What would you do? I could use some help on this one.

[Flying Illini]

I'm trying to get on with a regional. CHQ is my first choice due to basing options (CMH or IND). I've had my stuff walked in there but right now they are only hiring into the 170 and you need ATP mins (i've got everything but the TT).

My options to achieve my CHQ goal are as follows:

I've applied to SKW (this may be a place to hang my hat, even though ORD would be the closest base to what I prefer). I haven't heard anything back from them yet but it doesn't seem like they will be running any new-hire classes till at least March anyway.

My other option would be TSA. I'm looking really hard at this option right now. I could fly with them for several months, get my TT up, then re-apply with CHQ. The best case scenario as I figure it (correct me if I'm wrong): Apply now, start class the beginning of Feb, begin flying around mid-March. Take several month to fly the 150 hrs I need to ATP mins. Maybe re-apply to CHQ around June/July.

As it stands now, with my current company I won't have ATP mins till July/August at which time I would then re-apply to CHQ (unless they have started hiring into the 135/145 before this time). This would be close to a wash between TSA and my current company...the only advantage I see by going to TSA is that I would have an airline groundschool/sim under my belt (and that may get me out of the sim ride at the CHQ interview ). I'm not too worried about having trouble at an airline groundschool/sim though since I've been through formal training with my current company.

I'm open to all opinions.

Thanks for the help!

ps, the reason for this is as follows. There is a corp job that I'm all but in the door for but my TT is really limiting...they would like >3000TT. I've thought about cargo but the Dir. of Ops. said he would prefer to see regional time over cargo time. The sooner I'm there the better things will be for my wife and I...which is why I hanging around my current company isn't an option.

 

[~~~^~~~]

I could fly with them for several months, get my TT up, then re-apply with CHQ. The best case scenario as I figure it (correct me if I'm wrong): Apply now, start class the beginning of Feb, begin flying around mid-March. Take several month to fly the 150 hrs I need to ATP mins. Maybe re-apply to CHQ around June/July.

As it stands now, with my current company I won't have ATP mins till July/August

....the only advantage I see by going to TSA is that I would have an airline groundschool/sim under my belt (and that may get me out of the sim ride at the CHQ interview ). I'm not too worried about having trouble at an airline groundschool/sim though since I've been through formal training with my current company.

I'm open to all opinions.

ps, the reason for this is as follows. There is a corp job that I'm all but in the door for but my TT is really limiting...they would like >3000TT. I've thought about cargo but the Dir. of Ops. said he would prefer to see regional time over cargo time. The sooner I'm there the better things will be for my wife and I...which is why I hanging around my current company isn't an option.

OK, so you would go through training, at an expense to your employer of $15,000 to $20,000 so you could make up the difference of June/July, or July/August? Thirty days, four weeks, one lousy month?

First of all, you are assuming the stars will line up just right and CHQ, or whoever will hire you the second you are qualified and offer your services to them. Second, why don't you think CHQ will just see you as an opportunist who "used" TSA and who would not also jump ship from CHQ on a whim? Third, most airlines don't waive the sim ride for anybody. After all, the point is to see if you have the basics. And yes, I've seen several pilots who could not cut the mustard leave my airline, pop up at another airline and fail to cut the mustard there too. Getting through 7 sim sessions does not make a good line pilot.

Eventually, you want to be able to show some stability on your employment history. Most HR folks will assume you have either been fired, or had some other problem to leave a flying job after just a few months. Even if you tell them you're dumping TSA for your dream job at CHQ, they are going to be skeptical. I would not hire you under those circumstances.

150 hours is not much. In fact, you probably have a better chance of sneaking in under the mins by knowing someone at CHQ than you do avoiding a sim eval. I would work towards the job you want and not burn any bridges along the way. When I needed time I went in with five friends and bought an airplane. I had 150 hours in two months, you can too. Just a matter of priorities.

Just my opinion.

 

[flyer172r]

Stay away from TSA. It's not worth the headaches, even for a short time.

 

[Flying Illini]

OK, so you would go through training, at an expense to your employer of $15,000 to $20,000 so you could make up the difference of June/July, or July/August?

First of all, you are assuming the stars will line up just right and CHQ, or whoever will hire you the second you are qualified and offer your services to them. Second, why don't you think CHQ will just see you as an opportunist who "used" TSA and who would not also jump ship from CHQ on a whim? Third, most airlines don't waive the sim ride for anybody. After all, the point is to see if you have the basics. And yes, I've seen several pilots who could not cut the mustard leave my airline, pop up at another airline and fail to cut the mustard there too. Getting through 7 sim sessions does not make a good line pilot.

