Skywest or GLA upgrade?

[HDA]

Darn this dillema! Have a Skywest interview coming up next week and am looking to upgrade at Great Lakes within the next couple of months.

Dont like Great Lakes (just the the 1900 and the pilot group....awesome bunch!) and really dont want to spend anymore time there than I have to! I am a little older than the average F.O. and think that Skywest could be a pretty nice place to dig in to enjoy some senority down the line. Dont have to make the huge money either......80-90K sounds great to me as a captain with some time under my belt. I would like to fly for Southwest or someone like that eventually, but I really think that Skywest would be a great place to spend time in the meantime. If it never happens, oh well.........better to build senority at Skywest than Great Lakes. But there is that upgrade and PIC at Lakes that is sooo close!

Of course I dont have the job at Skywest yet....but want to get some things straight when the decision has to be made.

Anyways....What is the upgrade time in the Brasilia there at Skywest? I imagine that would be the plane I would be assigned. How is the pilot group there? How are the working conditions? I just dont know alot about the details but understand it is a great place to work.

Thanks for any and all input!!

Thanks!!!

 

[fuzzydice]

Well, duh.

If SWA is your goal, then stay at GLA and get your PIC turbine. I can think of two major reasons why.

You'll get your PIC turbine faster.

You'll establish a more sound work history. Might not look so good on the resume if you're hopping around looking for someplace "comfortable" to work.

This advice is worth what you paid for it, and I don't know why I gave it to you - it's not like I need any more competition getting interviewed and hired at SWA.

 

[GuppyPuppy]

Upgrade time at SW is a difficult thing to predict. Exactly one year ago there were at least two pilots who upgraded right after new-hire IOE in the right seat. I upgraded with about six months last summer. However, upgrades are now going to people with a couple of years seniority. It all depends on growth and new domiciles. And, if the rumors are true, SW will grow significantly this year.

GP

 

[350DRIVER]

Stay at GLA, upgrade, get the PIC time and get out.. Why in the world you would choose to go to Skywest just to sit right seat for a couple more years surely is beyond my reasoning.

no brainer, stay put..


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[DrinkSweetTea]

Go for the QOL and Skywest. Who knows how long youll have to stay at GLA before you get your next phone call.

 

[Cardinal]

Not to sound inhospitable or anything, but I'm going to have to ask you to get yer senior a$$ outta here!
Just kidding. In fact I'm in your boat, toying with the idea of a shiny RJ based closer to home. My conclusion, reached after much time, contemplation, and calculation: I dunno.

 

[Skyward]

Move on! It doesn’t matter how fast you upgrade at lakes, why would SWA hire anyone with 1900 PIC time? Do you know how many applicants have 1000s of hours of jet PIC time? Turbo prop PIC time doesn’t mean nearly as much as it did 3 or 4 years ago, now that almost every airline is flying jets. When you apply at SWA your not competing against other 1900 drivers, you’re competing against RJ, and furloughed mainline drives. 1900 PIC time doesn’t mean jack. Some of you nead a reality check.

 

[B1900DFO]

I seem to remember hearing about a guy who just got hired at SWA with only metroliner time. Also there was that article about Nicole Lewis (washington post) who got hired at SWA from GLA. From what I've heard SWA seems to value personality and attitude over MTOW.

 

[B1900DFO]

Forgot to answer the original question. Upgrade. Who knows where Skywest will be 2 years from now and I think you will find that pic time at lakes will open more doors. Two years from now SWA will have hired several hundred pilots. If you upgrade at Lakes you could be one of them. In my opinion that is the bottom line.

 

[350DRIVER]

Move on! It doesn’t matter how fast you upgrade at lakes, why would SWA hire anyone with 1900 PIC time? Do you know how many applicants have 1000s of hours of jet PIC time? Turbo prop PIC time doesn’t mean nearly as much as it did 3 or 4 years ago, now that almost every airline is flying jets. When you apply at SWA your not competing against other 1900 drivers, you’re competing against RJ, and furloughed mainline drives. 1900 PIC time doesn’t mean jack. Some of you nead a reality check.

Dunno where you are/have been but the above statement is as far fetched as can be and also pretty comical in itself. Quite a few of those 1900 guys are currently at the majors/nationals and other flight departments. This trend will continue and will not be coming to a stop anytime soon. Turbo-prop PIC time (121) doesn't mean much? Ahhaaa.. I must thank you for the good laugh. By the way if you are bored ask around and see how many of those ex-1900 drivers ( with that worthless PIC time) are currently flying around something just a "tad larger" than a ERJ present day.

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[Skyward]

By the way if you are bored ask around and see how many of those ex-1900 drivers ( with that worthless PIC time) are currently flying around something just a "tad larger" than a ERJ present day.

