Regular ME time will be beneficial. Just keep knocking the door down if you want to get hired there. PM me if you'd like.

 

So what is the actual schedule like? Say you have to come into base from another city. I understand they pay for you positive space and give you a hotel but how long are you doing this? So you're living in a hotel when on working days?

 

Unless you live in the base SFB or AUS you will be flown from home, and be in hotels the entire time. You're either in a hotel in the base, or at the outstation. Most overnights are in base. The big difference from other regionals being if you are short call reserve (RAP), you get a hotel always. Basically, unlike other regionals you will never need a crashpad, nor will you ever have to jumpseat to/from work. If you are on duty 12 or more hours, they buy you lunch of your choice from whatever is available at the airport (don't screw this up ordering lobster from Legal Seafoods).

Basically, act and perform like a professional and you are actually treated like one. A novel idea for a regional.

Their biggest flaw in my opinion, is they are always late putting out the schedules for the following month. It hasn't been unheard of to not get your schedule until a few days before the first of the following month. It really does happen. No excuse for it, since the flight schedules are in the reservations systems for months ahead so pax can book.

You're paid a salary which is a daily pay, regardless if you're short call, flying, or cancelled for MX you get the same pay, unlike a few airlines, a day off at a hotel is still a paid day. The only time you may end up unpaid would be a long call at home that you weren't used with less than 16 days away from home total for the month.

I liked it there.

If it helps a typical schedule could look like

1 - fly to base, go to hotel
2 - fly 2, 4 or 6 legs
3 - fly 2, 4 or 6 legs
4 - Short Call from Hotel
5 - fly 2, 4 or 6 legs
6 - fly 4 or 6 legs
7 - 30 hour at hotel
8 - fly 2, 4 or 6 legs
9 - fly 2, 4, or 6 legs
10 - fly home

An 8 day trip would have the short call be your 30 hour

They try to do your 16 days on blocks or two trips per month. it gets broken up in various ways.
10/6
8/8
9/7
or even all 16 at once, but they don't go over 9 or 10 without your permission. They have a guy who asks to never go home, they just 30 hour him all over the place and pay him lots of overtime. Technically it's 18 days, but those last two days are long call at home and nobody has ever been actually called.

The schedules are the weakest part of the company in my opinion. There's no consistency involved at all. Still, they treat their pilots better than most regionals.

 

How are the TSA planes? Have you worked out the STL gremlins yet?

 

Would someone with 2000 jet, all E145 SIC, but without 5000 TT be considered for direct entry captain?

 

Independence Air. Ran CRJs only for 6 months before getting 319s and blew through millions. Also Air Whiskey tried flying CRJs for Air Tran in the mid 90s and lost their shirt in the process and the agreement was discontinued.

 

Independence started off in huge debt; owed lots of money on equipment and aircraft. Both comparisons you’re talking about were fee for departure carriers with tons of debt. Bad recipie. The Air Tran deal was not a go it alone endeavor, it was a bad CPA, but did stem the bleeding for AW while they reorganized.


Via owns all the aircraft outright, has very very little debt, and is flush with cash. They weren’t flying full. Check the FAA load reports.

AW was FFD, not the same either.

 

Depends how close to the 5000. They may want to see you right seat for six months if it’s right at 3500 TT. Doesn’t hurt to apply, with 2000 in type you’ve got a good shot at street captain

 

Mostly past all that, although they have their flashback moments....

It’s a better regional than most in terms of how you’re treated and paid.

 

Um. Wrong. Independence Air had the highest funding of any startup carrier. The problem is they blew through $125 million in cash until the Airbus got on the property. Once the company got rid of some of the 50 seaters and were down to 12 319s and 30 crjs it was making money, but not enough to overcome the hole Skeen had dug for himself by flying 90 CRJs around by themselves. Skyrocketing fuel prices during 2004 and 05 didn't help either. I worked there. The planes were full after the first couple of months and people in DC loved the airline.

So if you want to tell yourself this will work in an environment where oil prices are going up go ahead. But Fly I, Expressjet, and Air Wisconsin all tried it and eventually had to give in to the fact that the CASMs on 50 seaters just don't work in a LCC or ultra LCC model, particularly when you don't have some kind of narrowbody in the mix to lower overall CASMs.

Good luck. You're gonna need it.