Originally Posted by
SandMan2
I am very conflicted about which direction to go. I live in a domicile for both NJ and Flex, and I’d have to be a commuter at a regional. I understand QOL and first couple years of pay would be better at a fractional, but my end goal is to get to a legacy, and it seems like a regional is a better and faster path. On the other hand, I wouldn’t mind spending a couple years at a fractional to be honest, even if it takes a little longer to get to a legacy. But there’s always the risk of an economic downturn and losing a chance to do that.
Flexjet hands down. You'll get you ass whipped with flying; the customer base seems to be sticking with us post-COVID boom; we have more variety in our schedules than any other 135/91k operator I know of; our pay isn't based on flight hours, and if you needed to you could stay awhile and keep making a decent living; and I really like the people here. It's not perfect but I'm glad I'm here than any other fractional by far. I know people NJ, and even those who have gone from Flexjet to NJ, and they agree we have way more fun here. If you're looking for a place to fly a ton and get your soul crushed now and then with long duty days, this is it.
Do your research - the industry changes by the month, but I don't think for one second that a regional is better per se. Our training pipeline is waaaaay faster and we fly a lot. Only wild card here that could break your heart is if you get assigned to the Phenom, you might sit awhile waiting for IOE. But your upgrade to Phenom captain will be much faster too. Regardless of initial fleet type, you can get a captain bid award on the Phenom in 7 or 8 months, way quicker than a regional to getting TPIC; although no longer required TPIC can help your app score better.
FWIW - I left a stagnant regional training pipeline to come to Flex (and planned to stay actually, but life changed); have a CJO at a legacy with a few more interviews coming up. YMMV
Regional commuting is brutal. Save it for a legacy if you must and try the fractional thing.