Originally Posted by Casualinterest

I know people who went to a regional with a long upgrade time because " majors will hire you without pic" four years later they still haven't upgraded or been hired by a major, and the reality is setting in with them that you are better off with the pic than without it, especially if the economy tanks again.

Now to your actual question about getting a line and your thousand hours here. It took me 20 months to get a thousand hours, I averaged 18 to 19 days off per month every month since I got a line. I worked as little as possible and maximize my time at home. I know several people who got the Thousand hours in 13 to 15 months. Our Reserve time right now is fairly long, and based on the things I've heard about our hiring and growth plans a new hire now should expect to be on reserve for a a not-insignificant amount of time. Probably in the 6th to 8th month range even in a junior base. Of course, all subject to change. Could go up could go down. I was on reserve in 2016 for less than a month. A January 2017 hire was on reserve for almost a year.

That being said, a year two FO here can make 70k without bonuses and average 15 days off per month doing it. 2018 so far I'm averaging 105 hours of credit with 18 days off every month. Pick my holidays, all trips commutable, pick my overnights, pick my Captains.



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Originally Posted by Flogger

I will say for now 9E is a decent place-as good as any regional can be for quality of life and commuting. The pay is tops and they treat you like an adult.

9E is currently fat on FOs, hopefully getting ready for more growth, so getting to CA quick is a challenge, depending on base and equipment. A good place to be based to get lots of flying today could be totally dead in a month. No predicting it.

At OO you will most likely fly more but make less and have a terrible work environment. If growth comes to 9E as predicted, the flight time and CA should come quicker.

Everything changes so fast at the regionals these days. My advice is to stick with or go to a regional you can live with and easily commute to work, in case you get stuck there. Stuff happens. War, recession, training failures, family issues lock you in, DUI, altitude bust, illness? You never know what can cause you to get "stuck" at the regional level.

Right now the DGI program is an unknown variable. We won't know if it actually works for at least a year, so don't bank on that.

As far as OO, I am surprised their wages and QOL have stayed so low for so long. Somethings gotta give there or that west-coast base dream won't be enough to staff their current flying.

Originally Posted by FO Candidate

Thanks for the insight. I envy your QOL, and I'm sure you've worked hard for it. But I'm in my early 40's, just getting started on 121 so can't waste any time. I want QoL (and better pay) but that's for a later time if I intend to progress. Precisely for all the things you said, i rather byte the bullet at a regional to get those 1,000 pic than jump to a major, wait years for upgrade and risk getting a furlough with no PIC time.

Seems that from indoc to line could take about a year. I think i'm gonna painfully have pass on the interview.

Originally Posted by Blueskies21

I ran into a Skywest Captain yesterday and he was telling me that Skywest runs their PBS, awards their schedules, and then adds involuntary straight pay "company need" trips on top of their PBS awarded schedule. Evidently for this guy, they put 2 trips right on top of a stretch of days off he needed and was awarded off in PBS.

Frankly I couldn't believe what he was saying with regard to what kind of treatment they get. Keeping in mind they don't have a contract at all, so there's no union protection from any of it.

Originally Posted by ninerdriver

One additional piece to ponder before you pass. How close are you to a base? Our long call reserve makes reserve much more tolerable, and in the near-future, it'll be 30% of reserve lines for at least six months. If you can make two flights (or the drive) in a twelve hour period, then you can sit reserve at home. You won't fly as much, but you'll be home, which makes not flying much more tolerable.

If sitting reserve in base, then you can't be called for 5am reserve on your first day if you're holding PM reserve, either. That's one more day at home every sit.

Originally Posted by FO Candidate

Thanks for the insight. I envy your QOL, and I'm sure you've worked hard for it. But I'm in my early 40's, just getting started on 121 so can't waste any time. I want QoL (and better pay) but that's for a later time if I intend to progress. Precisely for all the things you said, i rather byte the bullet at a regional to get those 1,000 pic than jump to a major, wait years for upgrade and risk getting a furlough with no PIC time.

Seems that from indoc to line could take about a year. I think i'm gonna painfully have pass on the interview.

Originally Posted by Casualinterest

That's a good point. Reserve will be much more bearable with more LCR. But the company can always increase the number of SCR

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Originally Posted by WesternSkies

Either he didn’t know what he was talking about or you miss understood.
CN is a thing, but how you explained it is more incorrect than correct.

Originally Posted by Iceberg

Care to enlighten us or do you prefer to just declare “you’re wrong!” without facts? The guy is looking for information and you’ve provided nothing.