Originally Posted by gbntpilot

That's a question that could be discussed at length for DAYS on here. Each airline has their own set of advantages and disadvantages, good and bad points, and reputation. If you haven't even started flight training yet, the one thing you can definitely count on is the fact that everything in the industry will change an untold number of times before you're in a position to apply. The airline that's very attractive today may not even exist by the time you're ready, and the worst airline in the country right now might be the most attractive later on. Also, the answer to your question all depends on where you want to live, what your goals are for your career, your priorities, blah blah blah. When I first started training I was dying to work for Air Wisconsin. No offense to the wisky guys, but I'm kind of glad I did some more research and ended up where I did. While I envy AWAC's pay scale, Mesaba is a better fit for me and where I want to be.



Piedmont isn't terrible in comparison to many others out there, like Mesa. Most of the negative comments you've heard about Piedmont are probably in regard to their training department though. It needs a serious reorganization. Just, please, stay away from GoJet. If you get people started on this forum about that company, your thread will get hijacked in a matter of minutes, filling up with all kinds of nasty stuff. If you're curious, do a search. Otherwise, don't even go there.




You don't need to be qualified in the CRJ, ERJ, DHC-8, (whatever) in order to apply to a regional. When you're hired they will pay for your training. The way things are now, most of the new hires flying those jets/t-props had never flown anything bigger than a Seminole before they were hired. In the past, you really needed some experience flying something bigger than a trainer (cargo, air taxi, charter, etc.), or a lot of instructing experience to be competitive in a regional airline interview. But, the industry as a whole needs pilots so badly now, that's just not the case anymore. I just hope for your sake that the bubble doesn't burst before you're in a position to take advantage of it. Everything is cyclical here. We've definitely had our upswing. The million dollar question is, how long will it last, or has it already hit its peak and begun back down? That's up for debate.

Hope that helps.