Time to left seat in majors?

[av8raaron]

Question from somebody who's logged most of my hours wearing nomex for Uncle Sam... About how many years/hours is a new hire FO looking at before going to the left seat at a major? Any truth to the rumor that AA is rather slow to upgrade? Also, how does progression to larger types work? Would somebody become a B737 Capt before becoming a B747 FO?

Gracias.

 

[Godvek]

Question from somebody who's logged most of my hours wearing nomex for Uncle Sam... About how many years/hours is a new hire FO looking at before going to the left seat at a major? Any truth to the rumor that AA is rather slow to upgrade? Also, how does progression to larger types work? Would somebody become a B737 Capt before becoming a B747 FO?

Gracias.

I would say AA is rather slow to upgrade right now.

 

[XTW]

Are you really from this planet?

 

[Superpilot92]

WOW This is funny!!

 

[PCL_128]

Wait, did I just flash back 6 years?

 

[semperfido]

where you based?... on the dew line somewhere?...or bum _ _ _ _ egypt?

 

[Godvek]

Braniff, PSA, TWA, Pan America, Eastern, & Laker...to name a few...are all hiring directly into the left seat and they all love military time. I am not sure what the other majors are doing but you might have to work for one of their feeder companies for a few months first. Good luck!

 

[jetexas]

The question should be "How long back the right seat at major" or "How long until Home Depot at a major"?.

 

[PastFastMover]

Question from somebody who's logged most of my hours wearing nomex for Uncle Sam... About how many years/hours is a new hire FO looking at before going to the left seat at a major?
Gracias.

AV8, this biz is all about cycles. Boom then bust. Right now the entire industry is in the bust mode. With your quality experience you will get hired by someone sometime if you are persistent. Time to upgrade after "getting hired" is all about the hiring cycle and where you came in.

 

[FlyingSig]

The question should be "How long back the right seat at major"

3 years and 2 months

 

[FN FAL]

Did you guys see the news tonight? Gas spiked 20 cents at the pump overnight. Guess I should have filled up the day before yesterday.

 

[UnstableAviator]

No doubt, new records of $60/barrel. Perhaps the airline industry is still in its infancy, seeing as it has only been 50 years since the jet age began and 25 or so since de-regulation.

 

[SkyBoy1981]

What amazes me is that the oil companies swear up and down that there is no price gouging going on, yet they are reporting record profits. What a joke.

 

[trlauer]

Why can't people give a full explanation instead of ridiculing him!?!???

He obviously came to this board, asked a legitimate question, and expected to get a decent answer. If he wanted a grade school response, he could have gone to child to get these answers.

Aren't people on this board supposed to be professional!?! I hope you take your jobs, if you have one, more serious than you do about your responses on this board.

 

[SkyBoy1981]

I'd have to agree with trlauer, the guy has probably been overseas fighting for our country and has had more important things to do than keep up with our problems at the airlines. Give him a break.

 

[KeroseneSnorter]

Here is a shot at a real answer for you av8.


It all depends on the cycle as mentioned. Look for the place you really really want to work, and send them your stuff, then send your stuff to everyother place you can find an address for.

Do not base your decision of where to go on upgrade times, since what ever it is now, that will change by next month.

Upgrade at a major will probably run anywhere from 4 years to 15 years(sometimes longer) depends on the cycle. Normally you would be able to hold a widebody F/O slot before you could hold any Capt. slot. But not always, since some of the wide body F/O spots pay better than some Capt. seats at the majors.

AA, DAL, United, USAir, Northwest are not hiring right now, and all but northwest still have pilots layed off (furloughed in airline speak) but not positive about Northwest, they have been recalling but dunno their exact numbers.

CAL is currently hiring as are SWA Fedex UPS AirTran and Jetblue.........no others come to mind right now.

There are widebody opportunities overseas and in the freight market hiring as well.

Base you decision on QOL. Upgrade should not be a factor. If you have a problem sitting right seat for a long time, look elsewhere for a job and not the airlines, Remember the saying, you are not an airline pilot until you have been downgraded back to F/O, and you are not a real airline pilot until you have been furloughed at least once!

Good luck in your hunt.

KS

 

[Lear Lackey]

Northwest still has about 400-500 on the street after the decision to park another DC-9's They are not hiring this year and probably now not next year either.

 

[bubbers]

Left seat at AA

18 years to left seat the way it has been going at AA. One of my favorite copilots was in the left seat for about a year after 15 years, now stuck in right seat for a long time. For me it was 5 years but that was in 85. Cycles of employment of pilots are unpredictable. Now the questionable future retirement benefits make this career not what it used to be. Good luck. Doug

 

[-9Capt]

AirTran (if you consider them a major) is running 2.5 to 3 years right now in both the 717 and 737.

 

[TurboS7]

Let me give you the real answer you are waiting for. I assume that you will have retirement from the military and stay in the reserves. If you go to SWA who happens to be hiring right now you will see anywhere from 5 years to 8 years to get to the left seat. You may not want to be a captain in OAK when you live in FLL so you wait a couple years for a slot to open up at MCO. The bottom line is this- at the majors and I will include the freight haulers( the major ones) you will make about 75K to 100K after your first year. That salary is the same that I make on a third level 121 Charter carrier as an 8 year captain. So if you are interested in the money, go for the big ones, if you want a nice little nitch with one of the boys doing CRAF work, look at the smaller carriers.