When should I apply?
 

I will try to keep this short.

I am a former 121 regional airline FO 12 years removed and want to go back to professional flying. I have roughly 2570TT with a little over 2000 of that in the right seat of a SAAB 340 at the regional airline. I do not have my ATP and have not flown any in the last 12 years until very recently when I decided to return to flying as a career. I got my flight review sign off and just started working on my IPC.

When should I put my application out? Now? Wait until I complete my IPC? Sometime after that when I have more recent time?

Thanks.

We're so desperate for bodies, you might as well apply now. FWIW, the pending LOA's contain some prior 121 longevity credit language.

10 per class sounds like Envoy is overstaffed

Training is the bottleneck, all our check airmen are at United.

Interview scheduled for first week of June. That was fast.

A potential DEC or near DEC? They would have probably come to you.

They'd probably put you up at the Gaylord Texan if you asked at this point.

How long to hold DFW as a base? I live here so reserve, line, I don't care.

Most of the recent classes have had DFW and MIA slots with no ORD. But there’s always a chance a class out of the blue that a class gets only ORD. In which case it should only a few months for next quarterly bid and then transfers to rake place.

How old are you? I’m guessing late 40s early 50s. Consider coming here for an ATP and some recency, then jumping ship to Spirit.

Just turned the big 4-0

I left Eagle in 2007. Figure you were hiring on about then?

Correct

Filler

I'm kind of in the same boat, but I'm an Air Force guy out for 5 years. About 3500 TT and 2900 TPIC (fighter and heavy time). No major will touch me since I haven't flown in 5 years but I wonder if the regionals won't want me either since they know I'll likely be jumping ship as soon as I get some time under my belt. I'll be getting my IPC first and then I'll start throwing my hat in the ring at regionals. Envoy is my first choice (bases and pay).

‘You just need to get into a 121class somewhere and get current quickly. The major will call you shortly afterwards.

I’ll echo what Swakid8 said. And I don’t think ANY regional is in a position to say “you’ll just get hired away so we won’t hire you”. They need all hands on deck right now. So, go get hired at your regional of your choice and show you’re proficient enough to pass a 121 course and some major will snatch you up quick I think.

Only caveat I’d add is that if you want AA, I wouldn’t come to Envoy. AA does hire from it’s WOs, but it’s not a lot. They’ve got to protect their cheap labor feed. You’d be a different kind of candidate than the normal Envoy FO that’s applying elsewhere so maybe it wouldn’t hold true for you. But I wouldn’t bank on it. I’d bank on you being at a regional for very short time before I’d bank on AA hiring you from a WO. Just something to consider.

I'm kind of in the same boat, but I'm an Air Force guy out for 5 years. About 3500 TT and 2900 TPIC (fighter and heavy time). No major will touch me since I haven't flown in 5 years but I wonder if the regionals won't want me either since they know I'll likely be jumping ship as soon as I get some time under my belt. I'll be getting my IPC first and then I'll start throwing my hat in the ring at regionals. Envoy is my first choice (bases and pay).