Air Wisconsin or Go Jet
 

Anyone care to chime in? Who would you choose and why?

That depends, whats important to you?

Domicile? Money? Time off? Upgrade? 401k? Healthcare? Seniority?

It's a sad day when somebody asks if AWA or gojet is better.

Truly sad. Wow. I would tell that person to go to both interviews and ask alot of questions. Wow.

Sounds like GoJet/TSH is getting bought by Republic. U can read about it on this website...compass/TSA threads.

Still just a rumor. Bloomberg ran a story over six months ago that UAL was looking into the purchase of ExpressJet. Since then, nothing. Even if Republic makes a purchase, it won’t necessarily be all of TSH. Maybe just TSA? TSA and another part?

I do think the 25 -700’s that UAL will cut are coming from GoJet. While it’s possible they get the -175’s UAL purchased I’m not counting on it.

Neither -If you’re smart

Air Wisconsin vs GoJet 2021
 

Former XJTer here. Hoping to revive this thread as I’ve been fortunate enough to be invited to interview with both during these wild times. Quick background: I’m a NJ native who started with XJT early last year and finished my ATP/type ride just in time before the music stopped, so I’m still sitting at just a thousand hours. Pros of AWAC: they own their planes, $5k bonus, better training. Pros of GoJet: growing, newer and bigger airplanes, EWR base. My biggest concerns with AWAC: future of the 200, commuting. Biggest concerns of GoJet: quality of training, their aircraft are all leased. Given my situation, which would you pick and why?

while ZW’s future may look bleak, the owners know how to make money. I doubt they are willing to quietly ride off into the night in 2 years at the end of the UA contract. The problem is we are a private company, so they don’t have to tell us jack squat. Is there a plan? Probably. No one who knows is saying anything though. The training here at ZW is amazing. You will be expected to know a good amount about the plane and think about real world situations. The 200 doesn’t hold your hand like the 700/900 doe systems wise.

G7, they seem to be the 550 darling, but as we saw with Compass, TSA, & Expressjet, contracts don’t mean too much in CPA land. One has to wonder how much magic Uncle Hulas has left in the bag. Same could be said for ZW though too. Honestly I really only see OO or RPA (maybe EDV) being safe in 5 years.

It’s tough, but congrats on having the invites. I’d go with AW personally, only because I’d be shocked if GoJet was around in a few years. I think it’s 50/50 with them at best. AW on the other hand always finds a way to push through, but obviously there future isn’t solidified yet. Either way, wish you the best, hopefully we start hiring at SkyWest shortly and you get an invite!

Gojet is surviving due to 3 things, covid money, smoke, and mirrors. They can't pay for their planes so they are trying to work a deal to sell their 550 contract with United to another carrier. The contract has some value and United is willing to let Hulas walk away with some money if he works out a deal with Skywest, Air Wisconsin, or Republic. Don't be mislead just because anyone says they are hiring, Eastern had people in class when they shutdown, as did Aloha and a bunch more. It helps to keep the current pilots if they see guys in training.

Next week is not going to be a good week for Gojet.

Next week as in literally next week?

That’s a tough call since neither company provides long term stability, if there is such a thing in the regional world. The 550 will probably be around for a while, but GoJet isn’t the best run company and the odds of having to find a job again are definitely there. Air Wisconsin is a much better managed company, but they only fly the 200. That plane is old, inefficient, and the customers don’t like it. It will most likely be the first regional fleet to be retired and there is no guarantee that Air Wisconsin will get the 550 if GoJet tanks, or any other flying when the 200’s are gone. The 70/76 seaters are maxed out and most likely to stay with the companies flying them. Can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’d pick Mesa over either company if I had the choice. They will at least be around long enough to build a resume and hopefully find greener pastures.

EWR base will be better QOL since you live in NJ. But as far as commuting, at least you've got options if you go the AW route. IAD, ORD

Go to GoJet. No
Commute!! They just had SkyWest purchase all there aircraft and lease them back to them (the previously GoJet owned ones)plus the new ones OO is leasing them. SkyWest is wanting to grow there leasing business. not fly the 550’s..

