Having flown at Ameriflight and at an airline, I can tell you that there was remarkably little that I learned at Ameriflight that has benefited me in the airline world. I mean no offense to Ameriflight and it's pilots, but it is completely different.

It seems that Buff thinks that airline pilots do little more than monitor the autopilot on approaches while flight attendants bring us coffee, but that is far from the truth in my experience. Hand flying the MT Vernon visual in DCA, with a circle to 33, in an 80,000lb jet and landing it on a 5000' runway with passengers in the back is much more challenging than any of the flying that I did at AMF. Not to mention flying CatII approaches to minimums, and all of the other responsibilities of dealing with flying passengers.

I don't have bad feelings towards AMF, but it just isn't that big of a deal. If you have less than 1500 hours, and it is close to home, then go for it. Else, it is just a stepping stone.

I know that people talk about Ameriflight pilots going to the Majors, but it really doesn't happen. That is just their recruiting pitch.

There are literally thousands of regional pilots that have 5000+ hours of TPIC in jets in the airlines that are all applying at the majors. Many have previous tubroprop experience. You are not likely to jump past them to the majors because you have 1000 hours in a Beech 99.