I'm sure the people you are referring to where hired pre 911, things have changed. First of all how many people are getting hired anywhere right now? Now all things being equal do you hire a guy with 4000 hours Jet 121 PIC time fling mainline routes, or do you hire a guy with 4000 hours of 1900 PIC time flying Scott’s Bluff to Denver. Oh you say wait two years for things to turn around. Okay now you are competing with the same RJ guy who now has 5500 hours of 121 Jet PIC time fling mainline routes and after your upgrade you have your magical 1000 hours 1900 PIC time.

I seem to remember hearing about a guy who just got hired at SWA with only metroliner time. Also there was that article about Nicole Lewis (washington post) who got hired at SWA from GLA.

Okay that's two, how many more are leaving for Comair, or ASA. Hay if you want to fly CA on a 1900 that's great but don't be suprised in a coulpe years when you don't get your dream job and have to make the lateral more.

 

[Obi-Wan]

QUOTE]Darn this dillema! Have a Skywest interview coming up next week and am looking to upgrade at Great Lakes within the next couple of months. [/QUOTE]

In order to have that dillema you have to get the job at skywest airlines first.

Nicole Lewis (washington post) who got hired at SWA from GLA

Was she the black, female pilot who's dad is a captain there or are you talking about someone else?

Dunno where you are/have been but the above statement is as far fetched as can be and also pretty comical in itself. Quite a few of those 1900 guys are currently at the majors/nationals and other flight departments.

I agree that TP PIC is more valuable than jet SIC, but jet PIC is more valuable than TP PIC. a few years ago the majority of the fleet at the regionals consisted of TP's, today there are more jets and many have PIC time in such AC. There are also many guys with heavy jet time furloughed from other majors. I personally know of 3 that have been hired by SWA. It is not true that SWA does not like guys from other majors. What it comes down to is how much experience you have and more importantly who you know. I flew the 1900 at a small airline and I can tell you that the RJ is more challenging. You can't pull of the crap you pull in a 1900 in the RJ, ie unstabilized approaches. People have the missconception that since the jet has an auto pilot it flies itself, wrong. The problem now is that LCC's including SWA are the flavor of the month. That means everyone wants to work for them. Do the math and see how many they want to hire vs. how many apps they have. Sometimes quality of life is more important than some extra cash. basically what i'm trying to say is, if you are lucky enough to get the SWA interview you still have to get the job. If you dont, what will you do then.

 

[Homer Jay]

I feel your dilemma, I really do...but the question you need to ask yourself is what is most important to you. I was at Lakes for 3.5 LOOOOONG years, and even though it was a great group that made the trips bearable, it was still Great Lakes. I upgraded and left to a large "regional" with only 750 Turbine PIC under my belt. I figured that with all the competition out there, a 1000 PIC in a 1900 won't amount to much. I may have met hiring mimimums but I would certaintly not have been competitive. I opted for a quality of life and figured that when the big boys start hiring again, I should also have some jet PIC. Besides, job offers don't come around every day and Lakes was just burning me out. I did have some great times there, but when it came down to it, I was sick of all the company BS...and the pay. I'm making more money as a first year FO at my present company than I did as a captain on the 3-4 year scale. Pretty sad, huh? In any case, good luck with your decision!

P.S. I remember Pommy (C.P.) giving speeches to those of us who were making "lateral" moves that we were making mistakes. Isn't he flying a pilatus, now? Too funny!!!

 

[taloft]

Tough decision for ya. Best of luck.

 

[Crizz]

wow

Nicole, 26, is a first officer and joined Southwest in 2002 as the airline's first Black female pilot and has logged more than 1,200 flying hours

 

[Homer Jay]

The fact that she came from Lakes had NOTHING to do with her getting hired. If anyone thinks that, they are sorely mistaken. C'mon, she had three golden tickets! With that being said, she was very nice!

 

[PBRstreetgang]

Hey,
Take the interview, make the decision when/if the job is offered, remember "the best airline is the one that hires you". I have been at SKYW for 4+ years and I make an "ok" living, work rules are not too bad, and at least we have some choices for our lives/working situations.
PBR

 

[skylane58]

From what I understand, There are a lot of lakers going directly to AirTran and even Frontier because of that "worthless" 1900 PIC time.

 

[350DRIVER]

From what I understand, There are a lot of lakers going directly to AirTran and even Frontier because of that "worthless" 1900 PIC time.

That "worthless 1900 PIC time" is also getting them to AWA & ATA present day, quite a few actually. . .


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[crashpad]

Everyone here can tell you what to do without risk.
This is a fact: If you try hard to get interviews at any airline...you will get an interview regardless of who you work for or what kind of time you have....as long as you've been serving the airline industry, then it's just about your total time and personailty.
I know, I know, we've been telling ourselves for years it's 'this' that counts and 'that' that counts. Of course, if that were true we would'nt know any pilots with lesser experience who have moved ahead of us already.

I can tell you, I was once in your position...my choice was to fly where I'd be happier regardless of so-called hiring qualifications.
Guess what? I still got all the interviews and moved right along in my career. Good luck to you my friend and be happy flying.