Air Wisconsin vs GoJet 2021
 

I appreciate the responses guys. It's nice to get some input from others who've been around longer and know more. Fwiw, I am looking at a possible phone call from C5 as I have an internal rec from an instructor there, but there's no decision to be made unless they call and offer me the job. So, if by some miracle (given my low time), I get the call from C5, I'd go there even though I'd likely be commuting since EWR and IAD are senior. I'm already typed on the 145 so the training would also be easier. Historically, the name of the game was to take the first class date, and so far, I'm potentially looking at April/early May classes with AWAC/G7. Would you take the latest class date available in hopes that C5 (or even PSA/EDV) call or would you take the first class and finish training right as the summer flying starts to blow up?

First class

A lot of people, including myself and OP, have been burned by this conventional wisdom.

FWIW, I'm in a similar boat. I'm an ExpressJet guy also furloughed out of training last April shortly after beginning IOE. I chose XJT because it was the earliest class date I could get. I've got an interview scheduled with AWAC, but I'm not entirely sure I'd accept the job if it's offered. Right now I have a cushy CFI job that would require a substantial pay cut if I were to go AWAC, and personally, with what Kirby has said about 50 seaters, I'm hesitant to go to a United only operator of 50 seaters. I am truly sick of flight instruction though, so it's a tough call to make. I may need to consult a magic 8 ball though because the future is anyone's guess.

Unless Awac comes out with a new contract for newer / bigger aircraft , I would lean towards G7
You shouldn’t have any issues in training and the EWR base gets you close to home .
I seriously doubt Awac survives this without any new ac on property.
It’s definitely a better company but they don’t seem to have the planning and foresight to plan for the future accordingly. Reactive vs proactive.

You say this as they are adding 700/900 types to their operating certificate and negotiated/bought pay rates for those airframes.

So what ? Just to be able to bid on that flying??
Its a dual qualification aircraft series , should have done that 10 years ago.
Who says they will win any bids ? Skywest G7 Mesa can all do it for a lot cheaper.
We will see .

Just saying they are being proactive instead of reactive in this case.

No, I disagree. They are being reactive to Kirbys announcement last April / May when he stated the 50 seaters will all but be gone from UA feed system in a year or two.
Thats when they got off their ass and started to make shiidddd happen.
if that announcement wasn’t made by Kirby none of what you see now would be happening.They would be happy with the crappy 200.
REACTIVE.The 7/900 tshould have been added 10-15 years ago in my opinion.

fully agree with this. 700/900 was purely reactive.

I’d say that you are more on track. United was selling the Aviate opportunities at XJT right up until the day that they announced that they were going to cut a 145 operator, and any current 50 seat only operator could easily suffer the same fate. Air Wisconsin, like XJT was, seems to be a pretty well run company, but they currently only fly for United, and happen to operate a fleet that does not have a long term future if management meant what they said. The 70/76 seaters are maxed out and already being flown by others. The 700 type could put Air Wisconsin in a position to take the 550’s if GoJet fails, but Mesa and SkyWest already have programs in place and could most likely do it at a cost lower than keeping another regional on the books.

The 20 “new” 550’s are actually owned by Mesa leased to skywest, then leased to gojet. That’s my understanding of it. Its weird.

I 100% could be mistaken though.

You are mistaken. OO is definitely not leasing them from Mesa

50 seaters aren't disappearing overnight. United is investing way too much money in C5 to drop them in 2 years. 5 years is a different story and maybe Air whiskey isn't included in the big picture.

I personally wouldn't go to C5 as you will be on reserve for ever and the commute will be killer. I know nothing about whiskey but they have an IAD base which would be ok but not sure how senior it is. As much at G7 is the 3rd choice, living in base is great and nobody knows what's going to happen in 12 months.

While EWR or IAD with C5 would be ideal, they're both senior and all the new hires will be going to either IAH or DEN which is like a 3.5 to 4-hour commute. Furthermore, I've no idea when the next class will be and I don't want to miss what will likely be a busy summer with AW/G7 just to hold out for a potential phone call from C5. On the flip side, their future is more stable/solidified than AW/G7. With AW, I'd probably end up in IAD which is only an hour-ish commute from EWR. And even if they don't ink a deal with UA or AA in two years, then at least by then I'll have enough hours to hopefully get on with an ULCC or a reputable 135. UA could also theoretically transfer the 550's from G7 to AW now that they've added the 700/900 to their cert (should things not work out with them). I'm still very new to the airlines but that's just my thinking.

