Nantonaku

<sarcasm>Stamp your ticket to Delta at Endeavor . . . </sarcasm>

Bzzt

My advice if you're totally set on this horrible career is to go someplace with a potentially quick upgrade. Keep in mind I'm not saying this to "get in, and get out" as quickly as you can to a major. Most majors are trending towards overall total time, PIC is not the golden ticket it once was. I'm saying go for the quick upgrade because you'll make more money as a CA then you will as a FO at any regional, including the "good contract" ones. Also keep in mind there really are no good contracts in the regionals, some just aren't as bad as others. We're all turds in the same toilet bowl, increase your qol with seniority as fast as possible.

Oberon

Go to Compass if you can get hired. They are a small company with attrition at the top of the list and are scheduled to increase their fleet by almost 50% very soon.

The pilot group is relatively young and they have bases in three time zones, though I recommend moving to base and flying as much as possible, at least once you upgrade.

The goal isn't to go to the best regional, the goal is to go to a major. If you move to base you can fly a bit more than your commuting colleagues which may allow you to get hired at a major a little sooner. Every seniority number counts so you want to get hired as soon as possible. Some may consider moving to base and flying more a sacrifice you should consider it an investment. A bonus to living in base is that you can be home drinking a beer while the guy you were flying with is still waiting for his flight or settling into the crew room for a terrible night's sleep.

Mesabah

Compass is the only regional I would even consider sending my resume to in this current environment.

spaaks

You have to realize that working in the airline industry in general is a gamble. You could loose your medical or get furloughed at any time with no notice. Go somewhere that has a base in a city you want to live where you can enjoy your life outside the airline. Life is too short to not be happy, so go somewhere that will allow you to be happy outside of "work". You may not realize it now, but the novelty of being an airline pilot will wear off. No one thinks we are as cool as we think we are, it is not glamorous anymore. Find somewhere with a base you like, and enjoy the fact that you're not driving a desk like most of your friends

klondike

An excellent idea.

Key word is "if"

it's kind of like the astronaut selection process at CPZ

Bzzt

Moving to base is good advice, however bases are aubject to change. I went to Eagle because of the LAX base that no longer exists. Everything in this industry is a gamble including bases.

Crazy Canuck

This. Why do instructors with bare ATP mins think they will be ready to be LEFT SEAT PIC OF A 76,000 LBS JET IN LESS THAN TWO YEARS?!?!?!

Blows my mind. No I did not type with the caps locked by mistake.

deltajuliet

Why does China think it can put a 250 hour pilot who can barely land a Cessna in the right seat of a widebody?

In comparison, I think America will fare just fine. Especially when "bare ATP mins" have gone up 700% from a few years ago.

Crazy Canuck

Fair point. I, personally, think there should be much higher mins on captain requirements. I was one of those quick upgrade jockeys onto a multi-turbine aircraft with a handful of hours (not even ATP Requirements). I'm surprised I made it as far as I did when I look back on my level of piloting skill at the time. It's because I can relate to that I say this.