determined2fly

I have a question regarding a right seat job at one of the majors. Who has a better chance of getting there? A FO flying a Shorts aircraft or an FO flying regional jets?

Thankyou!

dojetdriver

Depends, who do you know? Or, did you intern? Or, does your dad work there? Or, do you golf with somebody in management?

In a strictly qualifications/experience matters only world, neither would. The guy with the most turbine PIC, followed by the breakdown of that PIC, would have the best chance at the job. We all know, that is not really how things are done.

breakVSIgoMISSD

Yeah, depends on the airline. Continental likes the jet over the turbo-prop time, even though technically they're both turbine time. Hope this helps. Good Luck!

Bucking Bar

Although the Shorts is the more difficult job, the RJ pilots seem to get the nod. The majors still have this mindset that if you have not flown a jet you can't possibly be smart enough to realize that from 35,000 you need to begin your descent 100 miles out. But in the real world, try getting within 250 miles of anything controlled by New York center without getting cleared to cross 200 miles out of your destination at 11,000. Unless you are going to HPN, in which case you fly over the field at 17,000.

Sorry for the round about answer. If the Shorts meets FedEx's (and others') definition of turbine PIC, take whatever gets you the magic 1,000 to 1,500 turbine PIC first.

dojetdriver

Probably a valid point. The sad truth is this; In the US pilot job market, with the high supply and low demand (at the majors) right seat time in ANY kind of aircraft ALONE will not get you the call without a connection of some kind. Yeah, I know, a hundred years ago it happened, but not now. If there ever actaually is a pilot shortage in the US, it may come back to that.

Even the RJ FO's hired at CAL had an in. I have yet to hear a CAL FO tell me, or hear a story of a CAL FO that just filled out the app and got the cold call from HR to come interview for a job with NO TURBINE PIC TIME. I suspect the same is true for DAL, and for UAL when they start hiring.

As far as UPS and FedEx go, we don't even need to cover that one.

cactusmike

You need PIC time!!! Preferebly 1000 hours in a jet. I did my time in the skypig ( SD330). It was the easiest type rating I ever got.

Polarfr8dog

In addition to the flight time don't forget about the B.S. in basketweaving from an accredited college. They don't care about what you studied as long as you have it. This is another box that seems to be a requirement. Especially, with the supply and demand issue that someone has already addressed.

kansas

Put the checks in the the boxes as quickly as possible. From that point on, it's all about luck and connections, not about turboprop or turbojet.