Regionals now and then

[nptguy]

This may be a stupid question, was it eaiser to get a job with a regional airline 10 years ago than it is now?

 

[I.P. Freley]

No. Far from it.

 

[NuGuy]

NP,

As with so many other things with aviation, this seems go in cycles.

In 1989 (when I first started), 1200/50 got you on at USCheck or some other operator running part 135 cargo.

You needed around 1500/200 for the lower-tier Commuters, and that started you out in a BE-99, a twotter, Metro or the Batwing (the Do-228). All these operators were "scheduled 135", as "one level of safety" hadn't shown up yet. If you got really lucky and knew someone, you might get a BE-1900 job.

Most of these outfits were Mom and Pop type deals. Crown, Stateswest, Commutair (even back then), Chautauqua (they actually started in Jamestown, NY), Great Lakes, GP Express, L'Express and the sort all fell into that category. Some fell on one end of the "scale" or the other. Many were just glorified "Air Taxi" operators.

After toiling a bit at one of these places a bit, you might get on with someone a bit larger equipment, like a Saab or a EMB-120. Most of these outfits required previous 135/turbine time.

This was average, and your milage may have varied.

It was really a three tier ladder back then. You went from a crappy commuter, to maybe a better one, then on to the majors. RJs weren't even a wet dream.

Some operators were trying to "move up" a bit. Places like Skywest, ASA and Comair ran aircraft like the Metro or the Bandit, but were inching up into the EMB-120 or the Saab 340. Transtates was a joke, even back then, and they played 2nd fiddle with TWA with wholly owned TWE (Ransome). No one had even heard of Mesa east of New Mexico.

There was something like 6 American Eagle carriers (later 4), and they were all independent from AA. Wings West, Nashvile Eagle, Simmons and so on.

Then around 1990, FSI started one of the first PFT deals with the old TWExpress (formerly Ransome). Thus started the downward slide. All of the formerly "crappy commuters" ran like pigs to the trough to this type of operations, and the rest is history.

Others kept to the bar fairly high, like Henson.

Then in 1990, the recession hit, and then in 1991, the Gulf War (I). You couldn't even buy a CFI job in those days.

In 1993, you needed 3000TT, 1500 multi, and previous turbine/121/135 time to even be looked at by Henson (now Piedmont), who had, bar none, the best contract in the business. In my class there, the low time guy was 2800TT or so, and EVERYONE had previous 135 time...not a single CFI only guy in a class of 18. All but two had come from charter flying King Airs, two came from USCheck (now Airnet), and everyone else came from another "commuter".

We were all tickled to death to fly something with an autopilot (the DHC-8) with a 4 year upgrade.

Some of the older guys could probably fill in about the 1980's.

Nu