Part 121 or 135 ?
 

Dear fellow pilots

Which on is better choice :

1) 135 wheels up pax 8 on 6 Of king air 350

2) 121 Southern Air freight 18 on 12 Of B - 737

Thank you all in advance

Define better. What are you career goals?

What are your goals?
$$$
QOL
Advancement to a future company, or long-term job?
Way to many variables time let others make the choice.
Some like daytime turboprop flying, with more home time...
Others yern to fly jets, even if it mostly night flying.

It really depends on your current experience. If you have only flown light piston powered aircraft I’d say take the KingAir job to gain experience. If you’ve been flying turboprops or small jets I’d say take the 737 job. Although wide-open hiring provides some pilots a chance to leapfrog over what used to be a normal career progression, skill development doesn’t always follow shortcuts.

I haven't flown for either, so take it with the appropriate amount of salt, but I've known people who have flown for both. AFAICT, the QOL at Wheels Up will be significantly better. You will upgrade more quickly, and I think the money might be slightly better as well (for the first few years).

OTOH, Southern will be vastly better as an experience and or resume builder if your goal is the airlines. Also, if you wind up sticking around, Southern will (probably, someday) be a better "career" job as you get higher in seniority.

My advice to anyone who doesn't have a gold-plated job offer in front of them is go 121. You can go anywhere with 121 time. The airlines generally don't think much of 135, even with a couple thousand hours of jet PIC time. (Ask me how I know.) It's easy to cross the fence from 121 to 91 or 135, not so easy to cross the other direction.

Why not go to a regional to build 121 time? You’ll make more money, get more hours, and likely have a faster upgrade than you can get elsewhere. If a cargo carrier is your career destination, I know a handful of CA’s at my regional that are now at UPS, FedEx, and Kalitta

With regards to Southern Air,

Per our Flight Operations Manual, any potential captain must have:

(1) 2,500 hours of total time on a turbojet aircraft of more than 41,000 pounds max take-off weight

and

1,000 hours of PIC time in a turbojet aircraft of more than 41,000 pounds max take-off weight

OR

(2) 1,500 hour of SIC time in a turbojet aircraft of more than 41,000 pounds max take-off weight and 500 hours as SIC with the company.

If Southern is your first part 121 job, there is absolutely no way that you will upgrade to PIC in 2 years. My understanding is that they average about 300 hours per year, which would be about a 5 year upgrade.

Also, remember that as an FO at Southern on the 737, you will see no change in pay until year 4.

Expect to make minimum pay. I have only credited more than minimum pay at Atlas (same CBA as Southern now, essentially) 2 months so far this year.

That would mean that you should expect to make $80x61x12 or $58,560 for your first three years.

Take a look at Everts Air Cargo.

If you’re low time, you can embark on your career with their 135 operation in their EMB120 program based in KLRD. Their 135 DO and CP are great guys, and line pilots too.

After you build time, you can matriculate over to Everts 121 operation, which operates a fleet of MD-80, also based in KLRD. They have a great DO and CP too.

The owner of the airline, Rob, is a great guy too, who also flies the line in their DC-6 and C-46 fleet.

During the summers, you’ll have the opportunity to fly in Alaska too. An adventure unto itself.

Do what your heart tells you. The two options you present have polar opposite schedules, way of life. With 121, you get a PIC type on the 737, not a useless SIC type. Wheels up, I think it's mostly day time flying? What ever works for you. My 135 experience left me wishing I went straight to a 121 regional instead. All water under the bridge now.