will get you by tonight
Just a little push, and you'll be smilin'

So you decide to take a holiday
You got your tape deck and your brand new Chevrolet
Ah, there ain't no place to go anyway
What for?

So you got everything, ah, but nothing's cool
They just found your father in the swimming pool
And you guess you won't be going back to school
Anymore.

Captain Jack will get you high tonight
And take you to your special island
Captain Jack will get you by tonight
Just a little push, and you'll be smilin'

So you play your albums, and you smoke your pot
and you meet your girlfriend in the parking lot
Oh but still you're aching for the things you haven't got
What went wrong?

And if you can't understand why your world is so dead,
why you've got to keep in style and feed your head
Well you're 121 and still your mother makes your bed,
And that's too long.

Captain Jack will get you high tonight
And take you to your special island
Captain Jack will get you by tonight
Just a little push, and you'll be smilin'


Captain Jack Lyrics
Billy Joel

 

[js31pilot]

It IS possible depending on type of operations that your company does in 135. What I mean is, is it your on-call ad-hoc charter thing or more scheduled corporate-shuttle type operation? With that said.....even IF you are in a more airline/scheduled type atmosphere at your current job.....it will be VERY tough to get an interview with a Major airline unless you have a walk-in or a couple LORs. Sorry man, I am in the same situation.......golden handcuffs (Js31 CPT------1500 Turbine PIC).....

If you get somewhere......let me know (PM me)

 

[flyhard]

Of course anything is possible. Airlines like to see people that fly under the 121 rules. Not saying anything bad about 135, but the rules are a little different. In todays job market having the 121 experience is a real plus, even if you have to take the pay hit.

 

[WrightAvia]

Prior to 911 there were these two guys I knew, one flew for a well known fractional and the other for Scottaircharter. They were scheduled for class dates with American and Northwest Airlines respectively and the fractional guy had already left his job.

The fractional guy was seen last winter flying a couple and their poodle around in a dogged out turbine commander and the the Scottaircharter guy is still at Scott, where they did away with salary and schedule and put everybody on a reduced daily rate. Anybody that doesn't make a certain amount of trips a month gets booted down to part time, losing all full time benifits. The fractional guy told me that American was giving his class recall rights, since they were scheduled to appear just before the big layoffs. I doubt those class recall rights lasted long after the layoffs.

There's lots of guys in your shoes flybige...some with RJ85 flight time as captain. Good luck to you.

 

[sfomarc]

Having come from a 121 flying 737 PIC and taking a paycut at a major was a sizeable hit as well to my pocket. But you have to do what you can to make yourself more marketable. So you can pay now or pay later. Believe me it is easier to pay now.

Good Luck

 

[TanJMcAdams]

You will need commuter time to get on at the majors, unless you are military??? but it doesn't sound like it. Try mowing the lawn for the head of hiring at " ^*&@^$&*@" airlines, more likley to get you a job.

James

 

[Wiskey Driver]

Can you make it to majors without any 121 time in the commuters? I am currently flying C-310 and E-110's in the 135 environment. I don't see too many commuters hiring. I would hate to go from 45 - 50K / year to 18 - 24K to fly for a regional?

I currently have over 2500 hours with almost all of it in an E-110

The problem here is this, THERE ARE NO MAJOR JOBS!!!! This is not to say that SWA, JB and yes AirTran are not great employers and you could make some really good coin at any of them. The days of wishing for that job pushing a 777 over the pond are gone for many many years. Here is a bit of advice take it or leave it. STAY WHERE YOU ARE!!!! you will be much happier and have a little more money to boot.

WD.

 

[CU@OSHKOSH]

flybige

flybige,

ask yourself how bad do you want it?

 

[bobbysamd]

Jumping to the Majors without 121 time

Can you make it to majors without any 121 time in the commuters? I am currently flying C-310 and E-110's in the 135 environment. I don't see too many commuters hiring. I would hate to go from 45 - 50K / year to 18 - 24K to fly for a regional?

I currently have over 2500 hours with almost all of it in an E-110

With your quals you might get on with the majors in good hiring times, although you're a bit short on hours. But these are not good hiring times. Moreover, your competition has 121 time, which is viewed as a plus.

You might help yourself if you can get some Captain time on the Bandit.

I see two choices for you: (1) Stay where you are, where you're making good money, and wait for hiring to improve. It always does. (2) Get on with a commuter, take the pay cut, but build the 121 experience.

Hope that helps. Good luck with however you proceed.

 

[H25BCPTN]

I have zero 121 time and in the pool for UPS. It really is all about PIC turbine time and who you know. "Who you know!!!" Do I need to say it again, Who you know! The nice part about flying 135 is the variety that you have. I have been snow skiing, suba diving, visiting friends and that is only to name just a few things I have done over the last 8 years. The best part is that they paid me to do all these things. Not all 135 outfits are the same, some you have to really work hard at and have a terrible pilot group. I was blessed to have a great company and even better a great boss. Go where you are happy and have fun. I hope that helps you out and good luck to you.


We meet alot of people flying charter and that is how I got my in at UPS. Good Luck.

Fly Safe

 

[Skank]

At UPS I've heard that it matters "who you know." At Jetblue it doesn't matter a bit (unless you are in tight with the computer program that sorts out the best resumes).

 

[H25BCPTN]

The CP at Jet Blue goes into HR and says he has a good friend that wants a interview. You are saying that it would not help?


Fly Safe

 

[Flyboynfla]

Stay but look!!

Flybige,

Lots of good advice on this thread. The grass is always greener as they say. Yes-it is possible to get hired at a major with only 135 time but as many has said here "the times are not very good for the majors". I think you should stay and keep applying to the regionals, nationals, and majors. Should you get any interviews by all means go and gain experience interviewing. This will also afford you the opportunity to network and possibly find more job prospects out there. You never know-- you just may get multiple job offers that you can analyze and determine whether you want to leave your current position.
The bottom line-don't leave your current job until you know for sure you have found a better place to nest.
I was hired from a FAR 135 helicopter pilot position into my first jet at a National Airline. I was very lucky and upgraded to 737-700 Captain within 3 years, then 9-11 came!
With alot of luck and like others said here, it not always what you know but "Who you know" in this business.

Good luck with your future aviation endeavors!!

 

[FlyBigE]

Thank You!

Thank you to everyone that has replied. You all have given me a lot to think about. I will continue to monitor these posts in case anyone else would like to comment. The more input the better.

 

[PilotAg]

I am in the SWA pool, no 121 time. I have worked with at least 30+ guys that have got on AA, UA, SWA, AW, NWA, DA, CA, and some nationals that had no 121 time. Good luck.