Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Friendliest aviation Ccmmunity on the web
  • Modern site for PC's, Phones, Tablets - no 3rd party apps required
  • Ask questions, help others, promote aviation
  • Share the passion for aviation
  • Invite everyone to Flightinfo.com and let's have fun

Wow I only need 350 hours and 25k to fly an RJ?

Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Modern secure site, no 3rd party apps required
  • Invite your friends
  • Share the passion of aviation
  • Friendliest aviation community on the web
The Truth said:
Face it, boys and girls, this is what your "profession" has come to. Name a regional that doesn't have a bridge program which slashes published minimums? Mesa may be the only company-affiliated flight school which allows for reduced hiring times (or maybe not?...I don't know), yet they're NO different than UND, Purdue, ATP, Delta Connection, etc "guaranteeing" an interview at XXY regional with reduced total time (I'm in NO way defending these programs, by the way, merely implying that EVERY airline out there engages in these tactics).

I am not aware of an accredited university that offers a BS in aviation or something similar and guarantees an interview with a regional.

They may have bridge programs, but those are usually contingent on completing an internship program first, and even then I don't think you are guaranteed anything.
 
The Truth said:
Speaking of the low-timers versus the high-timers (or folks that get hired with the "published" minimums) I would actually be interested in seeing data on the wash-out rate between the two. Do the low-time bridge program grads fail out of training more often than the folks that have 1000+ hours? They all have to pass the same systems class, sim, and IOE, right?

Yes, that would be an interesting to know. I heard that of 2 or 3 others in the same group that meet normal mins, one washed out of the DHC-8 program. Then again I have read/heard over & over again how any 'monkey can be taught to fly an RJ' on these boards (and elsewhere) and that RJs are so much easier than turboprops.

It's sorta funny to me to hear how "easy" CRJ training is from a PACE grad. By that I mean if I had just paid all that cash to do a dry run ground school for 3 months and them got to do it all over again for real I should hope it would be easy!
 
thousands of hours of experience does not necessarily make you a better stick, there obviously are pilots out there, that can manipulate the controls with the best of them with 1000 hours or so. However the judgement and "been their done that" experience that come with actually having been there done that are often overlooked anymore. "dude"

What happens when the 350 hour pilot becomes 23 and has 1500 hours? He will upgrade, possibly without ever having been in IMC without the autopilot.

I am not looking for the " I have 500 hours and I know all there is to know about aviation" argument, because I have over 10,000 hours and I still learn all the time. Its just fact.
 
sweptback said:
I am not aware of an accredited university that offers a BS in aviation or something similar and guarantees an interview with a regional.

They may have bridge programs, but those are usually contingent on completing an internship program first, and even then I don't think you are guaranteed anything.

Ahhh..nice product of a bridge program youself. Good cover. LOL
 
I agree with sweptback, my school didn't have a "bridge program" but we did have preferred hiring with a couple airlines (Piedmont and Horizon) at reduced minimums. Almost all of which that interviewed had instructed for some amount of time. The airlines just know what kind of pilots certain schools produce, and know that for the most part they will get quality employees. Everyone has to start somewhere, why not go with an airline that will give you a chance with fewer hours?
 
Mesa Pilot Development students come onboard with 260 hours roughly. no CFI or anything. They are guarenteed an interview and thats it. I overheard one interview with a Mesa pilot development student and they were diggin pretty good. If they are prepared for the interview, than what the heck. They know the CRJ better than any street pilot that has no experience in it. SAD BUT TRUE! I had a couple of them in my class and they knew their stuff pretty damn good. Hope it carries over into flying the airplane safely. Good Luck!
 
This is partially why the industry is going down the tubes. If the mins were the same as 135 you wouldnt have the influx of people that think it would be a cool job. I think i will try it out it sounds like fun. I have met so many people that dropped the 25k or mommy and daddy did because they thought it would be cool to where the uniform. The more pilot factories the more pilots and the more pilots the lower the pay can go and stay.
 
My sim partner at my last job was one of these 300 hour wonder kids.

He crashed on his checkride.

Twice.

And yes, in case you're wondering, he passed.
 
Bdfg1 said:
Ahhh..nice product of a bridge program youself. Good cover. LOL

Nope. Although I went to a college not otherwise associated with aviation but that had a program and I most definitely was not guaranteed an interview. When I graduated several years ago there wasn't even a bunch of regionals interested in interviewing people from my school. Maybe I went to the wrong one.
 
I can't stand low time pilots

It would be really nice if Mommy and Daddy could pay for confidence. I'm sure I'm not the only dispatcher out here that gets sick of having to coddle some low time pilot that freaks out over some -TSRA in a forecast.

If you don't want to fly into weather, don't get into Part 121 operations.
 
Last edited:

Latest resources

Back
Top