Regional selection

[skydiverdriver]

Sig,
No, I wish to come to the dark side and HELP regional pilot careers, unlike people such as yourself. I believe that the majority of Delta mainline pilots would agree with me.

 

[FlyingSig]

Now I remember again why I don't bother replying to most of your posts. Did you get the joke part. That's what that little winking smily face thing means. Sarcasm....
I even tried to add a "nice" follow up comment .... guess I'll go back to thinking of you like I did after you posted that Delta pilots were getting furloughed due to their own greed.....

 

[328dude]

FlyingSig and SDD:

You guys should just get married and get it over with. Either that your settle it like men over a bucket of KFC and Kool-Aid. I love to see you guys get paired for a month together.

Just my 1 cent's....

 

[Beechnut]

Q:What do the Special Olympics and arguing on the Internet have in common?

A: No matter who wins, you're still retarded.




Either I'm going to Hell or my first born is going to pay dearly for that one.

S.

 

[dondk]

NWAirlink/Express I

Express I...

While we are hiring (GIA people only right now) and should continue to for the next year or so...

I would think long and hard before coming here...

upgrades WERE based on time, now it is on senority and that list is growing as all Saab guys are coming over to the RJ. Our Saab fleet should be gone in the next few months. The Bombardier strike is delaying everyone's order's so the reserve list is growing quickly (regardless of the strike it was already growing).

Pay... well, we are not the top nor the bottom but close to the bottom. Work rules... let me just say if there was a vote to throw out our union representation it would pass easily...

We truly have the top 20% living nicely and the rest barely scraping by. It is the have's and the have not's to the worst degree I have ever seen ( I have been with 2 other regionals).Do not think I am bitter, I am not... I am happy to be employed, and one day I will upgrade. I live life for each day and that is all I can ask for!


But the sales job our HR gives is the BEST in the industry. The pilot group (other than the top 20%) is great, the company.. it's a regional, what else can you expect?

I will end this with... if I had a choice of regional's with what I know today... Express I would not even be on the list...

 

[Diesel8]

I am also a pilot at Express Airlines I, Northwest Airlik, Pinnacle, whatever we are called this month. I would have to agree with everything he said. One thing that is something to think about is where you will be living and be based. At this company, you have DTW, MSP and MEM. MEM is senior, so forget it. The other two...well, unless you are from those parts, I wouldn't recommend it. DTW is a real dump. MSP is too cold for my liking. There are alot of us from other airlines who for whatever reason, have ended up here...and it sucks. I would not recommend it, but I would put it before Eagle. I would recommend the following:
1. Air Wisconsin
2. Skywest
3. Comair
4. Horizon

I would be keeping my eye on the wholly owned US Airways carriers...PSA especially. I just can't see how much longer they are going to keep going without a contract. I keep hoping that they will get a good one and really turn around, but who knows.

 

[Freight Dog]

Here's a Hawaii perspective:

We fly Dash 8's interisland. We're home every night - no overnights, so if you have a family, you can't beat it. Schedule is similar to having a part time job as you work either morning or afternoon schedule. The pay is an industry standard. Upgrade times vary from 10 months to 2 years, depending on what's going with Hawaiian and Aloha. When they are hiring, we're hurting since they pick a LOT of our pilots in one shot. Currently, the way it looks, more than half of FO's will be upgrading this summer and we're hiring. Most pilots who come here want to go to Aloha and Hawaiian so the turnover is big since both Aloha and Hawaiian hire with relatively low time if you have internal recommendation and live and fly here. By relative low time, I'm talking 2000 hours or so. This is a small community so everyone knows everyone.

Outlook: with Aloha/Hawaiian merger being called off, looks like both are gearing for a route grab in the mainland so they'll be hiring pilots which means quite a few Island Air pilots will be going to our big sister Aloha or to Hawaiian.

Furloughs: NONE, so far. After 9/11, we had I believe 2 newhire classes and another one starts Monday. So we've been very fortunate. The good thing about flying here is that even though interisland market is a dying market for 737's and 717's, it's still good for us flying 37-pax turboprops as many people commute interisland, not counting tourists.

Do we take furloughees? Yep, we do. The company however requires you to give up your seniority number at another regional. Don't know about being a major airline furloughee. I'm not sure how enforced it is yet.

Hope this helps!

 

[Wif]

Air Wisconsin Outlook

For those of you promoting Air Wisconsin, what is your opinion of the future of the company in light of United's current troubles? Do you still view it as a potential career stop? I had an interview offer with them about a year ago, but was already in an upgrade class at my current regional and had to decline. I'm curious if it would be worthwhile to try again to get an interview with them when hiring resumes.

 

[Wif]

Island Air

For Freight Dog,

Could you post your airlines payscale for FO's and CPT's or point me to a link where I can find that info? Do most of the pilots with families find if difficult to live in Hawaii on regional pay? Interesting that your pilots are home every night; my current job provides that same perk, as well. Not much else, though. Thanks for the info.

