I think the class of 50 was from last fall, but there is still a small and steady stream of DECs coming into Envoy. There are about a hundred beneath me and I started in March.

I have spoken to some pilots who retired early during Covid, and decided to fly for Envoy for a couple years to pad their retirement accounts. I have spoken to some who flew for Mesa and wouldn’t upgrade there because they heard the training department failed people unnecessarily, but they would take a DEC job at Envoy for enough money. One GoJet DEC decided the grass was greener here, and he hadn’t gotten a bonus at GoJet. A Republic FO who thought it was unfair DECs at Republic were offered bonuses but he wasn’t, so he would rather be a captain at Envoy with the bonus. Some long haul and ACMI pilots are tired of the schedules and type of flying and nostalgic about regional flying decided to come give it another go. Some pilots left Part 121 flying for Part 135 flying, and decided the pay at Envoy was a good reason to try Part 121 flying again. Some ExpressJet pilots found something else to do after their company folded and are returning to flying at Envoy. And there are many pilots who left regional flying during the lost decade when career prospects were bleak for pay, lifestyle, or family reasons.

Overall, the motivation is money or the desire to get back into flying again. Envoy was offering jet refresher training and the opportunity to sit in the right seat for captain pay for awhile, then when you showed up for Orientation after signing a promissory note for the jet refresher, they said everyone with 1,000 hours Part 121 time was required to train as a captain.