First off, the 8 months for completion of IOE should not be an issue here. I started the ATP-CTP course the last week of July, I'm on track to be off of IOE towards the end of October. Longest break I've had in training was a week between the end of systems and the start of CPT/Sims. 3-3.5 months from start of training to the line is a realistic expectation here.
Upgrades are anybody's guess, and that's true at every regional. I would be surprised if you make it past 36 months in the right seat anywhere in the current market. My personal projections based on attrition and hiring here place it well below 36 months for the current crop of new hires, but those projections are just numbers on a spreadsheet and may not reflect reality.
You will find people that are disgruntled anywhere. Everyone I have interacted with face to face has been very professional and genuinely great to work with. I've been extremely happy with my choice to come here. I made that choice after talking with pilots that work here or have worked here before moving on. I did this at all of the regionals I was considering. You should do this as well if possible.
Last edited by T28driver; 09-18-2017 at 07:39 AM.
Reason: Phrasing