Eventually, you want to be able to show some stability on your employment history. Most HR folks will assume you have either been fired, or had some other problem to leave a flying job after just a few months. Even if you tell them you're dumping TSA for your dream job at CHQ, they are going to be skeptical. I would not hire you under those circumstances.

150 hours is not much. In fact, you probably have a better chance of sneaking in under the mins by knowing someone at CHQ than you do avoiding a sim eval. I would work towards the job you want and not burn any bridges along the way. When I needed time I went in with five friends and bought an airplane. I had 150 hours in two months, you can too. Just a matter of priorities.

Just my opinion.

I appreciate the thoughts. Right now CHQ is waiving the sim ride during the interview for high-timers and for prior 121 folks. In the scenario I layed out, yes, I am givng a "best case" scenario. I don't expect the stars to line up perfectly...just laying it out there to see what people had to say. I realize that none of this means anything since I have no interviews to date. I wasn't meaning to sound like I was counting my chickens too soon.

Again, thanks for the views.

 

[ilinipilot]

Whats up man,
I see what you are saying but I think if all you care about is getting 3000 total time, then just stay at one regional. If you start regional hopping you are wasting months where you can be building up to 85 hours each one. I dont see the benefit to go from TSA to CHQ, its at least 2 to 3 months in class sim etc, plus you could get stuck on reserve where you might get a lot of time or get none. This month I will only fly 35 or so on reserve, out of ORD. Plus dont come to CHQ hoping to get ORD that base is stagnat and all the growth is out of CMH or IND.

Look hard at your options and go to the one place that you can get a LINE the quickest, that is the only guarantee to getting the 3000 total. Good luck and if you want anymore info PM me and I will give you all my contact info.

D

 

[flylike44]

the "sim" at the chq interview is a joke...don't sweat that part...

 

[Drill Sgt. Dad]

CHQ isn't hiring. I recently interviewed and got put in the pool, but already found something else. But with the internal movement, I am sure E-145's slots will eventually open up.

 

[acaTerry]

wait! STOP!
Whatever you do, don't go to TSA. CHQ or SKW would be worth the wait. In the words of a former TSA ground school instructor..."you ought to have your ATP yanked for applying here!".

That was the longest year of my life.

 

[great cornholio]

Stay away from TSA. If you get hired in Feb you won't be online till April or May. So thats 2 or 3 months with no flying at all. Once out on line you will be on reserve for probably 6 months at least. Right now most reserve guys are only flying about 30 hours or less per month. I know one guy that hasn't flown at all since Thanksgiving day. So his flight time for Dec so far is ZERO. Things at TSA are nasty and getting nastier by the day.

 

[threegreen]

Sounds like you are just ready to move on and want it NOW. Is there any way to instruct for a few months to get some quick and dirty flight time? Other than that I would say just stay right where you are unless SKYW calls.

 

[Flying Illini]

Thanks guys. I was never too excited about going to TSA...just saw it as a means to an end but in light of the above comments, I'll steer clear.

Illini...I would like to avoid ORD if at all possible. First choice would be CMH, then IND, and a distant third is STL. Notice that all of those are bases that CHQ has...which is why CHQ is my #1 choice...that and I know a lot of people there who have good things to say.

Thanks for the replies!

 

[ilkwamh2]

Hey man, I would not go to TSA. I've got a friend there who is trying to get on here at SkyWest because he hates it at TSA. He said the Goooojets vs. TSA thing is getting out of control. Another friend of mine who I was in training with left TSA for SkyWest cause he hated it there too. Even if you are to use them for some quick flight time, you might end up getting stuck there, and that's going to be miserable. If you're going to be stuck somewhere, be stuck at someplace that you like. If you're looking for quick flight time, it's going to be hard cause you'll be on reserve. When things were moving fast here, most FOs were on reserve for a month, but now the ones at the bottom have been on reserve for 4 months, and looking longer since there's no hiring for a few more months. If you're looking to build up to 3000 hours, then goto a regional that you like and stay there until you get your time. Buf if you're looking for only ATP mins, then stay where you are at and stick it out.

-W

 

[sweptback]

Thanks guys. I was never too excited about going to TSA...just saw it as a means to an end but in light of the above comments, I'll steer clear.

