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Places with 1 - 1.5 year upgrade

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flyboyzz1

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 7, 2004
Posts
719
Ive searched around and it seems to change so often. Who knows which regionals have around 1 - 1.5 upgrade times? I'm sure they would be turbo-props but I think that may be the best way to go.
 
skywest jet upgrade about 1.5 and falling and bro is 6 months.

Keep in mind that these numbers were for those hired 1.5 years ago, not necessarily for those hired today. Not saying it won't continue but you never know.
 
5 months at Regions. SUCK IT!
(And it's guaranteed in your contract, or else you get 10% off your next meal at Denny's)
 
wow I didn't think it was that low... does anyone know what the hiring outlook is supposed to be spring-summer 07? I know that is a long time away but do they have any idea?
 
The key is consistent short upgrades. Unfortunately most that fit that description are tprop operators since you only need 1500 to upgrade and they fly a lot of hours a month. However going up and down up to 10 times a day and up to 20 days a month is not for everyone. You have to decide if QOL is more important than a quick upgrade.
 
Keep in mind that these numbers were for those hired 1.5 years ago, not necessarily for those hired today. Not saying it won't continue but you never know.

very good point... it is often misunderstood when people look at the last captain upgraded and when he was hired. 1yr, 1.5yr,2yr, etc... it was based on the company needs and his seniority at the time. The last 2 years the regionals have been hiring like mad because of expansion. Very big new hire classes mean that each class will take a certain amount of time to upgrade. So if the june class of 200x starts to upgrade at a given time it doesnt mean that the july class of 200x will start to upgrade a month later. It could be 6 months later. In addition with all these new captains starting to get competitive times for the few jobs at majors means that these captain classes will be around longer as they wait for their turn at majors. So if you were hired at the tail end or starting to get hired now... you are looking at a lot longer upgrades than the last captain upgraded posted. Now at the companies that fly different types then you have the people that finish their seat locks and want to transition which pushes upgrade time back for the FO with more time in type but lower on seniority. Usually the quicker upgrades are the companies that arent very good to work for. Greater attrition means faster upgrades. Companies with decent bases, pay, equipment, contracts etc..... have people who stick around longer because they wont just take ANY job but wait for the job which is a solid step up.
 
Also keep in mind that if your sitting at 1000hrs at hire, and the company min in 2400,, ur prob going to be passed up for a little bit by ppl junior 2 u
 
With prior 121 experience Mesa is hiring street CA for the Dash-8 Delta operation back east. If you need the pic time real quick, this might be for you. If you don't need pic time, go elsewhere for a better QOF. The Dash on the United side is about 1.5 years for upgrade if you meet ATP mins.
Good luck.
 
Who would'nt want to work somewhere where their website has graphics from Microsoft Flight Sim.
 
I hate to be the voice of reason, but if you truely have only 900 hours, you should be more concerned about getting some experience than upgrading in a year. 121 flying is not "difficult," but it's more so than instructing in a Seminole or flying traffic watch.

Good luck to you.
 
ASA fits in your 10 to 10.5 year upgrade plan. Oh.......wait, you said 1.0 to 1.5. Nevermind!
 
Pilots hired at Skywest in January of 2000 were RJ captains in 2 years, those hired only 4-5 months later didn't have their first opportunity for RJ captain until they had been here nearly four years. Same thing with the EMB 18mo vs 30mo+.

One of things driving the extremely fast upgrade times right now at SkyWest are that many of the pilots don't meet upgrade minimums of 2500tt/1000 multi turibine crew. Additionally, many wait to they won't be the junior guy in the seat, thereby avoiding reserve. Pilots that take the first available upgrade can spend what seems like forever on reserve, continously watching pilots more senior to them bid into the position.

Part 135 cargo, like Ameriflight, could lead to getting Turbine PIC faster.
 
What's the starting pay on the Metro? 43k?
That's just base pay plus the turbine retention bonus. You'll get more if you pick up overtime, carry an FO, or become a training captain. But really, who starts out in the Metro? You're more likely to start in the Cheiftain or the BE99, then get typed in a few months.

The bad side is you typically only get 40 hours a month, and are gone all day. On the other hand, if you can handle a Metro single pilot IFR (it has a high wash out rate) I'd say you're pretty well prepared for any airline pilot job out there.
 
I hear McDonalds has quick upgrade times!!
 
very good point... it is often misunderstood when people look at the last captain upgraded and when he was hired. 1yr, 1.5yr,2yr, etc... it was based on the company needs and his seniority at the time. The last 2 years the regionals have been hiring like mad because of expansion. Very big new hire classes mean that each class will take a certain amount of time to upgrade. So if the june class of 200x starts to upgrade at a given time it doesnt mean that the july class of 200x will start to upgrade a month later. It could be 6 months later. In addition with all these new captains starting to get competitive times for the few jobs at majors means that these captain classes will be around longer as they wait for their turn at majors. So if you were hired at the tail end or starting to get hired now... you are looking at a lot longer upgrades than the last captain upgraded posted. Now at the companies that fly different types then you have the people that finish their seat locks and want to transition which pushes upgrade time back for the FO with more time in type but lower on seniority. Usually the quicker upgrades are the companies that arent very good to work for. Greater attrition means faster upgrades. Companies with decent bases, pay, equipment, contracts etc..... have people who stick around longer because they wont just take ANY job but wait for the job which is a solid step up.

Well said. FWIW, Great Lakes has had upgrades running right around a year or less for quite some time. Hard to tell if that will continue, and the start-up of Lynx by Frontier will likely have some sort of an effect on us. Of course, it's still Lakes...so the pay is a tough pill to swallow.

Good luck!
 
Try Commutair... upgrade as soon as you hit 1500TT... Bouyyyyyyy....

http://www.commutair.com/

Not so sure bout that. If I had stayed there it would have taken two years to upgrade on the Beech. Even longer for the Dash. When the Dashes get online you should see quicker upgrades. But what do I know? What I will say is that the pilot group is one of the best out there. I miss the Beech. :(
 
That's just base pay plus the turbine retention bonus. You'll get more if you pick up overtime, carry an FO, or become a training captain. But really, who starts out in the Metro? You're more likely to start in the Cheiftain or the BE99, then get typed in a few months.

The bad side is you typically only get 40 hours a month, and are gone all day. On the other hand, if you can handle a Metro single pilot IFR (it has a high wash out rate) I'd say you're pretty well prepared for any airline pilot job out there.

Common sense would dictate this, but according to FlightInfo, you're wrong Mister. Aren't props a carry over from the horse-and-buggy days??? Get with the times man!!! The past few days Ameriflight has had a Metro parked at KPKB. They opening a base there? I'd work for them in a heartbeat if they had bases in the midwest.
 

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