Leaving a regional before reaching 1000 PIC?

[sweptback]

I was having a conversation the other day with some friends and we were discussing this very topic. Figured I'd throw it out for further discussion.

With pretty much all the majors hiring now, is 1000 PIC that important anymore? I mean, the goal of getting that time was to get the better job, and if you could get the better job without all that time, do you need it? This assuming you are competitive for the job, etc.

Of course, if you don't have it and you're furloughed you're screwed, but you're probably also screwed if you have it too.

There's been a lot of movement at my airline recently, and it seems the guys I was talking to before they upgraded said they wanted 1000 PIC, and then after they upgraded they wanted out ASAP. Just seeing what everybody else thought...

 

[Guitar Guy]

It might depend a bit on that next move in my opinion. While few jobs in aviation are absolutely furlough-proof, some are definitely better than others. With a relatively stable company, one might be better off to take the job and forgo 1000 hours PIC. But with a lot of carriers these days, it might be better to stay to get a good amount of turbine PIC in case that next job up the ladder evaporates due to bankruptcy or a merger.

 

[apache]

I've seen many "golden boys" and girls hired as low timers to the majors only to be qualified to do nothing when they were furloughed.

Command time on a lowly turboprop or rj is worth more than you might think. Even at the majors, it all looks real easy from the right seat. It is different when you are sitting there calling the shots.

 

[Cardinal]

Generally those who think the 1000 TPIC is of questionable value are those who already have it. During my period between attaining the golden 1000 and attaining a real job I definitely questioned the wisdom of sticking it out. Experience later proved the endurance was valuable.

1000 TPIC doesn't make you the aviatior, and lots of folks get hired without it. Folks also get hired as their TPIC number apporaches 5 digits. 1000 is only a hard number at SWA, FDX, UPS, me thinks. Otherwise t's just a number, but a good round one, and a decent practical minimum.

 

[vetrider]

It used to be simple, just get that number. Sadly, these days it is anything but, there are more ifs, buts, and if onlys than you can shake a stick at.

 

[John Pennekamp]

The question is what's so magical about 1000? Are you a better pilot at 1000 PIC than you were at 999 PIC? I'd conjecture that you're just as good at 1000 PIC as you were at 500 PIC. Why do so many airlines want 1000 PIC? I say if you upgraded and flew your 100 hours in type, it counts (and yes I have well over 1000 PIC).

 

[n52gp]

If furloughed, 1000 PIC might help for insurance purposes in the corporate sector!

 

[norskman2]

I say if you upgraded and flew your 100 hours in type, it counts (and yes I have well over 1000 PIC).

Unfortunately, it's not you who has the say. Taking a job at the majors without 1000 PIC is tempting, but as Apache and n52gp point out, if you make the leap and then get furloughed, you're not qualified to do a whole lot, except start over as a regional FO.

 

[John Pennekamp]

Unfortunately, it's not you who has the say. Taking a job at the majors without 1000 PIC is tempting, but as Apache and n52gp point out, if you make the leap and then get furloughed, you're not qualified to do a whole lot, except start over as a regional FO.

But even if you have the magical 1000, if you get furloughed from one "major", what are the chances that any other "majors" will be hiring? Get it? You're going to have to go back to your regional or do something else anyhow.

 

[norskman2]

But even if you have the magical 1000, if you get furloughed from one "major", what are the chances that any other "majors" will be hiring? Get it? You're going to have to go back to your regional or do something else anyhow.

Why? Even some of the legacy FOs who were furloughed after 9/11 were picked up by SWA, JetBlue, AirTran, FedEx, UPS -- all of which require 500 or 1000 PIC.

Anyways, it's an individual choice to jump to the majors w/o TPIC. Lots of guys do it -- can't blame them, but it does add another layer of career risk to the move.