Probably not for the big six. Lower tier might even be afraid you'd leave for the bigs when you got your PIC. 1-2K regional PIC + mil time should put you in a good place. You've got the tee shirts, now just need the flight time.

Thanks for the reply, rickair777.

Rick air and I often agree but not here - IMO you’re on the bottom edge of being considered. Get your 121 upgrade, and/or mil upgrade, and you should be very competitive. A 1000 hrs 121 PIC is even better. Focus on achieving that ASAP and then your C-17 upgrade.

Part of ‘how competitive am I’ is age related, how do you stack up vs the other 26 yr olds? That is a factor in the matrix.

If you upgrade you’d be a 4,000 hr 121 Captain, who’s military trained, at 27 yrs old. That is a good resume for a 27 yr old. At 40 you’d be a nobody competing against the majority of 40yr olds.

I understood that he completed airline upgrade but hasn't flown the line yet. Experience-wise he has regional SIC and has completed 121 upgrade and mil training. But due to being a guard baby he's not the typical ex-mil guy with ten years and thousands of hours. I think he needs the 121 PIC time to be competitive for top tier.

But absolutely get the apps out now, you never know. Regional FO's with PIC and no mil background have been hired.

Not trying to change the thread topic but I hear the phrases, often, and would love some clarification. Regarding airlines, what are the "big 6" or "first tier", "second tier", etc.?

Thanks

"Big Six" means AA/DL/UA/FDX/UPS/SWA. Those are going to be the best airline jobs for most people, if you can get one. If you have at least 50 combat missions in a fighter and are a weapons school grad, you should hold out for one these.

The "tiers" are less defined. First Tier probably means Big Six, maybe include the other two legacies.

Second Tier is in the eye of the beholder. Jet Blue is probably the only airline which no one would debate as being second tier. AS, HI, NK, might also be considered second tier.

Third Tier would be all the other majors, not including ACMI

Cargo and ACMI are their own thing I guess, other than FDX/UPS which are light years better than other cargo outfits.

Regionals are regionals. Bottom feeders usually means mesa and go-jet, but those are some blurry lines as well.

I might include Allegiant in the 2nd tier category. The lower pay is offset by having a phenomenal TAFB/$$ ratio since one is home every night or almost every night, although it not being commutable OTOH might offset that for others.

Thanks! What categories would companies like NetJets, XO Jet, etc. fall into? Or is it not even comparable once you get past the regionals?

Those a fractionals, not really airlines so apples to oranges. Fractionals do have some airline-like qualities, from a pilot perspective they are a hybrid between corporate aviation and airlines. They are generally considered better than regionals, but not as good as majors. But again, it's apples to oranges, so it depends on your needs and wants.

Thank you. I'm stuck between pursuing a 121 or 135 career but still have some time before 1500 so, more research.