Illini...I would like to avoid ORD if at all possible. First choice would be CMH, then IND, and a distant third is STL. Notice that all of those are bases that CHQ has...which is why CHQ is my #1 choice...that and I know a lot of people there who have good things to say.

Thanks for the replies!

I hate to say it, but you're too picky.

CMH and IND aren't exactly the pinnacles of aviation. Outside of CHQ, you're not going to find a job that will base you there, unless you are open to AirNet. There are plenty of other regionals that are hiring, so why limit yourself? Even if you did get on with CHQ on the 145, that fleet seems to be stagnant or even shrinking, so you'd probably be stuck on reserve with little end in sight. Not exactly the best way to build time.

My advice to you is to pick somewhere that will get you off reserve quickly (or that will fly your tail off on reserve), and secondly, pick somewhere that will be a decent bet for the future. Sure, you've got that cushy corporate job lined up once you reach 3000, but what happens if that falls through and you're stuck at some scumbag regional? Sounds crazy, but there's many on this board that will attest to their careers not going as planned.

If you just want to bust out the ATP mins, bite the bullet and go back to instructing. It's probably the fastest way to build time when you factor the 2-3 month lag time for initial training.

 

[HughBeamont]

Second, why don't you think CHQ will just see you as an opportunist who "used" TSA and who would not also jump ship from CHQ on a whim?

I've flown with countless FOs who have used Colgan to get to CHQ, ExpressJet, Comair, and believe it or not, TSA. All part of the business.

That being said, if you sign a training contract, you should honor it. If the airline doesn't have one, I guess they don't mind getting shafted after three or four months.

Lastly, I have never met a TSA pilot who said good things about the company. I'd stay at your current job to get your time. If you can't pass a basic sim ride at a CHQ interview, you'll probably fail out of TSA's training. And how would that look to CHQ?

 

[Tarzan]

Hey, I have a good thing to say about TSA!!!

If you make it through training and apply anywhere, a question you'll probably be asked is, "Have you failed a check ride anywhere, except TSA." If you can get it done here, chances are you'll make it anywhere.

 

[Drill Sgt. Dad]

Hey, I have a good thing to say about TSA!!!

If you make it through training and apply anywhere, a question you'll probably be asked is, "Have you failed a check ride anywhere, except TSA." If you can get it done here, chances are you'll make it anywhere.

You forgot ACA as well when asked about checkride failures.

 

[dojetdriver]

You forgot ACA as well when asked about checkride failures.

As well as Comair (at first), Great Lakes, Colgan, ect

 

[Flying Illini]

just to clarify...I'm not worried about the sim check at CHQ, that's why I put the smiley face after that comment.

 

[UnstableAviator]

CHQ works us reserve guys like crazy. I did 98.5 hours last month, a friend also on reserve did 100+. Seems to be CMH crews only, since other bases (BUF for example) seem to rarely use their reserve FO's. I did hold a line from June-September, then fleet downsizing put me back on reserve. Even as one of the bottom lineholders, I still got anywhere from 13-16 days off on those months.

If you want to work for CHQ, just be patient. No regional job is worth putting up with if that isn't where you want to be. I live in base, and my QOL is awesome. No wasted days commuting, I don't care about early starts or late finishes and a lot of days I'm home and off work my noon. I have extra time to spend doing important things in life other than commuting to/from work. It may not last forever, but for now its great. Good luck.

 

[snap145]

i know this stay away from TSA thing is getting kind of redundant but i thought my personal expiriences might help..besides the fact that everyone one who are already line pilots telling you to stay away. I was hired by TSA last summer and decided to pursue other options after learning the finite points about the company. I was almost identical to you in that CHQ was my first choice. First off TSA..when i was originally hired they were putting half the peeps in the Jball and half the peeps in the jet....they swore by the stone that they were keeping the jballs for a long time to come...i have some friends still flying there who are worried about theyre jobs as they are starting to get rid of the jetstreams..this is just one of a thousand example of little things that make this company a regional "bottom feeder". I finnally got my CHQ interview..got hired and have been sitting in the pool ever since. I still dont regret the decision...pick a place where U want to be...and stick with it....im not getting lots of jet time as im sitting here floating..but im still flying waiting for the phone call which i think will come soon...if you wanna work at CHQ...keep naggin them with your resume...suck it up...and wait...defanatley worth it in the long haul....