Flyslow13

I was going to same the same, always good to get it on file!

B727DRVR

Actually Blackhawk,

You only have to go as far as the 135 and Netjets section of the APC Forums to see former Fractional and 135 pilots questioning the sanity or intelligence of the pilots who decided to remain in 135 or fractional. And they do this without regard to why pilots decide to stay, such as family reasons or being ,say, in your late 50's. I haven't seen the actual terms "idiot", or "loser", specifically written but it is certainly implied. There are posters on the Netjets, TMC, and flyExclusive threads that pretty much make these points whenever anything is written about these companies, even good things.

Blackhawk

Your first sentence. ".... section of APC Forums..."
In real-world life, I never have heard actual people say anything of the sort.

USMCFLYR

I get asked all the time when I’m going to go to the airlines from friends in the industry and other pilots I met along the way.
Underlying idea is that every pilot wants to be an airline pilot. On another forum it was even intoned that any good pilot would be in the private sectors and only pilots that can’t make it fly outside of civilian aviation (and specifically) the airlines.

B727DRVR

Cool,

I'm glad to hear that is true out in the 121 world, because, on these here forums, those of us who decided to stay in 91k or 135 have basically been called idiots and/or losers for staying here, LOL. "Don't you know that all of the major airlines are hiring?!?!"

To them I say, "Thanks, Captain Obvious"...

Many of us have been there and done it in 121 and decided to stay here for various reasons such as age, family reasons, etc. I am still young enough that returning to 121 isn't an impossible dream.. But I have decided that I just don't want to be the oldest guy on reserve in the LGA crashpad, albeit the one with the highest Modern Warfare K/D ratio, .

Blackhawk

The thing is, you will read that about all the choices if you stay on APC long enough. “Why would you leave/stay here for ______?” Fill in the blank. Fractional, ACMI, cargo, 121 legacy, ULCC, corporate.... you find pilots all over who test the water on the other side. Some like it, some move on. Some are happy they moved on, some would like to go back or try something else.
I heard it at ACMI when trying to decide to stay or take the shiny brass ring being offered elsewhere. “Why would you want to leave??” “Why wouldn’t you take the opportunity???”
But I don’t think that’s looking down your nose at others or belittling their decisions. Again, I never heard anyone say I was a fool for leaving, nor did I hear anyone who left say that those who stayed were fools. Okay, I take it back. I’ve had some UAL captains ask why I left flying a 747 ACMI for “the rat race”.
I’ve flown with fractional pilots who liked their old companies. They moved on, but it wasn’t because they were miserable. They just felt the move was a better fit.
It will probably be the same for those being furloughed. Some may jump back at the first opportunity, some may stay. It will depend on how they are paid, treated and the fit for their lifestyle. Heck, at my age I’m not 100% sure I would go back to being a legacy FO for the last few years if I was happy where I was.
But at the end of the day that’s what it comes down to. We need worry less about what some faceless person on the Internet who flies an airplane with a different paint job thinks of us and more about what that person we see in the morning thinks about us.

B727DRVR

So true,

Pre-September 11, 2001, I had friends that left UPS to go to AA, DL, and even 1 to TWA because everyone kept asking "so when are you going to come to the Majors and become a REAL airline pilot". Of course, hindsight is 20/20 but all of them regretted it for a long time until they got recalled. Even pilots at UPS and Fedex pilots have dealt with this assumption that Everything is always better at the passenger carriers, and that somehow you must be a substandard pilot if you are flying freight.

And certainly, 91, 91K, and 135 pilots deal with this with the never ending question, do you fly those small jets or are you a "COMMERCIAL PILOT? LOL.

AirBear

Generally Fractional's are much less susceptible to recessions, although the one 12 years ago was the exception. That's a good reason to stick around, and also the home basing thing is a big benefit, although not all fractionals have that. There's also the flying. Most airlines are like "Groundhog Day" whereas Fractional's see a wide variety of airports. I was at NetJets over 12 years and almost always saw a new airport each tour I did.

We had a lot of unusual stuff happen. I once had to dig rocks out of a ditch at midnight to use for wheel chocks at a small airport in Virginia. In Marfa, TX we had to ride the Community Center's Handicap Van for the 27 mile trip to our hotel in Alpine, TX. No taxi, limo, or rental car available. If it hadn't been for a retired AA pilot who had a plane at the airport helping us find a ride we would have been stuck there. But then there's the time we broke in Puerto Rico and spent 3 nights over New Year's in a Ritz Carlton Resort. And a lot of challenging airports during my time there. So it's a whole lot different from the airline experience.

Das Auto

I've done 121 (granted, a regional), and 135 / 91k. For me it's the commute. It sucked so bad that I move to Houston to be in base. Upgraded to captain then got based in Dulles. 12 months later I transitioned to larger equipment and got based in Newark!
Commuting to sit reserve is horrible. I know some guys will argue that their commute isn't that bad and their crash pad is lovely, but I hated it.
Even some senior 121 guys that live in base are being displaced right now and will have to commute again.
There are pros and cons to both options but for me flying in and out of my local airport with a paid for ticket is gold.

DH2time

Life lesson here boys from a mid 40s surfer/pilot.

Don’t listen to what others say and don’t try to interpret what they really mean. Some people like to flex, some little to lie, some like to speak the truth, who cares...Do what you want and have no regrets and you will never be bothered by those spouting and pontificating.

Left NJA for a 121, even in today’s day and age I would do it again five times a day and 10 times on Sunday.