cheezpilot
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 5, 2001
- Posts
- 110
A couple of things to keep in mind if you want to work for a regional and love it.
1) work for a company with the best contract as far as scheduling and days off. Most of the lines at Air Wisconsin are fairly commutable with a few standup lines and good mix of weekends off lines. If you want weekends off then your life will suffer for a while. These usually go senior. We also get a minumum of 12 DAYS OFF a month (even on reserve). I spend more time at home than my Dad ever did, and he had an office job. He was home everynight, except we all slept most of the time he was home. When I am at home , I am at home all day for three, four, five, maybe six days straight. It is as if I get a vacation twice a month. Even on reserve, my wife kept asking me "Don't you have to go to work or something?". I guess I spent too much time at home.
2) live where you work. Dont go into it thinking you can commute and everything will be alright. The lower the seniority the worse the schedule is usually. Make a decision to move the family for a year or two and then move back when you can commute if it is that important. It cost financially but will better your future and wont cost on the family life. You have travel bennie anyway. Your wife could travel to see her mother or whatever she is leaving behind everyweek if she wants. I see so many people upset because they cant commute to podunkville when they first get hired. Not everything is perfect at first. Time has usually proven to improve your lifestyle at a regional.
3) if you do commute make it only a one leg commute.
4) if you want good schedules then dont take the first reserve upgrade you can get. Try and get senior as an FO and you will get great schedules. This is totally against the way I live but some guys do it. Second year BAE-146 pay at AWAC is in the low 40's/hour and second year CRJ FO pay is around 36/hour. You might be happy to live off that for an extra year or two and get good schedules. Then upgrade for a pay raise and keep the good schedules because of your seniority. It only really should have to suck as a new hire.
1) work for a company with the best contract as far as scheduling and days off. Most of the lines at Air Wisconsin are fairly commutable with a few standup lines and good mix of weekends off lines. If you want weekends off then your life will suffer for a while. These usually go senior. We also get a minumum of 12 DAYS OFF a month (even on reserve). I spend more time at home than my Dad ever did, and he had an office job. He was home everynight, except we all slept most of the time he was home. When I am at home , I am at home all day for three, four, five, maybe six days straight. It is as if I get a vacation twice a month. Even on reserve, my wife kept asking me "Don't you have to go to work or something?". I guess I spent too much time at home.
2) live where you work. Dont go into it thinking you can commute and everything will be alright. The lower the seniority the worse the schedule is usually. Make a decision to move the family for a year or two and then move back when you can commute if it is that important. It cost financially but will better your future and wont cost on the family life. You have travel bennie anyway. Your wife could travel to see her mother or whatever she is leaving behind everyweek if she wants. I see so many people upset because they cant commute to podunkville when they first get hired. Not everything is perfect at first. Time has usually proven to improve your lifestyle at a regional.
3) if you do commute make it only a one leg commute.
4) if you want good schedules then dont take the first reserve upgrade you can get. Try and get senior as an FO and you will get great schedules. This is totally against the way I live but some guys do it. Second year BAE-146 pay at AWAC is in the low 40's/hour and second year CRJ FO pay is around 36/hour. You might be happy to live off that for an extra year or two and get good schedules. Then upgrade for a pay raise and keep the good schedules because of your seniority. It only really should have to suck as a new hire.
