I was on a conference call with the Delta Academy, and they were saying how wonderful life was as at the regionals, half the month off, free travel etc. Just wondering if anyone could give me an insight into the real life with a regional carrier, starting at the bottom and trying to work up.

 

DCA is notorious for their poor marketing practices and high cost training. I wouldn't believe a word you hear from DCA recruiters or management. They are blowing smoke up your butt to get you to attend their program. ATP does the same but not quite as bad.

You can learn more about the regional industry at the forums, here, but you'll have to pick your way through a lot of senseless bickering to find the occasional useful post. I'd recommend Jetcareers.com - Welcome as an additional resource on flight training and the airline biz.

 

What they fail to tell you is the years you'll spend getting to the regional. You're not going to go straight from DCA to the regionals like you might have a couple years ago.

Nothing wrong with instructing, in fact I loved doing it for two years. What I didn't like was not being able to pay my bills. So I bailed for a regional that I could get hired at with lower time.

What did I get out of that? After six months, I was so burned out I left for another regional. Having half the month off is a great time to get a second job. I dont' know where on earth anybody can live on first year FO pay. Especially when they're six-figures in debt to DCA. As for traveling? You likely won't be able to afford going anywhere.

 

I was talking to them about a CFI position about five months ago and they just made me laugh throughout the whole thing. They told me that they want me to memorize the FOI book inside and out and a lot of other B.S. if you get one thing wrong on a test you are out the door. The interviewer man quit I guess because on JC he telling people not to go there and they might be sold. Great life.

 

What he said...

 

do you want to know what it's like working your way up from the bottom???

when you're walking through the projects of ny hoping you don't get mugged to get to your crashpad after sitting on the couch all day wondering what the Mrs. is doing at home alone for the third week in a row then you know you're living the dream...

there is no glamour in working for a regional...guys will tell you to pay your dues and that you are probably lucky to get any flying job...don't let them push you around...ask them why they've been flyin rj's for 15 years...they probably signed up for the time off and the free travel too...

do yourself a favor find out why you really want fly that airplane...don't worry about turbine time, upgrade time or any of that crap...if flyin bags of checks in backwoods maine in a cherokee six is what you want to do then you're better off doing that than lying to yourself everyday in an rj...

if i could go back a few monthes i would've done things differently.

 

The regionals aren't as glamorous as they say. It's just another job where you barely make enough money to survive.

 

Didn't DCA use to be Comair?

 

[quote=withthatsaid182;491524]


if flyin bags of checks in backwoods maine in a cherokee six is what you want to do then you're better off doing that than lying to yourself everyday in an rj...
quote]

My home state, and not a bad gig. You just need floats and a fishing pole.

 

Sound advice in my opinion. Lurking on this forum for quite sometime, there is a general "Pay your dues" and "because I had to do XYZ to get MNO, so should you."