Originally Posted by
bertramcheeks22
OK, so I can read everyones griping and boasting about all the regionals, but WHY?!! I know that Mesa is bad and the QOL sucks..but WHY? So how bout anyone with any knowledge of any regional offers some insight as to why they like/dislike that particular airline. My application will be going out in about a year so I'd like to get know know what it's like out there. Care to enlighten us guys? Maybe a top 5 good and bad? Here's how I see it now. I live near Cleveland and have a mother that works for CAL so I've been partial to the airline forever.
Good:
1. Horizon (LOVE the Dash 8's and it's west which is where I'd like to live ultimately.)
2. Skywest (West, KDEN
)
3. Commutair (Dash 8's, Cleveland, CAL)
4. Republic
5. ExpressJet (CAL, Cleveland)
Bad
1. Mesa
2. PSA
3. Comair
4. Mesaba?
5. Great Lakes? (Although I really would LOVE to fly Beech 1900's out of DEN through the Rockies with no auto-pilot. Seems like a great experience, put the pay is just so damn low)
Bertramcheck22, I am disappointed with your research skills! Just because a company is on top today, that doesn't mean they will be tomorrow. Go where you will be happy should you get stuck there for a while. There is another thread on here somewhere that has contract/work rules, check that out, it has some good info. BTW, not sure I would have commutair up there, talk with Wadsworth, we know a guy who worked there and left for Express, he will give you some info. on commutair.
Look at where you want to end up in your career and work backwards. It will most likely chance over the years but you have to start somewhere. So narrow down where you would like to retire and then evaluate you best options on how to get there.
As far as chasing an aircraft. Sure it would be fun to fly a certain aircraft but I would guess after a few hundred hours it would loose its appeal. Then again I'd fly a supercub if the pay/benefits were right.
Originally Posted by
BoilerUP
Do the two of you have at least three months of normal expenses saved in cash? How much do you have in retirement accounts? Audis and BMWs are nice but they don't let you retire early...
With company match I put 17% into my 401k, both my wife and I have Roth IRAs, and we have about 4 months of normal expenses in cash savings. Not too bad for a couple 23 year olds...
The most important thing for anybody, especially a first year regional pilot, is to STAY OUT OF DEBT!
What he said!