Originally Posted by
blastboy
I want to say hello to everyone first and introduce myself (being my first post). I live in the SoCal area (cant wait to get outta here) and currently fly out of Long Beach. I come from a family with a long line of Aviators. My grandfather was a DC-6, DC-7, 727 and DC-10 F/E for 40 years with AAL. My dad, currently a UAL 737 cptn (ex National and Pan Am pilot). My goal since age 3 is to continue the aviation legacy in my family (because I love to fly). I graduated with a degree in Exercise Science and went into the field in SoCal and I absolutely despise the industry. There was never a day that went by that I didn't want to fly. So anyway, enough of that crap.
The reason I am posting is because my father is calling me almost every other day to tell me about him jumpseating with a Mesa, PSA or Skywest pilot that is or knows somebody that was hired with 300 or less hours. He called me the other day and told me about an F/O who, after a year of flying with PSA, had a TOTAL TIME of 700 hours. Amazing!!! I just wanted to let everyone know (which I am sure most of you do) that the hiring minimums posted on the regional airlines website doesn't mean jack squat. From what I gather, if you have 300 hours and a pulse, you can fly for Mesa. This seems a like a great way to build time! Now, I have skimmed the forum and I see that there are some people who absolutely despise Mesa and others alike. I am sure I will feel the same way about them after a year of flying with them (if I can tolerate it). But it's a great way to get my foot in the door, build some jet time and apply to Netjets (my ultimate goal). I've got a buddy that flys for them and he absolutely loves it! The company actually sends ther pilots an xmas gift and a thankyou card for being such outstanding pilots. So, this is the end of my babbling. Praise, comments, grilling....All welcome. Nice to meet you all!
Blast-
Using the regionals to ratchet up ones' qualifications for subsequent jobs is not a bad plan if you are in a position to benefit from it, but the point is most people are not. A few thoughts in response:
1) Most pilots are self-funded through loans and will have incurred considerable debt to get a multi/commercial/instrument ticket. Regional FO salaries do not pay down these debts. Most people report dipping into emergency savings to get by on the first few years of regional flying and it does not get much better for years afterwards.
2) If you have a family or some other bill to pay like student loan repayment from college in order to hope for applying to a major later, then you have serious commitments and regional FO pay will not be enough to keep them. College loans are due in monthly installments after graduation plus 6 months. I have $750/mo payment on a college loan, and this is without any flight training debt at all. I could not go to the regionals even if I wanted to, and I do not think my debts are atypical. In fact, I cannot even afford a spiffy car, house, or children on twice what an regional FO earns.
3) If you are hired with a wet commercial ticket having skipped CFI work and smalltime commercial work altogether, the 8 week CRJ training period tends to wash out lowtimers more often than 750TT+ pilots who worked up by the standard path. Getting there does not insure staying there, and it is not a very strong likehood that you will.
4) If regionals are as hard up for applicants as you describe there would be evidence they are willing to pay for it. I see no such evidence.
5) Regionals would not only ratchet up the starting payscale, they would post super-low minimums on company websites if indeed it were a severe pilot shortage. They would not depend on a few forums to spread the word.
6) If one is over 35 years old then starting a flying career at a regional is considered risky. There is not enough time to get a decent payback on a typical training investment and there's no guarantee you are going to make it to a major airline. As Skyhigh and others point out, the odds are rather against making it to a major as he likes to say "2000 jobs for 60,000 applicants" or something like that. Getting to a major is plan that starts early and carries numerous prerequisites many of which are not equilaterally available.
For the time being I shall pass on all the other negatives associated with regionals such as quality of life, the questionable reputations of tooth-and-nail operators like Mesa and GoJet, the base/domicile inconveniences, furlough risks, medical risks, DUI threat, and so forth. I just want to point out the glaring problems with your undaunted enthusiasm for what amounts to a problematic proposal.
I should add that I too would like to quit my $50k+ job and go off and join the circus excuse me, fly CRJs all week. And one day I may go and do it. But to think this is anything other than a problematic fantasy leading to financial malaise is folly. I wonder if you make the distinction.
By the way: Welcome and nice website!