Hey, I was hoping to get a little input from any of you Skywest guys who have been on reserve. I am considering makin the switch from 137 to 121. Probably will only apply to compass and Skywest hoping for Skywest. My question is what is the day to day life like on reserve? We plan on moving to wherever my first domicile is and really hoping to get with Skywest in DEN or COS. Just wondering if you have to go sit at the airport all day or if you only have to be within an hour or so? How often would u get to fly and when u do , are you put on a 2-3 day trip then back home?
The unknown is a tough thing when making a career change especially for the wife and 3 little girls who are used to having daddy home every night. We will move because we DO NOT plan on commuting, and would like to be gone 3-4 days a week max eventually when I get off reserve. I am not going to chase upgrades or bigger paychecks. Would be very happy to make it to 50-60k a year and live in Colorado. After the next 15 years when our kids are gone , then maybe we would try to get on at a legacy and move wherever , but I don't wanna sacrifice my family on the altar of airline work.
Thanks everyone

 

I've been on reserve for a couple months in IAH it's the right move to do, I was doing the same thing before I came here. It all depends on what type of reserve line you get and right now I've got the 4am -4pm shift and I've flown 6 hours this month all depends on staffing and how many guys can cover if someone calls in sick. If you want to fly do a 9am-9pm shift you'll be utilized more. You def want to live in base if you can or be able to make it to the airport within 2 hours, I haven't got told to come from home and sit ready reserve (at airport ready to go) yet at my base but they may do that at others. Most times when you get back in from a trip ex- 3pm they'll sit you on ready reserve for a few hours before you go home. You can get all kinds of trips, standups, locals (out and back same day), 3-4days. It's not a bad gig at all if you live in base and much safer and qol is higher that 135.5 gig I'm sure. Also the people here rock! Good luck pal!

Droops

 

Actually i'm coming from 137 work (cropdusting). We own a very fluid growing business and it's done well , but i'm growing weary of the business owning me instead of me owning the business. I have very good pilots that could handle this while i'm gone for a year or so to try the 121 work.
Also, what is a standup trip? Sorry if that's a stupid question, i'm new to all the airline lingo!

 

SKW reserve is not bad at all. Only set back is that it is highly unlikely that if you request an early release that you will get one.

 

I am trying to make arrangements to be gone from my business for 16 months minimum. If we don't think we 've made a big mistake, we will be gone for good, but i don't wanna leave our business until we have a chance to live the airline life for awhile. If my plan works like i hope, my guys will be able to manage the business without me and I would be able to enjoy a long career with Skywest while my kids are young.

 

Good luck getting either of those bases. If you do, reserve will most likely be your life for a while. Chances are you would get MSP for example and not be on reserve long at all. I know more than a few people that only had it for two days. Sitting reserve will make you no money. It's really up to you and what you can afford to do. If you are willing and able to move for 75 hours pay, more power to you.

 

Are DEN and COS senior bases? We have a place in central ND so MSP wouldn't be the worst thing either. Being a line holder as opposed to on reserve, what's gonna be the hour difference on a average month? If we could make 20-30k on reserve the first couple years we are ok with that.

 

Outstation reserve will typically be better than hub reserve too.
Think cos>den.
(If you'd rather not work) from what I understand.

 

COS and DEN are both junior bases. COS reserve you are less likely to be sent TDY, less likely to come in to sit Ready reserve and more likely to not get called at all. COS is a maintenance base so you will get called in to to Mx flights and repo flights.
DEN you will get sent TDY more, often have ready reserve on the last day of your reserve block, and fly nearly every day.

 

There are many, many people who have been at this company for a long time who would violently disagree with you. You do not want to be on reserve at SKW for very long.

If you're a new-hire in a big base reserve won't be for too long (probably) so I wouldn't avoid the company for that reason. It's also possible that if you're in the right equipment, seat, domicile, and season that you can spend a lot of time on reserve without getting called. But you'd have to seek that out, and there are no guarantees it will last...those are niche opportunities, and the company will eventually fix that sort of imbalance if they can.

I know people who took the first upgrade, spent 6-7 years at the company, and got hired by a major...all without ever holding a line. If you have a family, that would be catastrophic.