To jump ship or not to jump ship that is the quesiton?

[GARFF]

Jr. XJ. FO...about 40-50 from the bottom after the next lay off(Aug.).

Is this just the storm? Will it actually get better when all the crizzap is done? Or will there just be another Tornado soon after?

Wait till i'm layed off or get out of the Redtail family while I only have 2.5 years in there?






Oh yeah..and buy some shirts www.garffshirts.com​

 

[Prop2Jet]

Don't know, do what your gut tells you to do. Good luck and know that whatever decision you make will always be the best if you trust yourself.
P2J

 

[Gator1999]

Thats something you'll have to figure out, but I can say that I was in your position a few years ago and was optimistic about how things were going to be at XJ and decided to stay. That lasted for a while because I enjoyed working there and I was comfortable on the Avro. After about 5 years of being in the right seat I decided I was going nowhere and made a move to something else...and as it turns out, it was the best thing I could have done for my career.

I personally know a few people, very senior people that are leaving Mesaba for greener pastures in the next month. I would say that if you had a good opportunity somewhere else, explore it and all your other options. With being so close to the bottom of the list, you may find yourself on the chopping block for the next round of layoffs. If I were in your position (again) I would be ready to interview and pursue other offers. Good luck with your decisions!

 

[PunchTheClown]

. . . .

 

[PunchTheClown]

Thats something you'll have to figure out, but I can say that I was in your position a few years ago and was optimistic about how things were going to be at XJ and decided to stay. That lasted for a while because I enjoyed working there and I was comfortable on the Avro. After about 5 years of being in the right seat I decided I was going nowhere and made a move to something else...and as it turns out, it was the best thing I could have done for my career.

I personally know a few people, very senior people that are leaving Mesaba for greener pastures in the next month. I would say that if you had a good opportunity somewhere else, explore it and all your other options. With being so close to the bottom of the list, you may find yourself on the chopping block for the next round of layoffs. If I were in your position (again) I would be ready to interview and pursue other offers. Good luck with your decisions!

Great post man!

Ever heard the saying "we make plans and life happens"? I think that really is a true statement and about the best way there is to describe this industry. Its VERY hard if not impossible to plan this career for five years down the line. I would do what is best for you right now and work for/hope for a good future. Try to make a decision that you think will benefit both. Try to live in the now as much as possible.

 

[4fanman]

After 4 years and some change...

I convinced myself to give it a little more time, just a little more and things gotta get better, right?

About a week before the pathetic new contract was signed in '04, I walked away from it. My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner. I left for a so-so 135 operator and my QOL still improved significantly. You don't realize how bad XJ sucks until you get away from it and look back. You can only go to work pissed so many times until it starts to seep into other areas of your life.

Even today when I tell coworkers about XJ in casual conversation they have a hard time beliving me. Don't get me wrong, I'm not bitter about it (really) and I did enjoy most of the crews I flew with, but man, cut your losses now.

Trust me, 4000 hours of AVRO sic time won't open many doors. Get out of there and go fly a King Air or Conquest and get some PIC time. Good Luck!!

 

[Guitar Guy]

Just one more thing to remember: you must look out for yourself because no one else will.

 

[YourPilotFriend]

Great post man!

Ever heard the saying "we make plans and life happens"? I think that really is a true statement and about the best way there is to describe this industry. Its VERY hard if not impossible to plan this career for five years down the line. I would do what is best for you right now and work for/hope for a good future. Try to make a decision that you think will benefit both. Try to live in the now as much as possible.

It's probably impossible to plan any career out five years these days, at least in aviation you can see it coming. In the engineering profession one day when you arrive at the door, they may hand you a box and say you have 30 min to leave the property.

 

[Rabble]

I disagree that you can "see it coming' in aviation. Ask any of the pilots who were hired by the majors in the 1990s if they could see it coming. (i'll admit that 09/11 accelerated the process)

We make decisions based on the information we have at the time. You wouldn't execute a missed approach before reaching minimums would you? No, you fly to minimums and then execute a miss if required.

This is no different. Unless you find something considerably BETTER than XJ, hang in there. You cant jump from commuter to commuter everytime things get scary or you'll spend your life as a bottom seniority FO.

Good luck

 

[SkyNation]

if you want to stay in the regional/121 world, SkyWest plans to hire 70 every 3 weeks for the rest of the year. that would put quite a few under you. it would be hard to start over, though, if you've been at XJ for over 2 years.

best of luck