Originally Posted by sweptback
[*]You'll build flight time like crazy. SIC is worthless, sure, but when you're just starting out TT is important, too. Once you upgrade, as well, you'll build PIC time faster.
If you have 1500 hours TPIC by the time you get hired by a regional, you're not just starting out in your career. Your total time is very likely in excess of 3000 hours, and many HR folks may question why somebody left a PIC position to become a regional airline SIC.
[*]Schedules (at the better regionals) are pretty good, much better than being on a beeper constantly. Plus the ability to swap/drop/trade trips to improve your schedule. Even on reserve, you will probably have some sort of hierarchy/bucket system and a chance to be on long-call and sit at home on reserve.
Very true, but this makes two very large assumptions: 1. you're on a beeper constantly flying 91/135 (I'm not, and neither are most others I know) and 2. you live or are willing to move to your airline's domicile. 91 & 135 jobs/schedules are NOT made equal and they run from 24/7 on call as you describe to hard days off and trips scheduled weeks in advance.
[*]You'll make contacts with other pilots at the company who will someday move on and help you get your next job.
True you'll fly with more people at an airline, but quantity of networking doesn't necessarily constitute quality networking.
[*]You don't have to worry about the boss selling the airplane, especially in this economy.[/LIST]
That's a valid concern..but no 'good' regionals are currently hiring anyway and there's just as much risk of getting furloughed as a newhire in a down economy as there is of a flight department folding. Additionally, within the bizav world your experience (and salary) is largely transportable to another job should the worst happen; that isn't the case if one is furloughed.
This is NOT meant to be an "airline vs. corporate" argument, as I flew two happy years at AWAC before getting my current job....but IMO there's little to be gained and much downside for somebody with 1500 TPIC in a non-121 environment (again, assuming that time isn't single-engine turboprop) going to fly an RJ.