swaayze

Can't really keep this short in order to provide adequate background, but I'll do my best...

I am furloughed USAir and recalls are getting reasonably close to me. I expect an opportunity to return there on a 737/Airbus within a year or so, or to the E190 in a few months (I will definitely bypass that initially due to low pay $46/hr). I am an Eagle EMB FO just barely able to hold a line. I came back to Eagle 10/04 (I was here 94-99) after bouncing around post 9/11 to justify moving my family back to DFW and because Eagle is a good regional job, relatively speaking. But...things here seem very cloudy, at best I'd expect a Saab upgrade in another 2-3 years IF we can recruit enough newhires to avoid AMR putting our flying out for bid by others. I don't need a ton of money but I certainly am struggling on FO pay and even SF3 CA pay would barely allow saving anything for retirement. I have small kids (twins) in Kindergarten and cherish my time home, so commuting (to reserve especially) would really be a bummer (we won't be moving anytime soon due to wife's family in the immediate area).

I have less than 1000 turbine PIC but plenty of TT. I can go to Republic as an E170/175 Captain under the Jets4Jobs program (basically like an AA flowback but at year 1 longevity and seniority). If I do that it would be strictly to book the 1300 turbine PIC before I go back to USAir, in case history re-repeats itself and I wind up on the street for a 3rd time (#2 omitted for brevity). That would give me the option of the A list jobs as well as SWA and AA in the DFW area in the future. The pay difference is only about $500/mo over the course of 1 year there because: I'd lose a month's pay, have 1 month of COBRA expenses, and by the time I fly 85-90 here vs. 75 there and pay crashpad expenses it just isn't as much more as it seems ($57 or 63/hr there E170 or 175). Hardly worth it monetarily for the hassles IMO.

So, should I bother going there? Should I go to USAir straight from Eagle? Should I just stay at Eagle and call it a career? Truth is I'm so dang gunshy of making another wrong decision I don't know what the heck to do! Does Eagle have a reasonable future for me anytime soon? FWIW $60k is about the livable wage point for us, assuming wife at home for the kids, which I prefer. I couldn't really care less about flying a 737 vs. an EMJ. Truthfully I don't really wanna go commute to reserve at RPA, or LCC for that matter, and then get stuck junior at LCC when age 65 takes effect. I'm almost 40 and I have a hard time envisioning a 25 year commuting career, but financially I'm just not sure I can stay here and have a reasonable retirement stash. Plus, I'm a little tired of trying to salvage what seems to be a toasted career. Perhaps I need to just enjoy not commuting and wait it out to upgrade here?

Your honest thoughts and insights are appreciated. Flaming is not.


Thanks,
Swaayze