RB211

Thats like telling everyone you know to not go to college because it will make your degree worth more

RB211

I can only speak about the hobbyists I know at Mesa. Most have left already. I do know two captains who run trucking businesses, and I wouldn't call them hobbyists. They are dead set on their aviation career, and just want multiple sources of income for peace of mind. Hard to imagine some one doing this at the regional level just for a hobby, long term. Hobbyists tend to prefer doing what they want, when they want.

sulkair

Congratulations on the railroad job but listen very carefully, it ain't no walk in the park. I put 2 years in with the Union Pacific railroad as a conductor and my Dad retired after 41 years there. I just finished a decade at Mesa, and am now at Frontier. So I can tell you first hand, the Railroad was by FAR AND AWAY a more grueling job. Airline beat down and fatigue is daisies and buttercups compared to RR beat down. The feeling of Fatuigue is on entirely different level. The good part, my Dad punched out at 60 with 4K a month free and clear for life, the bad part, he earned every penny and then some. The railroads will suck your life blood too, and you will never see more than 2 or 3 days off. The rest rules can put you turning on 8 hrs rest indefinately and though that marathon crap doesn't happen often, it happens with some regularity. Locomotives are like riding in a public bathroom for hours on end. They are dirty and smell like a full llavatory all the time, every one, every railroad. You'll be missing your cockpit the first time your soaked to the bone in 32 degree sleet for 12 hours strait from 0200 to 1400. Oh yyeah you're back on at 2200 that night for another 12. Ad nausea. Be careful. pM me if u like.

Typed on mobile, forgive typos pls.

Grumpyaviator

At one time, yes. But a combination of things has changed my mind.

-Uncertainty of the future of regionals. In fact, I'm certain they will be gone with one or two exceptions.
-Better new-hire pay at the majors.
-Quicker pay parity, you can reach it now in year 2 or three.
-Retirement, even with only a few years at the majors retirement will be better funded.

Starting over with vaca and seniority is painful, especially with a family, but in the long run it's worth it.

Grumpyaviator

And almost every TA approved by mainline pilot groups since 1998.

Regional pilot hopes of moving to the majors has been affected by scope as much as the career progression of ml pilots. Every time a TA with looser scope passes the regional pilot groups moan.

Looser scope is not a regional pilot victory, but a win for airline managements.

sulkair

If you have time can you expound on this Grumpy?

Rotator

Life at the regionals can be uncertain, but life at the majors can be a nightmare too. The pilots I flew with at my regional who went to United, American, Frontier and US Airways back in the 2000's can attest to that. They all got benched for years. Some of them got furloughed multiple times...for multiple years, maybe the better part of a decade. That was a major financial and professional blow for them. Now they are in their mid-forties as junior F/O's with virtually no financial assets. Hopefully they can keep stable employment for the next 20 years until they reach 65, but who knows.

bedrock

That wasn't the point I was making. I was saying they accepted a flowback, if the Express had not been there, they would have been furloughed too. Yet, some may claim regional pilots "stole" their jobs.

bedrock

Scope was originally given away by the pilots, THEN the courts. But you have a VERY good point. There ain't no "free market" in the airlines, if the airlines can use bankruptcy as a tool to cut labor costs, while using that saved money to pay bonuses and new aircraft.

Grumpyaviator

IMO, a shortage of staffing at the regional, the cost effectiveness of shifting flying to mainline, regionals unable to continue to fly at a loss, etc, will mean a reduction of regional flying.

I think ml pay rates for RJs is a sign they have a back up plan if the regionals can't staff their flying.