Which Regional with a looming deployment?
We are relocating to PA/NY/NJ area for the wife's job. I am looking at joining the airlines (finally?). I have about 2000 hours rotary and ~400 fixed wing (Commercial AMEL/IFR and meet mins for ATP-R). No 121 time. Have an engineering degree and all that jazz too and no derogatory info either FAA or military. We probably are living west of Manhattan. I know a year deployment is coming for me, but not exactly sure when. So I'd probably finish IOE and then drop 18 months of mil leave between training and the deployment.
Airports:
PHL: easy commute, low/no tolls.
EWR: easy commute, low tolls.
LGA/JFK: without traffic 1.5 hour commute, maybe less, depending on where we live. Living in NJ/NY has a higher cost of living/taxes then PA but JFK/LGA seem to be the fastest path to CA and seniority for the airlines based there. There is a slight chance the wife gets a job in Manhattan or LI, which would make these much easier to live with.
Airlines:
Republic/Endeavor: Best pay and contract. YX has better/cheaper commute, but PHL is more senior. Both not hot on hiring/training delays. Potential risk that if they keep it up I may deploy before my class date if they keep slipping.
Commutair: Current contract is not so hot, but I think I'd be hitting the better FO pay scales (-8 captain) when I come back off mil leave -- if that's still a thing. Contract is up for negotiation so I may come back to awesome pay? Easier commute than JFK/LGA. Potential growth means I could come back to an appreciable growth in seniority and CPP..
Piedmont/PSA: AA WO with flow. I don't think the flow will get me much unless I do something silly in my regional years (which would probably get me barred from low anyways). Easier commutes. Pay just doesn't seem worth it if I get stuck there.
Expressjet: similar to Commutair without the better FO pay on the backside of deployment.
I'd like to fly as much as possible and get to a legacy as quickly as possible, but still be prepared for a slowdown or other action that results in me staying at the regional longer.
Thoughts?
Last edited by LightFlight; 01-24-2019 at 02:44 AM.
Reason: add training time to deployment.