 

[Beechnut]

For those of you promoting Air Wisconsin, what is your opinion of the future of the company in light of United's current troubles? Do you still view it as a potential career stop? I had an interview offer with them about a year ago, but was already in an upgrade class at my current regional and had to decline. I'm curious if it would be worthwhile to try again to get an interview with them when hiring resumes.

The future of AirWis is bright. We're continuing to grow out of Denver, Los Angeles and even some in Chicago. ACA has had an explosive year out of Chicago was they have received most of the new routes for United. Our 328's are leaving ORD in the next few months (planned to anyway) and the jets that replace them are going into new markets. Another consideration is that our CRJ's are LR's not ER's. We have an extra 500 miles on the RJ's the two other UEX don't. (well, I know ACA doesn't, not positive if all of SkyWest's are ER's) This gives us an advantage to some degree.

United is NOT going to die. I know, I'm the first to say "yeah that's what they said about PAA, EAL and all..." but yo-nited is not in a similar situation. They'll survive, they'll be back to normal in the next few years.

AirWis has a pretty good contract. The union leadership is old, cranky, and very strong. We don't have the caving in that some others tend to find in their leadership. AirWis will never have the pay or the benfits of a major airline. No regional will as that is why they are regionals. Lower costs, less labor pay, etc. etc. As regionals go though, this is a good place to stay if that is your intent. Once hiring starts, anyone getting in at this time is going to be very well off in the next few years. I can't speak of your situation, but if things are bad and you're looking for quality of life over pay (since you'd be leaving the left seat of whatever with how many years of senority to go to the bottom of our list in the right seat) it is pretty good here.

S.

 

[skydiverdriver]

I got the joke sig, but did you get the irony?

I think the reason you stopped replying to me was that you had no good answers for my questions. Actually, I would rather bash with FDJ's, because he can remain a gentlman with people he disagrees with.

 

[Freight Dog]

Re: Island Air

For Freight Dog,

Could you post your airlines payscale for FO's and CPT's or point me to a link where I can find that info? Do most of the pilots with families find if difficult to live in Hawaii on regional pay? Interesting that your pilots are home every night; my current job provides that same perk, as well. Not much else, though. Thanks for the info.

The first year FO pay is around $19/hr for 70 hour guarantee for a reserve, bid line guarantee is 85 hours. Quite a few FO's flight instruct while they're on reserve, some other jobs, and it's pretty easy to sustain a second job here if you need one.

Captains are paid around $40/hr as 1st year captain. I don't have exact figures since i dont have the contract here with me. Top out pay for captains is, I believe around $58/hr.

Given the size of the airline, it's not too bad. Also given the fact that aside from a few old captains here, almost everyone leaves to either Aloha or Hawaiian within 2 years of service at Island Air. So you can see what that does with upgrade times.

Living in Hawaii on this pay, as an FO, you can do it. You have to economize somewhat. Yeah the prices are generally more than the mainland, but you can find mainland prices here if you shop at Walmart or Costco, or if you can shop at NEX or PX where EVERYTHING is priced like in the mainland.

Once you upgrade, and coming here with flight time... you won't have a problem living here on captain pay.

 

[FlyingSig]

I got the joke sig, but did you get the irony?

I think the reason you stopped replying to me was that you had no good answers for my questions. Actually, I would rather bash with FDJ's, because he can remain a gentlman with people he disagrees with.

Nope, in all honesty, that was my first response to you since that one post that I found entirely inappropriate.... you never apologized, so I never responded to your posts again. 53 days off (and counting) gives one time to get over it. Still consider it an inappropriate post but this is the internet so all's fair in love and war.

If you have questions, fire away. I may not have the answers, but I have an opinion. For debates sake I'm willing to start over as the topics around here have been bland lately.

 

[rjdreamer]

Regiona selection

Thanks to all for the terrific advice! Hadn't really thought of Air Wis, will have to check it out. Also, hadn't considered Hawaii because it would be a heck of a commute back to BNA for loadmastering with the Air Guard!Truly appreciate all of the help.
Thanks again

 

[Bad-Andy]

SDD--

Do you even know FlyingSIG or his background? Trust me, he hasn't forgotten his roots. He was, and is, a supporter of regional guys. So, go easy on your "unlike you" comments, Mr. High-and Mighty.

Bad-Andy
(Regional guy, too...)

By the way, SIG, how's your little one doing? Haven't seen an update in a while.

 

[bdejong]

RJDreamer,
There are a lot worse places to go than comair. I too am a career changer (40 yrs. old). The upgrade time is 2-3 years and then you will be on reserve for 1-2 years. I live in FL and so I have to commute but I was a flight attendant for 10 years before that and commuted most of that time too. My wife and I got married after I started flying so she is used to commuting and that helps. If you don't mind living in cvg life is probably a little easier, but I own a home on the water. If I told my wife I was moving to cvg she would say "I'll miss you", so I'm not moving. I still have hopes of seeing them reopen Orlando, and then life would be sweet. Whatever airline you choose, don't give up. The life is a good one.
Regards,
Brian De Jong