Originally Posted by
DashGirl
Just thinking out loud I guess...I'm one of those who currently work at a shrinking regional with no chance of upgrade and the threat of unemployment looming. Seems many companies are starting to hire. A lot of great opportunites are opening especially with foreign carriers. But wait...no ATP and no PIC turbine...Seems some of us SIC's, even those of us with over 3000 hrs tt may get left out in the cold.
If the so called pilot shortage actually hits, then I suppose we will find work to advance our careers, but numbers I'm seeing on mainline retirements are not exactly encouraging.
So us suckers that came in low-time that never got the ATP and the 1000 PIC flying boxes may very well have to face the music of our shortcut. We seem to be stuck in a wierd place of meeting the tt and multi mins of nearly everyone hiring but without the ATP and PIC time we are stuck. It's frustrating.
Sorry, I'm just venting...I'm sick of living paycheck to paycheck watching job after job come open that I don't qualify for as my SIC tt climbs into the 3500 hr range....
Sigh...I HATE that f'n ATP! It's hard to justify paying for it myself when getting any PIC turbine ain't gonna happen anyway...
Again..I'm just crying in my beer as Cathay Pac and JAL is hiring but me no have stoopid PIC time...Sorry.
I guess all I really can do is relax, be thankful I have a flying job at all and hope for the best....
First you aren't the only PDT FO feeling the pinch, theres lots of us in the exact same boat who are afraid that we will never have the opportunity to upgrade.. Then what?
CPZ is one place I know thats hiring. I know one guy that got hired there and I guess there was a second who also left recently. Its a 'lateral move with a future' -- but one that fits your qualifications.
Other regionals are hiring too. I personally wouldn't bother going to GoJets. But Eagle might have a decent future, and Colgan most likely has a solid future as an independent "very low cost" Q400 operator. But you have to ask yourself if you want to work for those companies.
Another PDT FO just went to ATC, its shift work though so while you are 'home' your schedule is wonky and you won't always be home at night/day/evenings. But barring any Greece like 'austerity' in the states, it is a well paying and very stable job, one that a person with a few years as a 121 FO would be uniquely qualified for.
Those Caravan gigs sound like an alright remedy to your situation as well. A bit risky as far as stability of employment perhaps, but maybe worth it considdering that our current employment is every bit as unstable.
Whichever path you take, they are all a roll of the dice. Who had the best roll will be determined 30, 40 years from now. Good luck =)