Originally Posted by
CAXON
The goal is a legacy or major.
I am currently working at a Part 135 as a Captain with my ATP and training contract end date is quickly approaching.
Here are my choices as I see them:
Go to a regional when contract is up. Try to get to a legacy. I have a 4 year degree.
Stay an additional 6 months at the current company and become eligible for a program we have with a LCC. The catch with this option is that it depends on how quickly they hire from our company. If I knew I’d be hired shortly after I was eligible, it would be an easy decision. I would happily skip the regionals. But if the movement isn’t that fast, I don’t want to be here for another few more (who knows how many) years when I could have gone to a regional and made myself competitive for all the LCCs/legacies, not just one LCC.
Assuming I take door number 1, is it better to go with a regional with a better reputation, or one where I could upgrade to captain faster and build TPIC?
It would be helpful to know your hours and types of hours. How many total hours in what type aircraft do you have? I would assume you are currently flying for Great Lakes or Silver. How many hours would you get as a junior CA if you continue working there? How long would it take you to meet the 1000 hour TPIC at Lakes or Silver to meet the Frontier requirements?
Realize that you will quickly make more money even at a regional than at Lakes. And unless Frontier is really your top choice, turboprop time - even TPIC - probably won’t make you as competitive for a major as flying at a jet regional.
But without any more information it’s difficult to assess what is your best option.