Sorry Surfnski, but of all the pilots we have on staff none were turned down by a legacy carrier. I have always been 91 and never applied to a 121 operation. Of the ex 121 guys we have, some were furloughed and didn't return when called and one even resigned from a major when we had a position open up. His reasoning was the pay was better, the quality of life was better, and he likes the fact the flying is not as monotonous. Its not for everybody but as a good 91 operation that is safety conscious, treats the flight crews well, pays above industry average, gives hard days off, and operates good equipment, we have no trouble recruiting and retaining quality crews from both 121 and 91 backgrounds.

 

It really depends on the operation. With 121 it is more predictable what kind of job you will be getting. You know bases, schedule, pay etc when you apply. Part 91 is a different story. I know of 91 departments that are worse than bottom feeder regionals and some can offer better quality of life than the legacy airlines.

Personality goes a long way toward job satisfaction at a corporate dept. Are you going to be able to roll with schedule changes? Increased planning and dispatch responsibility? I have flown with 2 retired legacy pilots who loved 91 and 2 who couldn't handle it and were a complete pain to fly with because of the drama they brought with it.

A close friend just interviewed at UAL. His dad has worked there for 30+ years and recommends he stay at his corporate job because the company isn't what it used to be. Just his opinion after all the changes in the company and culture over the years. Would I quit my great 91 job and go to UAL? Probably. I guess the grass is always greener.

 

I went from corporate/135 to a national carrier, and just recently took a job at a legacy.

I loved my corporate gig - the flying is definitely more varied and interesting than what I did at my national job, and I presume that'll be the case for my legacy job as well. I got to see and do things while flying Citations that I'll simply never get to do again, at any level of 121. I also didn't mind the additional stuff a corporate guy typically has to do - I took pride in it, and there's a lot of satisfaction in a job well done. That's not to say that the satisfaction isn't there in an airliner, but it tends to be more elevated on the corporate side simply because you have a larger role in the overall experience for the passengers.

I left because I was at one of those places that had one crew per airframe, and although I was treated well and not overworked by any means (I flew 12-15 days per month, almost all day trips) - being tied to the phone got old after awhile. I found that as I got older (and married, especially), being at home on my own terms became increasingly important over partying it up in Costa Rica, attending Super Bowls, and so on.

The right corporate gig would have kept me around, and they're certainly out there. But for every one of those jobs, there are dozens of middle of the road ones, tons of downright crappy ones, and after awhile I cashed in my chips and joined the (non-regional*) airline rank and file.

*I can't think of a situation that would have made me head over to the regionals, other than unemployment.

 

Thanks for the apology.

 

I've heard that many local (northeast) 91 departments actually won't hire former 121 guys...is there a lot of truth in this? Where are some of you in the departments that do have former airline guys??

 

Northeast-based here, it depends to answer the question. I'm sure there are departments that won't hire 121 guys, but the majority don't care. Furloughed pilots might be an issue anywhere use the possibility of them leaving.

Gf

 

I'm not in the NE but I think a blanket statement like many 91 companies won't hire 121 isn't likely. People hiring look for individuals... not categories.

 

I also tend to think that the better 91 gigs don't hire straight off the street - you need to be pretty well networked to get the job. So they already have a pretty good idea if you're going to be a good fit for the realities of their operation - 121 background or not.

 

2/3 of my department are ex 121 pilots including myself. It may be true in some places that 121 guys are blackballed, but I know for a fact there are flight departments (including my current) that have ex-airline guys and would prefer hiring ex-airline guys in the future. My personal opinion is I'd rather find a 121 guy with the right work ethic and personality. The corporate side of the business can be easily learned and if they have done any real 121 flying, they can fly an airplane. I've seen guys with purely 91 backgrounds who fly like crap and don't have any real training because they've never been through a 121 program. Say what you want about FSI and CAE Simuflite but anybody who has done both knows that airline training is FAR superior.

 

No bias there. I'd also like a clarification of what differenciates "real" 121 flying from the fake stuff
All kidding aside, flying is flying. We don't get paid to fly, we get paid to wait and spend (sometimes) long periods away from home and family. A good attitude and positive outlook will carry you far on the corporate side. Best of luck to the OP-