Originally Posted by
imbroke
At first I wanted to go anywhere but SJ. Now that I have taken some time to think about it I think I might like to go to SJ and fly the ATR. Here are my reasons tell me what you think. 1. Probably have the best chance at paying off my student loans and surviving at the same time on first yr FO pay (compared to ORD, MIA, LAX, JFK, ect.) 2. The weather would be pretty awesome, 82deg average for the year, low near 70 during the winter. 3. If I absoulutely hated it I could hopefully bid to get on the ERJ or CRJ somewhere else after a year and second year FO pay wouldn't be that bad (compared to first years). 4. I actually like flying so the ATR would be the best for me. 5. I need to work on my spanish, haha.
1. Cost of living there is expensive! Almost ridiculously so. Food is terribly high, so high I almost went into shock at the grocery store there. Crash pads are going to run you $400 or more - a bit more than you can usually find them around the other Eagle domiciles.
2. Can't argue with the weather. It is beautiful, gorgeous - but you won't get much instrument time. What clouds there are we avoid like the plague because they are brutal bumpy little buggers. Weather is good until Hurricane blow through, which is kind of neat too. You will sweat your butt off down there. AC is rare because electricity is so expensive (5 times the continental US rate or more). My crash pad was sweltering at night. There is something to be said for being able to eat outside in January, but the novelty can wear off.
3. If you hate it that year will seem like an eternity. I met a few people that had the same thoughts and they were miserable and trying everything to get out of there. If you hate it the job becomes miserable and you'll make everyone else miserable. Somehow those guys down there can sense a guy who's sick of being there (I guess they get exposed to it a lot).
4. The ATR is a great flying plane, there is no doubt about that. It takes a pilot to fly it and automation is at a minimum. So you get stick and rudder skills. You'll be slapping that thing down on tiny runways in less than ideal conditions. It can be exhilarating. Its a pilot's plane. I don't regret choosing th aircraft. Its an excellent, well built, bullet proof airplane. It has some maintenance problems here and there, but it seldom lets you down.
5. Puerto Ricans are the fastest Spanish speaking people on the planet and they speak a different brand than most people are taught in school. Its a bit more proper than what you might hear in Mexico. Its hard to figure out what's going on at the speed they throw it at you. You get the hang of it. A lot of people are shy to practice their English, but many of them had to take it in High School so they know it.
Before you were to make a decision I have a recommendation for you. Fly down there and stay for a couple of days and check it out. You may like it, you may hate it. People can go either way. I've met people who just meld into it and will probably never leave...and then there are the guys who will kill you just to move up seniority and get out of there! San Juan is a rough and tumble city and its definitely not what many people expect. That being said, I didn't hate it. I hated commuting. Had my wife been there with me it would've been great. You really just have to go and see it for yourself.
Hopefully I've been as objective as possible about it.