Seeking Advice
 

Here's where I'm at:

Currently building time for ATP mins. I've got 1100 hours. I have the opportunity at 2000 hours to get a Honda jet type rating and ATP paid for and build time up as PIC at a job in Hawaii.

Or keep building time for an eventual class date at a regional airline within the year and put the time in at a regional.

My main question is, will majors such as United, Delta, or AA hire without previous 121 experience? Or will JetBlue, Frontier, Spirit?

I keep hearing conflicting info. All of the younger regional guys think they won't hire without previous 121 experience. Some retired Major Captains and other people say it doesn't matter as long as it's turbine PIC.

Sound off!

Well you came to the right place for advice. I kid.

121 is preferred but I know we’ve hired plenty of corporate only guys. We used to shy away but now we just can’t.

The question is which way is fastest of major airline is your end goal? Probably regionals but no guarantees. Just don’t burn any bridges. That way if you get stuck at a regional you can always go back to the better corporate job if the majors stop hiring or they just never call and you have to pull the plug. No way of knowing how much you’ll fly that Honda jet and what happens if it gets sold and who pays to keep you current if it does?

Do you have a college degree?

Yes, but it will almost certainly take longer. You'll typically build time slower, and the majors may give preference to regional pilots with less hours so you may need even more flight time.


The younger guys know how it is, because they are living it.

The older major pilots know how it was in 1985. Back then there were no RJ's, just a relatively small number of commuter turboprops, so someone with corporate jet experience at least knew how to fly a jet which was more than you might say about a prop pilot. Today the "commuter" pilots have 121 and glass turbojet experience.

Majors prefer 121 today for several reasons:

Training: Most traditional corporate pilots experience training from the perspective of a customer, not a candidate. Either they are paying for it, or their boss is. I would assume fractionals are more like airlines but not even sure about that. There's not as much pressure as typical 121 programs.

Lifestyle/culture: Regional pilots already know the drill. They are not going to be "surprised" and decide that 121 isn't for them after six months. The only thing that changes for a regional pilot going to a good major is that his pay doubles and he gets more days off.

Records/History: Regional pilots have a long paper trail, makes it easier on HR.

Recruiting: They need pilots at the regionals. Hiring regional pilots at a good clip encourages folks to go that route.

Now with all that said, the pending retirements mean that the majors (all of them) can no longer afford to pass on competent, experienced pilots so there will be opportunities for all. Like I said it will just take longer.

Also... for the majors, you'll want large-cabin bizjet experience. Small plane experience (slowtation, hondajet, pilatus, van, etc) probably isn't going to do the trick.

Yes I have a college degree.

Is it reasonable to think that it would be beneficial to just build hours as a PIC there in Hawaii? I’d be able to cut out the time on reserve and wouldn’t have to worry about the commute while making 3 times as much.

I guess my thought process is that I would fly there 2 years, get my PIC time, my ATP, and just side step to direct entry captain at a regional.

Thoughts? Thanks everyone for the responses

Excuse me but doesn’t a Hondajet have a range of about 1400 miles? Seems to me the only thing within 1400 miles of a Hawaiian island is another Hawaiian island unless you still have the ferry tanks in it that got it there. Of course you CAN just fly from island to island but they are like 200 miles apart - about a half hour by Hondajet.

It sure doesn’t sound like you’ll be building time very fast. And while I would dearly love to own one if I could afford to operate it, it’s still below 12,500 pounds. A regional job would look much better on your resume, IMHO.

That's not unreasonable (I wouldn't say it's the best plan). But DEC training is not for the faint of heart and will have a significant failure rate... there's a LOT of stuff to learn about 121 and most folks spend several years learning it in the right seat.

How much time will you build flying a HondaJet in Hawaii.....all VFR short hops....hard way to build time slowly