I tend to agree with this. As long as you think a regional will exist long enough to get what you need out of it, and you plan on a safety net if you miss your jump, long term stability isn’t super important. The goal is to not stay long enough for it to really matter.

Not everyone can get to their preferred major but just about everyone at the regionals can make it to someplace better then a regional.

Not wishing harm to anyone, but don’t be to sure of anything when dealing with United and the 50 seaters. United investing heavily in an airline is the same argument that the former XJT pilots had, and look how that turned out. United spent a ton of money buying part of the company and then dropped them with little notice. The 50 seaters aren’t going away overnight, but they are most likely going away over the next several years, and with scope maxed out, there are no real replacements. If on the street I’d take a bird in the hand and then leave for any 175 operator.

Anyone who joins a United 50 seat regional now and is still there in 5 years (unofficial 50 seat death date) needs a psychiatrist. Go ACMI or LCC or even fractional but don't get comfortable at a regional.

The amount of people who have said to me that they should have applied to JetBlue or Frontier instead of "waiting" for a legacy to call while at a regional.

Exactly. Set a hard out date. Don’t let yourself get comfortable.

I mean seriously have you learned nothing from UA in the past year? They invested much less in C5 than XJet. Although I’m fairly certain C5 will be just fine.

Also may I add United made a $1 billion investment in a company called Archer aviation, which is one of the new upcoming eVTOL ventures (ACIC). Man, it probably took them no later than a couple of hours to claim it was their initiative for clean energy. CRJ200’s and ERJ145’s are not a good look for the “clean energy” movement that suddenly UA has jumped into.

I’m extremely confident the 50 seater will be slowly fading away for good this time.

Any way you cut it, they're getting old and at some point AW will need an out strategy. Even if they were to get into 700s, it's not like those are particularly young either. Green energy or no, the planes are gonna need replacing, either by bigger planes or newer ones.

The only regional fleet that isn’t nearing the end of the line is the 175’s, and for now, the 550. There are only a few real options being that scope is maxed out.

1. The legacies relax scope (not likely)
2. A new and efficient 50 seat jet hits the market within the next 5 years (not likely)
3. The lift is replaced with larger aircraft flown by legacy pilots (not Kirby’s favorite option)

My guess is that within 3-5 years, all of the 145’s and 200’s will be gone, the 550’s will stay for a while, and the companies currently operating the 175’s will survive. That would leave one other regional flying the 550 unless one of the 175 operators took that flying depending on what United wanted that day.

Lady Justice will not be happy

What about all those routes those planes are serving? I get the 175s are 70/76 seats but wont there need to be a lot more 175s flying around or more main line flying?

Kirby’s hands are tied regarding scope. U-APLA’s firm position is that if he wants more 175’s, United pilots are the only pilots who will fly them. United and the others are moving to reduced frequency and larger aircraft. Many of the routes that have been served with the 50 seaters were high frequency, same with the 70/76 seaters. My commute (pre-COVID) for example was operated by 8 or so 175’s, depending on the day. That route could be served by 4 or 5 flights on a 737 or 320. The 175’s would then be free to cover much of what the 50 seaters are flying. Some of the smaller markets only served by one or two 50 seaters could prove to be no longer viable. The same thing happened when the 19 seat turboprops were replaced with Saab’s, and then again when they were replaced with rj’s. Delta has officially announced the retirement of their 50 seaters. As they age, American and United will have to adapt as well. Over the last 20+ years flying at the legacies was eroded while the regionals expanded, now it appears that as flying shifts to larger aircraft, the number of aircraft operated by the regionals will suffer the same fate. United is taking delivery of 94 aircraft during the next 2 years. The lift is available.

There’s also the possibility of a nextgen turboprop in the next decade.

Gen Z/Millenials have never flown on a turboprop and have no preconceived hatred for them. Make them comfortable, give them good WiFi, cheap tickets, and good eco-centric marketing and they’ll work.