Regional or a fractional?
 

Hi all,

Currently I'm a CFI and graduating soon with a four year degree. I'm eligible for R-ATP mins and I'm kinda in a pickle. My end goal is to retire at a major airline. I'm currently an ambassador for a regional airline so I'm already involved in the company and I have company seniority but not pilot seniority. The airline doesn't have a base in Dallas/Ft. Worth but I'm open to commuting to some of the nearby ones. First year pay is one of the best in the regional market and they have good benefits.

My other option right now is a fractional company that I have a few strong connections at and is very convenient for me as I'm moving to Ft.Worth after I graduate. My girlfriend (Who I'm putting a ring on soon. Pretty serious relationship.) Will be doing her grad school in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area so being home based and not commuting would be a huge plus. First year pay here is 10k more than any regional currently and they have good overtime pay. I'm a hard worker and overtime is something I'd do since my girlfriend would be wrapped up in school anyway.

My biggest concern is if I go to the 91k operation will I have a good chance with getting on at a major (American, United or Delta) after a few years of getting some Multi Turbine PIC time. I know people that have skipped the regionals there and have gone to Southwest directly.

Thanks

The best answer to the version of this question that gets asked at least once a week. It's to do whichever one will hire you and makes you happy to do if you get stuck there thru the next recession. Fractional and regional are two different animals.

Most guys I’ve seen getting interviewed from corporate/fractional at SWA and legacies have 5000+ PIC Jet (sitting left seat, not just typed and sole manipulator of controls). A lot of them came to regionals recently as direct entry captains and after 3-6 months of flying the line they got calls at majors.

I’m not saying that it’s not possible to go straight from corporate to majors, as it does happen, but it’s the minority. most of the ex corporate guys getting calls now bit the bullet and went to a regional as direct entry captains.

The industry is in a state of flux so what happens today won’t be the same in 12 months from now.

Hope this provides you a little more insight.

P.S. Don’t make a career decision for a chick, unless you’re married already.

Trust me. I'm not! ;)

I accepted a job offer for a cfi position and it happens that she is doing her grad school there.

Stability is a big worry for me. I don't wanna be finding new jobs every couple years. I just want to get a good company, settle on an airframe that pays well and stick around.

Stability is a tricky concept pre-major. Many of the regional guys that settled and didn't want to disrupt their stability to commute for upgrade, are not getting hired.

I wouldn’t even worry about stuff like this until you remotely have the hours to get picked up by a regional. The industry will change 10 times in the next 12-24 months while you build your hours.

If your long-term goal is 121 start 121 and stay there. If you’re long-term goal is a G6 or Global then go fractional. I flew elsewhere before going to a 121 regional and one of the biggest takeaways from the many old dudes sitting around the FBO was they wished they had either stayed 121 or taken that furlough recall etc. They told me that long-term, when you’re looking out over a 40+ year career, the airlines have provided the best stability, pay, and benefits.

I was commuting and due to weather, had to get creative. I met a pilot from another company and we split a rental car and had a few hours to talk. He was at a fractional for quite a few years and his dad was a captain for one of the big three legacies. He applied but did not hear a peep from the legacy until he quit the fractional and went to a regional.

PM sent

(filler)